January 10, 2026
Not really a Romance
Mansfield Park is pretty different from Austen’s other novels: it isn’t really a romance at all. It reads more like a reflection on the moral values and expectations of its time. A lot of modern readers approach it with contemporary eyes and end up preferring the antagonists, without realizing how differently the moral landscape worked in Austen’s world. Fanny isn’t meant to be relatable or “fun”. She’s meant to be right by the rules and values of her era. Once I noticed that, the contrast made the book much more fascinating to me, almost like looking through a window into another time.