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Mansfield Park

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Mansfield Park

By: Jane Austen
Narrated by: Frances Barber
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When the self-effacing 10-year-old Fanny Price is sent to live with her wealthy relations at Mansfield Park she seems shy and withdrawn beside her witty and vivacious cousins. Growing up in the Bertram household, she is always treated as an inferior, only finding an ally in her cousin Edmund. But Fanny's steadfast and purposeful character eventually makes her an indispensable part of the household. During the absence of Fanny's uncle, the others become entangled in a maze of flirtation and intrigue upon the arrival of Mary Crawford and her brother Henry. It is only Fanny whose deep but secret love for Edmund remains true despite his fascination with her brilliant but frivolous cousin Mary.

The most serious of Austen's works due to its discussion of religion and religious duty, Mansfield Park also offers a subtle examination of social position and moral integrity, making it one of Austen's most profound works.

Jane Austen was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels which focused on the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Her plots often explore women's dependence on marriage in the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security.

Narrator Biography

Frances Barber has received Olivier Award nominations for her work in the plays, Camille, and Uncle Vanya. Other theatre credits include; Madame Rubinstein, The School for Scandal, What The Butler Saw, Julius Caesar, Les Parents Terribles, That Face, Afterplay, Madame De Sade, and King Lear. Her numerous television credits include Father Brown, Medici: Masters of Florence, Mapp and Lucia, Psychobitches, The Spa, a new regular in the series Silk, several episodes of Doctor Who, Midsomer Murders and A Passionate Woman. Her film credits include The Escape; The Bookshop; Blue Iguana; Film Stars don't Die in Liverpool; El Elegido (The Chosen) and Mr. Holmes.

Frances Barbar has narrated an impressive list of titles, including The Chimney Sweeper's Boy by Barbara Vine, The Voyages of the Princess Matilda by Shane Spall and Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.

Public Domain (P)2015 Audible, Inc.
Action & Adventure Classics Coming of Age Family Life Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Regency Women's Adventure Women's Fiction Witty Funny Feel-Good
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Critic reviews

"Frances Barber offers a sterling performance, bringing life and sparkle to each character....Barber convincingly shifts from lord of the manor to sniveling servitude at the change of a sentence. And her narrative passages transparently tie the whole family together into one beautiful package." (AudioFile)

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I adore Jane Austen, however this is not one of my favourites. Fanny is no Elizabeth or Emma! The ending felt a little rushed. But as always, beautiful prose and wonderful storytelling. You feel you live the story alongside her. The narration was fine, it didn’t bother me as it did others.

Enjoyable

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I had only ever watched the movie from 1999 but this book had a lot more to offer in way of describing each character a lot more deeply. Mrs. Norris is exceptionally antagonizing and kept my annoyance engaged, including the tone of her voice being very grating on the ears. This is all part of the charm, as her extremes contrasted the extreme goodness of the other characters. The plot was pleasing compared to Austen's other work, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, quite similar to the movie but the movie had taken some liberties for cinematic effect.
The narrator is also very talented and had almost perfect differentiation between each character, so I could remember who was talking at any time. She is also quite good a doing the mens' voices, so I could follow with ease of listening. Overall a very enjoyable listen and I would listen again.

Excellent novel

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Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, is a delightful listen, beautifully read and has a wonderful story.

A beautiful story, beautifully read!

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Excellent, though not quite the best of Austen. A very good narrator. It's so great to have this title included in my subscription.

Excellent, though not quite the best of Austen

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Mansfield Park has never been my favourite J.A. but I enjoy this book more, every time I listen to it. And it’s definitely more worthwhile to listen to it with a good narrator, than to read it.
Look out for Karen Savage. She’s another brilliant narrator.

Exquisite narration.

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