Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

9 reviews

lissi_k's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse

anjasshelf's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Classism, Infidelity, Incest, and Sexism

Moderate: Death, Slavery, Child death, Colonisation, Medical content, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

_maia3_'s review

dark lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is my least favourite of Austen's books and I'm only giving it such a high score because I think it's genuinely very interesting to have an Austen book where almost everyone sucks. I find Fanny a rather insipid heroine, and whilst I understand that she is very much a victim of abuse, I don't find her explored to a satisfactory level. The hero, Edmund, is Austen's most unlikeable hero by far. The villians are the most entertaining part of the book, as they (in particular Mary Crawford) give voice to interesting contemporary opinions surrounding religion especially. Even if this was not likely Austen's weird little religious moment as some scholars have said, it really does come off that way sometimes. 
Please don't skip out on this book however- it is worth the read if you want more Austen, it was just a personal miss. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Infidelity, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse

Minor: Slavery

cleotheo's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Incest, Classism, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, and Child abuse

Minor: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Misogyny

calliejacob's review against another edition

sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Racism, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Incest

Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders

impla77's review

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This is one of Austens more weaker outings, with a frankly unlikeable and judgemental main character who we are supposed to believe is the epitome of virtue. I don’t mind the slower pace but I can see how others may find it boring

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery and Child abuse

anjasshelf's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Colonisation, Slavery, and Child abuse

Minor: Infidelity and Addiction

eggsoap's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

The narration is great, and I really loved the emotion Frances Barber is able to depict in each of the charcoal, but ThisI have completed feelings about the story.
Overall, I did enjoy but the way everything turned out towards the end felt rushed and unsatisfying.
The moral commentary behind Austen's work felt slightly contradictory in Mansfield Park. Fanny relied a lot on her own prejudices in how she responded to the Crawford's and was very withdrawn and over cautious. These are both things that were seen as a character flaws in Lizzie and Darcy, but Fanny is praised for them because they show her 'consistancy' and 'moral conviction'. Fanny is sweet and definitely has a lot of inner strength, but aside from becoming slightly less shy, she doesn't really see much character development and the rest of her flaws tend to be explained away as somehow actually being a good thing in the end.

There was also so much build up of the 'potential for good' in the Crawford siblings, and their genuinely seemed to want to do better that their downfall felt like it came out of nowhere.
The romance with Fanny and Edmund was also unsatisfactory. Austen constantly stressed their platonic connection on Edmund's side, despite Fanny being in love throughout that a few sentences in the final chapter don't convince me that he was able to realise that he was really in love with her all along. We see so much of Fanny's feelings that maybe if we had seen what prompted Edmund to realise he was in love then I could believe it.
The only satisfying part of the ending was that Mrs Norris got sent away and is constantly unhappy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

Minor: Child death

itwassomethingabout's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest

Moderate: Child abuse and Misogyny

Minor: Slavery