Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

6 reviews

heresyourletter's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Classism, and Bullying

Moderate: Infidelity, Colonisation, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism, Slavery, Cursing, and Child death

The main character comes from a lower-class background and after being sent to live with her rich aunt and uncle, is denigrated for her manners. As an adult, she in turn looks down on the manners of her parents when she returns home to visit them. One of the main characters owns a plantation in Antigua. It is implied that he is a slave owner. The slave trade is also briefly mentioned. One minor character is an alcoholic who curses mildly throughout his chapters and is said to make crude jokes at his daughter’s expense. The main character is romantically pursued by a man to whom she repeatedly tells that she’s not interested and is constantly pressured by her family to marry. Brief mention of the death of the main character’s sister, who was a child at the time.

Main character is a Cinderella-type figure who is mistreated throughout the book. Lots of conservative Christian morality throughout, but tempered slightly by your typical Austen satiric wit.

saliwali's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, and Toxic friendship

_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

rikke_bay's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism and Infidelity

Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

sdemo08's review against another edition

challenging tense medium-paced

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

5.0

As a modern day reader, I did not enjoy this one but I shall persist on my quest to read more classics. It may be this held more favorable reception closer to its debut but goodness it was not for me.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Infidelity, Colonisation, Racism, Gaslighting, and Slavery

everyotherpageorso's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

I love Fanny Price RABIDLY! To me, as a twenty-first century reader, it was honestly refreshing to find a character whom you could read as neurodivergent, who wasn’t also constantly shamed by the narrator. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting

Minor: Slavery