'How is the consternation of the party to be described?'

I have one word to describe my consternation and it is DREAD. With this book we leave the sparkling early work -- "the first of the three novels of Jane Austen's maturity," Drabble somberly says. Martin Amis is not helping:

No reader can resist the brazen wishfulness of “Pride and Prejudice,” but it is clear from internal evidence alone that Austen never fully forgave herself for it. “Mansfield Park” was her—and our—penance.

I think I've read the first fifty pages of this. Long, long ago. Oh God.


Early opinions of MP My Mother -- not liked it so well as P. & P. -- Thought Fanny insipid. Man, when your mama doesn't like your book, that's bad.

The 'Fanny wars' (gotta adore that 1996-era DANGER! graphic at the top)

Number of times Fanny actually cries in the novel (fourteen total apparently)