Next reading by Sunday, Jan 27th

I have a feeling some people are getting behind but lets see if we can read Chapters 24-34 before Sunday the 27th.

Chapter 12-23

I am still amazed at the Bertram family dynamic. The most interesting part about this section of the book involved the play and what happened when their father came home. It is so funny to me that they were all saying how much their father wouldn't care and how much he would love the play and then the moment he walked in the door they were terrified(except Edmund and Fanny who were against it from the beginning). It also is odd to me that he tore everything down. Was the play really that bad?

Two other things especially disturbed me about this section. First when Mrs. Norris decided to totally tear apart Fanny in front of everyone and tell her she was worth nothing. I got a pit in my stomach. I can't believe how cruel they are to her.

The second was when their father actually asked Maria how she felt about Mr. Rushworth and gave her the chance to break the engagement and she chose not to and acted as if she loved him even if she secretly was only doing it to not give Mr. Crawford any satisfaction. WEIRD and demented if you ask me. I have a feeling that the Grants talked to Mr. Crawford and told him to go away if he was not interested in her.

Well I am really interested to read further and here how Fanny turns out, I have to tell you the only characters I really care will turn out well are Fanny and Edmund. So we will see as we read on.

Mansfield Park--Ch. 1-11

While I am still trying to get a handle on all the characters, I am starting to enjoy this one. Except some of these women drive me crazy! Let's start with Miss Crawford, she is very opinionated and knocks down pretty much everything Edmund has to say (including his future career) and yet she still has him in some type of trance! What does he see in her? One minute he is enjoying himself with Fanny, and the next minute he totally ignores her because of Miss Crawford!
Poor Fanny, she's not really like a daughter to the Bertmans, just slightly higher than the servants. I wonder why they really decided of all the children of Mrs. Price to raise, why they chose her, and just one? She had like 8 kids right? And why is she so physically weak? Always needing to rest, what's wrong with her?
Mr. Rushworth and Ms. Bertman's relationship is interesting, it just goes to show how what at first appears like the ideal match, may not work out so well when the bride-to-be is now more interested in Mr. Crawford than her own fiance! And now they are dreading Sir Thomas's return because then the marriage will really take place!
And Mrs. Norris, what a piece or work! She decides to "raise" Fanny, yet instead doesn't even want her living in her home and rather have the Bertman's take care of her. And what's with Lady Bertman needing someone to stay back at home with her when everyone went on a day trip, like she can't survive one day by herself? (And she wouldn't be alone anyway with all those servants around!)
It will be interesting to see how things change when the men of Mansfield (Sir Thomas and Tom) return...