This Book is annotated (it contains a detailed biography of the author). An active Table of Contents has been added by the publisher for a better customer experience. *This book has been checked and corrected for spelling errors. Mansfield Park is the third published novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1814. The novel tells the story of Fanny Price starting when her overburdened family sends her at age 10 to live in the household of her wealthy aunt and uncle, through to her marriage. The novel was first published by Thomas Egerton. A second edition was published in 1816 by John Murray, still within Austen's lifetime. The novel did not receive any critical attention when it was initially published; the first particular notice was in 1821, in a positive review of each of the published novels by Jane Austen.

When she is 10 years old, Fanny Price is sent from her poor and large family to Mansfield Park, where she is to be raised by her wealthy aunt and uncle, Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram. Though she grows up in the same home as her four older cousins, she is often treated as a poor and ignorant relation, similar to a servant, and is not afforded the same advances into society as her more privileged relatives. But there is one among her relations who treats her as an equal. Edmund is the second son and the kind-hearted soul of the family. It is not long before Fanny’s childhood appreciation of Edmund’s kindness is transformed into a romantic love more suited to the young woman she’s become. But the fashionably wealthy and attractive brother and sister, Henry and Mary Crawford, arrive at Mansfield and create turmoil for the entire Bertram family - Mary falls for Edward, and Henry falls for all of the female cousins, though he tries to convince Fanny (and himself) that his heart belongs only to her. Will any hearts be spared? Though often described as the least romantic of Austen’s six novels, Mansfield Park comes to life when Fanny’s true romantic and passionate nature is revealed. Indeed before Edmund’s eyes Fanny’s passion and beauty surpasses that of her new and sophisticated friend, Miss Crawford. And it appears that the overly moralistic Edmund has some untapped passion of his own. Can the pursuit of pleasure be enough to bring this romance to a new level? Sensuality Level: Sensual

Taken from the poverty of her parents' home in Portsmouth, Fanny Price is brought up with her rich cousins at Mansfield Park, acutely aware of her humble rank and with her cousin Edmund as her sole ally. During her uncle's absence in Antigua, the Crawford's arrive in the neighbourhood bringing with them the glamour of London life and a reckless taste for flirtation. Mansfield Park is considered Jane Austen's first mature work and, with its quiet heroine and subtle examination of social position and moral integrity, one of her most profound.

From the editor of the popular Annotated Pride and Prejudice comes an annotated edition of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park that makes her story of an impoverished girl living with her wealthy relatives an even more satisfying read. Here is the complete text of Austen’s own favorite novel with more than 2,300 annotations on facing pages, including: ● Explanations of historical context ● Citations from Austen’s life, letters, and other writings ● Definitions and clarifications ● Literary comments and analysis ● Maps of places in the novel ● An introduction, bibliography, and detailed chronology of events ● More than 225 informative illustrations Filled with fascinating details about the characters’ clothes, houses, and carriages, as well as background information on such relevant issues as career paths in the British navy, contemporary attitudes toward slavery, and the legal and social consequences of adultery, David M. Shapard’s Annotated Mansfield Park brings Austen’s world into richer focus.