Civil conversation...
Posted by Helen on May 15, 1998 at 13:24:41:
In response to MP, written by gkb on May 14, 1998 at 21:42:15
I was thinking about the absence of a Mansfield Park bulletin board... and wondering about why that doesn't phase me... I hasten to say that I have the deepest admiration for both Fanny and the novel - I agree entirely with G.Kay that she has a lot of moral courage and in some ways is the finest of JA's heroines...
But would it be fair to say that there isn't so much to discuss about MP? Or that the discussion, which always becomes polarized basically around the Price/Crawford world-views which form the subject of the novel's debates, isn't really as enjoyable or as able to produce new and exciting readings which make all participants feel enriched as happens with the other novels.
This isn't to say that the novel is imperfect... what I mean is that it is a different kind of novel, not one which can be easily reduced to after-dinner chat. For example, it's hard to focus just on "what's your favourite scene", because the scenes can't be isolated from their moral/structural positions...
I think the same thing applies to Northanger Abbey: it's a charming and delightful novel, but I don't think that we could get enough discussion out of it to justify a whole board...
I've got to cut this short (my hectic social life) ... so I hope I haven't annoyed anyone because I haven't the time to revise my thoughts!
Helen
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