The third Jane Austen book in the ascending order from least liked to most loved is Mansfield Park.
Fanny
She is such a weak and timid character. Yet she is observant and clever. She sees and understands more about what is going on around her than any of the other characters. Most of what is known about her is internalized and only the reader is privy to her thoughts and feelings.
She is a good girl who tries to the the right thing and no one seems to recognize it.
Here is where I will probably throw some people off.
I don't think it would have been a bad match between her and Henry Crawford.
After he takes the time to observe and try and get to know her, he is more perceptive to the mistreatment she gets from many of the others.
Sure Henry Crawford is not a good guy, but for a time he seems capable of changing for the better.
Most of the characters are in the shade of gray concerning good and bad.
The only truly mean spirited ones are Mrs. Norris and Maria Bertram.
Some are oblivious to how they come across, for example Sir Thomas who appears gruff and standoffish but is really kind and caring. Others make mistakes and must either learn from them or adapt.
Tom Bertram screws up, nearly dies, and becomes a better person for it.
Mary Crawford panics over her brother's affair and says and does thing to disgust the man she wants to marry. He leaves her and she moves on.
Austen manages to make everything come out pretty close to even. The truly good get what they want and the truly bad get punished. And everyone in between finds their own balance.
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About the television and movie adaptations
The 1999 film version really got a lot wrong.
The 2007 TV version wasn't too bad. And it has Billie Piper as Fanny so that's a plus.
The problem with adapting this book is that Fanny is a quiet, introverted character and putting that onto the screen is pretty impossible unless they use many voice overs.
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Bad Gaming Habit Update:
I have almost finished Wii's Epic Mickey. That Shadow Blot boss was a real pain.
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Next Week: Sense and Sensibility
~Eris
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