None of Jane Austen’s novels was a bestseller in her lifetime; yet to her modesty, the relative swiftness with which the first edition of her Sense and Sensibility sold out was encouragement enough to undertake her most ambitious project so far, the writing of a novel for which she had no earlier blueprint, comprising a wider range of lifestyles, and reflecting more openly her current state of mind and assessment of contemporary society. Although published only one year after Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park (written between February 1811 and the summer of 1813) is more mature in both tone and purport than any of her earlier works: fashioned in a style of flawless versatility and consistent elegance, it …
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Citation: Schneider, Ana-Karina. "Mansfield Park". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 January 2008 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=3731, accessed 26 November 2024.]
