“Jane Austen lovers worldwide will cherish these books...Prepare yourself for a major treat.” ―Christian Science Monitor Every moment has its pleasures, and its hope. Mansfield Park is Jane Austen’s most complex and ambitious novel. Fanny Price―the story’s meek, determinedly moral protagonist―is almost too good to love. Is she admirable, or (as Austen’s own mother declared) “insipid”? Is her uncle, Sir Thomas Bertram, a warm benefactor or a stifling tyrant? In her introduction and annotations, Deidre Shauna Lynch suggests Austen’s intentions were to highlight, not to downplay, these ambiguities; in fact, they may be central to appreciating Mansfield Park . Enjoy the multifaceted story anew with this extraordinary collector’s edition. For beginners and experts alike―immerse yourself in Jane Austen’s world: For the modern reader, our annotations provide clear explanations and illuminating context for period language and references. For the enthusiast, they offer fresh, exciting analysis―a passionate friend in the margins. A work of art―the ideal gift: Perfect for gifting, collecting, and cherishing, this grand hardcover (9” x 9.5”) brims with hundreds of full-color illustrations that vividly recreate Austen’s world―its fashions, carriages, libraries, and estates. The story: “I was quiet, but I was not blind.” The eldest daughter of an impoverished couple, Fanny Price is taken in by her much wealthier aunt and uncle―and their children, Edmund, Tom, Maria, and Julia―at Mansfield Park. This generosity comes as a cost: with the exception of Edmund, Fanny’s relations treat her with scorn. Content to suffer in silence, she may frustrate readers, or even be mistaken for a satirical figure. But Austen rewards Fanny’s steadfast heart with a happy ending. When the wealthy bachelor Henry (who is having an affair with the married Maria) schemes to win Fanny’s affections, she rejects him time and again. Edmund, realizing his love for Fanny, recognizes that she is a canny reader of character―judging others for their actions, not their words. “Belknap’s recently released annotated Mansfield Park , edited by [Deidre Shauna] Lynch, is a 532-page, colour-illustrated tour de force.” ― Devoney Looser , Times Literary Supplement “This is a coffee-table book that folks―Austen fans in particular―will actually read.” ― Laurie Hertzel , Star Tribune “Lynch here makes Austen’s most divisive novel accessible, intriguing, and beautiful. She strikes a deft balance between information and analysis in her notes and with supporting documents that lend historical depth to the edition, while also linking the narrative to popular culture… With this edition, readers will want to stay with these characters for as long as possible.” ― Emily Bowles , Library Journal (starred review) “Deidre Lynch’s edition of Mansfield Park weaves critical debate into an engaging argument about the subtlety and complexity of Fanny Price’s character. The annotations are unfailingly lucid and succinct, calculated to stimulate both imagination and thought.” ― Patricia Meyer Spacks, University of Virginia “Austenites will want to own this edition of Mansfield Park because they have previously been frustrated or maddened by the novel, and because they want to understand how and why to like it, how to get more out of it, how to comprehend its place within Austen’s oeuvre. We are all lucky to find a scholar and critic of Deidre Lynch’s caliber as an editor and guide.” ― Katie Trumpener, Yale University Deidre Shauna Lynch is Ernest Bernbaum Professor of Literature in the Department of English at Harvard University.