I just finished the audiobook of Mansfield Park, narrated by the magnificent Juliet Stevenson. Boy, was that fun! I started the audiobook feeling sure that I'd read the book ages ago, but by about the halfway point, I had to question whether or not I really had... and realized that the answer was "probably not". 
 I'll admit to finding the first half rather slow. Lots of walking around in shrubberies, an interminable section on choosing and preparing for a play, and plenty of eye-rolling. No wait, that was me with the eye-rolling. 
 In any case, things eventually pick up and the plot gets quite lively and complicated. Fanny Price is an odd little heroine for an Austen book. Physically frail and timid by temperament, it took me a while to warm up to her and value her for her innate goodness. At the beginning, I couldn't see past the set-up of the poor cousin brought to live with the rich relatives but treated like an outsider. Fanny's situation in the household (and the story itself) improve greatly once her two cousins Maria and Julia depart, and as Fanny matures and contemplates love and relationships in a more meaningful way, the story becomes more and more engrossing. 
 Mansfield Park seems to be low on the totem pole when it comes to Austen's works. It might not be as immediately delightful as Pride and Prejudice or Emma, but the pay-off is there for those who are willing to stick with it. I'm glad I did!