Have you ever read the Mansfield Park fanfiction Everingham by Katharine T (katharhino)? If you did, I'd be curious to know your thoughts about it.
I have. It's a decent Mansfield Park variation. The author seems to have a pretty good handle of the characters and the plot moves well. It is a gripping read.
However, this is a bit of a difficult question. I am aware that Everingham is one of the first MP variations to have Fanny end up with Henry, and as it is unpublished and given the culture around critiquing JAFF, I don’t want to come off as too harsh, but I think this story has some problems.
The timeline for the story is a bit off, Henry was supposed to meet Maria at the Fraser’s party, so he can’t have already met her, formed the plan to flirt, and then decide not to go to the party. Also, his motivations of going to Everingham at the beginning are whimsical or even lust driven, instead of out of a desire to improve himself.
I think the characterization of Mary tends to veer a little into Isabella Thorpe, which is not her character but it’s a common mistake and one that I catch myself making. For example, Mary can’t decide on earrings and throws herself onto the bed in despair. That is Isabella, not Mary. Mary doesn’t do that sort of silly drama.
The biggest issue though is that the story seems to blame Fanny almost, for being too scared (?) to love Henry, instead of rightly blaming Henry for being someone who is not a good choice for a husband. Fanny does tell him what he did wrong (which she doesn't want to do in MP), but then we never have him really examining why his flirtation, especially Maria, was so bad. Or a proper apology. And then later we have this:
“Nevertheless I think Mr Rushworth is quite often jealous where there is no cause” - Henry
Which Fanny accepts! We know as readers that Rushworth was jealous with ample cause and so does Fanny! I really think Henry and Maria sitting cozy on the piano should have been a deal breaker for Fanny. To show that Henry is reformed, he should be avoiding Maria and creating proper distance between them, in my opinion.
I really dislike the jealous scene near the end when Fanny talks with Edmund and Henry gets mad at her:
"I find it hard to understand your determination to do what you know will hurt me. If you prefer your cousin's company to mine, very well; but at least have to courtesy to inform me of your whereabouts so I may not be reduced to asking the servants where my wife is." - Henry
She thinks she done wrong! Edmund is her brother-in-law and cousin, she has nothing to be sorry for! And I am not mad at the author, jealousy being shown as a good thing is a common romance trope, but jealousy without cause is actually a toxic relationship trait. After all, Fanny lived at Edmund’s house for a month and nothing happened and she has given Henry no reason to doubt her faithfulness. That isn’t healthy relationship behaviour, it is controlling and isolating.
And then we have this:
"It is not. I hesitate to confess, Fanny, for you will be so shocked," she [Mary] said, laughing. "It is an old dress I had made for winter two years ago, and I turned it and remade it. Do not look at my hem, for it is dreadfully botched. It is my first time turning a dress, but these are the straits we poor clergymen's wives are forced to. Is it not a horrid tale?"
I think people misunderstand Fanny saying Mary will be “poor” in Mansfield Park. Mary will be poor in comparison to her ambitions, but an income of about 1,700 pounds per year is not actually poor even for the gentry, it is similar to Mr. Bennet's income (Thornton Lacery’s 700 per year and Mary’s 20k dowry yielding around 1k/year). And at this point they have no children, so no, Mary does not need to remake a gown.
My personal favourite Mansfield Park variation is Fanny: A Mansfield Park Story by Amelia Marie Logan. Not only does it imitate Jane Austen's style in a way I don't think I've read before, Fanny does not change in her morals, Henry changes to meet her. And it takes a long time, which fits into Fanny's character.
Disclosure: My own Mansfield Park variation comes out next week, it's called Unfairly Caught. I accept criticism of my own works and I am not aiming to tear anyone down in this post. There is so very little Mansfield Park Fan Fiction that I don't feel any need to be competitive.
