When two sisters appear to be deserted by the young men they had intended to marry, the stage is set for a delicious comedy of manners that not only showcases Austen's perception, humor and incomparable prose, but offers a splendid glimpse of upper and middle-class English society of the early 19th century.
Though not the first novel she wrote, Sense and Sensibility was the first Jane Austen published. Though she initially called it Elinor and Marianne, Austen jettisoned both the title and the epistolary mode in which it was originally written, but kept the essential theme: the necessity of finding a workable middle ground between passion and reason. The story revolves around the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne. Whereas the former is a sensible, rational creature, her younger sister is wildly romantic--a characteristic that offers Austen plenty of scope for both satire and compassion. Commenting on Edward Ferrars, a potential suitor for Elinor's hand, Marianne admits that while she "loves him tenderly," she finds him disappointing as a possible lover for her sister:
Oh! Mama, how spiritless, how tame was Edward's manner in reading to us last night! I felt for my sister most severely. Yet she bore it with so much composure, she seemed scarcely to notice it. I could hardly keep my seat. To hear those beautiful lines which have frequently almost driven me wild, pronounced with such impenetrable calmness, such dreadful indifference!
Soon however, Marianne meets a man who measures up to her ideal: Mr. Willoughby, a new neighbor. So swept away by passion is Marianne that her behavior begins to border on the scandalous. Then Willoughby abandons her; meanwhile, Elinor's growing affection for Edward suffers a check when he admits he is secretly engaged to a childhood sweetheart. How each of the sisters reacts to their romantic misfortunes, and the lessons they draw before coming finally to the requisite happy ending forms the heart of the novel. Though Marianne's disregard for social conventions and willingness to consider the world well-lost for love may appeal to modern readers, it is Elinor whom Austen herself most evidently admired; a truly happy marriage, she shows us, exists only where sense and sensibility meet and mix in proper measure. --Alix Wilber
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
The sensible and the sensitive:
One of the Dashwood daughters is smart, down-to-earth and sensible. The other is wildly romantic and sensitive. And in a Jane Austen novel, you can guess that there are going to be romantic problems aplenty for both of them -- along with the usual entailment issues, love triangles, sexy bad boys and societal scandals. "Sense and Sensibility" is a quietly clever, romantic little novel that builds up to a dramatic peak on Marianne's romantic troubles, while also quietly exploring Elinor's struggles.more info
The Miss Dashwood sisters:
A story of two sisters who search for marriage partners. What is nice about Jane Austen is the quality and quantity of conversation, so that the reader imbues a sense of the 1800s among the countrified gentry. The memorable characters run the gamut from respectable, cultured Colonel Brandon to his opposite John Willoughby, who is out for a good-time with the ladies. The lady between them is Marianne Dashwood--inexperienced, beautiful, artistic, and idealistic. She is lovingly censured for her candor and... more info
My third favorite Austen... revisited:
It's been years since I first read Sense and Sensibility. I was nineteen, and while I loved it back then I've had the feeling that I'd probably appreciate it more as an adult reader. Or who knows, I'll probably end up hating it the second time around. Lucky for me, that wasn't the case. This is definitely not Austen's best work (I'll explain why later), but its simple tale of two sisters who are as different as night and day and how they deal with financial destitution, heartbreak and feelings in general is... more info
a sign of the times......:
After finally getting round to reading the books that launched my top three period film loves (P&P Pride and Prejudice - The Special Edition (A&E, 1996), S&S Sense & Sensibility (Special Edition), and best of all Persuasion Persuasion), it was fascinating to note what Emma Thompson did and did not use in her screenplay of S&S. As to the novel itself-most surprising and gratifying was the biting satire, wit and sarcasm in Miss Austen's writing. Her carefully veiled views on "society"... more info
