Sense & Sensibility

Ros Ballaster, Jane Austen

***SPOILER ALERT***This novel is set in a small English hamlet and revolves around two sisters and...more

***SPOILER ALERT***This novel is set in a small English hamlet and revolves around two sisters and their love interests but also is a social commentary on this class of English people at the height of the Empire. The sisters are the younger siblings to a half-brother who is dimwitted but kindly married to a miserly woman. After their father's death the sisters and their mother are forced to vacate the family estate for a small "cottage" which they rent from a friendly cousin on their mother's side. The girls meet three men with whom they are interested. The first is their sister-in-law's brother who seems interested in Elinor, the oldest but turns out to be already secretly engaged to a woman who his mother disapproves of. The second man is a Colonel who is also interested in the girls but it is unclear in which one - he is terribly old (35). The final man is very infatuated with the younger woman - Marianne. They seem to be in love and on the verge of becoming engaged but he instead marries a wealthy woman. The first man has arranged to be married and is not disavowed. This allows the man to marry Elinor with whom he is now enamored. The colonel all along has been in love with Marianne and after her heartbreak is somewhat healed is able to woo her. The intricate rules of society combined with the treachery make Austen a fun read.   hide

This book has a compelling story (two women, one with a lot of sense, the other very sensible, who...more

This book has a compelling story (two women, one with a lot of sense, the other very sensible, who deal with the trials and tribulations of romance, betrayal, heartbreak, reconciliation, and marriage) that, in my opinion, wasn’t told very well. I notice that in some passages the author seems to offer a summary of events rather than elaborately and eloquently delving into scenes and showing things to the readers like Dickens often does in his work. Perhaps my reaction to this story was heavily influenced by the fact that I read Sense and Sensibility immediately after I read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Either way, I generally don’t like stories that read like they’re being summarized. I found myself drifting off when I read many passages in Sense and Sensibility. Would I recommend this book? I don’t think so. If I were to recommend this book it would only be so others could be familiar with Jane Austen because she was an important and influential writer in 19th century British literature. My personal opinion, however, is that there are better Victorian writers (ie. Charles Dickens).    hide

Sense and Sensibility is equal to Pride and Prejudice in every way. Some people don't like Austen...more

Sense and Sensibility is equal to Pride and Prejudice in every way. Some people don't like Austen simply because they cannot grasp the world Austen was in, the world she wrote about. In response to a previous reviewer, understand that Austen did not consider love to be everything, she considered survivoring by getting married to be everything and dearly wished for love to accompany that marriage. Marriage was nearly every woman's only option, so do not criticize something when you don't understand it. Sense and Sensibility was wonderful, once again, because of the characters. Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are incredible (arguably as incredible as Lizzie Bennet to some Austen fans) and Colonel Brandon was the epitome of a great man. Austen creates real people (or reinvents them? hmm, no way to tell) and lets real situations OF THAT TIME unfold. Brilliant again!   hide

I did like this book, but, as many others have said, I definitely liked Pride and Prejudice more....more

I did like this book, but, as many others have said, I definitely liked Pride and Prejudice more. The relationships between the characters were, at times, oddly confusing. If I hadn't seen the movie, I would've wondered at Edwards treatment of Elinor, which was not that of even a friend most of the time. Marianne's reckless regard for her life because of Willoughby was, in my modern mindset, quite over-the-top. However, the general flow of the story was interesting to read through, and the passionate way that Jane Austen's characters always embrace family and friends is a nice change to the lack of civility found in some modern books. Other than a bit of a slow start, I did enjoy reading this book.   hide

Somewhere along the line, I forgot to read this book. I'd seen the movie so many times that I just...more

Somewhere along the line, I forgot to read this book. I'd seen the movie so many times that I just assumed that I'd read it. When I finally picked it up I discovered much that was new and surprising, and really, quite unlike any other Austen novel I'd read. The characters' faults and failings are sharply displayed, but gradually soften as the story develops and we see them reacting to the various scandalous events and revelations that drive the story. By the end, every major character has been through some kind of moral test, and you are left with the sense that their true colours have come through. Overall, I found Sense and Sensibility a really satisfying read. I would love to know how it was received when it was first published.   hide