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    Sense and Sensibility
    Sense and Sensibility
    Sense and Sensibility
    Audiobook12 hours

    Sense and Sensibility

    Written by Jane Austen

    Narrated by Juliet Stevenson

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    When Mrs Dashwood is forced by an avaricious daughter-in-law to leave the family home in Sussex, she takes her three daughters to live in a modest cottage in Devon. For Elinor, the eldest daughter, the move means a painful separation from the man she loves, but her sister Marianne finds in Devon the romance and excitement which she longs for. The contrasting fortunes and temperaments of the two girls as they struggle to cope in their different ways with the cruel events which fate has in store for them are portrayed by Jane Austen with her usual irony, humour and profound sensibility. Juliet Stevenson is acknowledged one of the finest interpreters of Jane Austen.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNaxos Audiobooks
    Release dateNov 1, 2005
    ISBN9789629544591
    Author

    Jane Austen

    Jane Austen (1775–1817) was an English novelist whose work centred on social commentary and realism. Her works of romantic fiction are set among the landed gentry, and she is one of the most widely read writers in English literature.

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    Reviews for Sense and Sensibility

    4.5/5

    689 ratings236 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Another marvellous recording by Juliet Stevenson. She delightfully brings the characters and narration to life.
    • 5/5
      Probably one of the best books I've ever read this year. The narration is spot-on and the voice is precisely energised depending on the mood of the paragraphs. I love it.
    • 2/5
      If it's your first Jane Austen's book, better read other. She definitely wrote some better ones than Sense and Sensibility. Although I genuinely enjoyed the first half, second one became more and more boring and I cared for characters less and less. Consisting the story on less pages could do it much good, otherwise it's impossibly stretched. The ending is quite unrealistic, and the most of the characters are flat, uninteresting and unreasonable. The only good thing in this audio book was the voice of the reader - she'd done perfect job in bringing otherwise boring story to life.
    • 4/5
      I could never really get into Sense and Sensibility. It was difficult to read and took me a while to get into. However, in the end, I did enjoy the story and the characters. This was my first foray into Jane Austen.
    • 2/5
      I finally made it through Sense and Sensibility, but I must say it was quite a struggle. Jane Austen has a wonderful way with words, but I think it is safe to say that I grew to hate just about every character in the novel by the end. Elinor - the sense of the operation, was prim, proper dull and boring. Marianne - aka sensibility, was the extreme opposite of Elinor and I was praying she would be struck by a runaway horse and buggy within moments of being introduced to her, but sadly this was not to occur. The remaining women were primarily gossip junkies stalking the countryside for their next fix. The men of Sense and Sensibility not much better with the exception of Mr. Palmer. Palmer had the good sense to hide in the background and ignore the whole lot. I may give Austen another shot, but this reader needs a little time away.
    • 5/5
      I never finish a Jane Austen novel without being in some way amused. Because Jane Austen never fails to not well mock her own characters. Or exaggerate their flaws grossly. I adore it. I do. Elinor, I immediately relate to. And really I want her to have whatever makes her happy. Though in some weird way I think I wanted Col. Brandon to be like "OMG MARIANNE STFU...UR SIS IS TEH S3X!!!!!" Sadly no...he was just a sad pathetic little man in love. Whom I adored fully, but still. And Edward with his whole "SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP MOTHER. I AM GOING TO RUN OFF AND MARRY THIS GIRL I PROMISED TO MARRY 4 YEARS AGO AND DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT NOW BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT I SAID I WOULD DO." That's before said girl ran off with his brother. And he immediately after ran to Elinor to declare his undying love. But you know. Saying that, that is the other thing I love about Austen. She tells me where everyone ends up. I like things being wrapped up sometimes.
    • 5/5
      Re-reading this book just solidified my opinion that it is the best of the Jane Austen novels. I know everyone has their hearts set on Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Darcy, but I believe that her first novel is raw and real and much more relatable. It truly remains as fresh a cautionary tale today as it ever was. The Dashwood sisters learn that the path to love isn't always straight and narrow and sometimes you're heart has to be broken for you to appreciate how whole a heart can be. Filled with memorable characters, witty dialogue, and unforgettable romance, this is a book readers won't soon forget. I really enjoyed discussing the book with my library Jane Austen Book and Film Club, we talked about how societal obligations have changed but the heart has remained the same and then we watched the Masterpiece Theater version. Overall, a must read. And if you haven't watch the 1995 movie version. It's amazing and you won't regret it.
    • 4/5
      One of the best books, beautiful English (but rather difficult for a Dutch reader). I enjoyed it very, very much. I read it in about 1994, 14 years before I saw the movie, which matched the picture in my head, but many scenes were not in the movie.Had I seen the movie first I wouldn't have read the whole book..Today I saw a book by Emma Tennant: Elinor and Marianne, written in the same style, as if Jane Aausten wrote a sequel on Sense and sensibilty.
    • 5/5
      Read this book in July/August of 2005. Also read it in July/August of 2007. Time to read it again.

      This might be my favorite of Austen's books - yes, even more than Pride & Prejudice.
    • 4/5
      A little drawn out, but Jane Austen's wit and style highly evident.
    • 3/5
      Given what I'm sure is below, my review's wholly unnecessary, although I'd like to complain about the precipitous marriage of Lucy Steele to Robert Ferrars. If she was going to go this way with the central conflict of the second half of the book, Austen could have resolved it even more suddenly: why not knock Lucy down with a carriage? Why not drown her in the Thames? Why not let loose a localized horde of zombies?

      I'll say this to complainers about Mr Edward Ferrars: his woodenness is simply Elinor's, seen from the outside. Had we watched the novel from within Marianne's head, Edward and Elinor would have been indistinguishable.
    • 4/5
      Who doesn't love Jane Austen!
    • 4/5
      This fantabulous classic was part of my read for the Everything Austen Challenge. Due to my love for anything and everything Victorian, I can say that it was only natural that I’d fall in love with this timeless piece. This story of the very different Dashwood sisters and their clashing tastes in their choices of men to love, was endearing as well as very frustrating at times. Just when I thought the obvious about Colonel Brandon, Edward or Willoughby- the story took a different turn just to add to the intrigue of it all; classic Austen at its best.The story revolves around love-sickness, love-triangles, a marriage of convenience, age and love, differences of choices and opinions, wealth and social status, influence, family conflict, secret-filled pasts and ultimately…and appropriately so: sense and sensibility. I’m still not sure which of the sisters I concurred with the most; Elinor or Marianne... Austen brilliantly shifts us from one perception to the other while embracing both depending on the situation. Ultimately the girls’ reconciliation and love for eachother blends the disparities of state helping them come to terms with their own serenity. Love can then be found and accepted under a new light.Sense and Sensibility is a light read embedded with deeper meaning that brings comfort, peaks interest and offers a colourful variety of figures (the comical busy-body Miss Jennings is indeed very special!) On the whole, this read meshed excitement, passion, drama as well as ‘sagesse’ in the lives of two otherwise very ordinary ladies of the times. The book doesn’t skip a beat with essential meanings and turn of events within every paragraph- With this one, you won’t want to blink:)One can never get enough of elegantly written suspense-filled love twists and pangs. At least I can't- Loved it!
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book as much as I alawys enjoy Austen. A perfect ending as usual.
    • 4/5
      As the introduction helpfully points out - very few people put S & S at the top of their list of the best Austen novels! (from the 1902 edition available from Project Gutenberg). But this is still a great book. Her characters are so well imagined, finely drawn and believable. While they play out their personalities in a now strange environment, one can readily 'see' people with these same characteristics in ANY environment. Read June 2010 in e-book format.
    • 5/5
      When Mr Dashwood dies, his estate goes to his eldest son by his first marriage, and the second Dashwood family is left in reduced circumstances. Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters – Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret – leave the estate and move to a cottage on the estate of Sir John Middleton, a cousin of Mrs Dashwood. The eldest two Dashwood sisters are as different as night and day in their approach to life and its joys or obstacles. Elinor is restrained and proper, known for her intelligence and keen sense. Marianne is beautiful, intelligent, charming and musical, and wears her heart upon her sleeve. The result is that while everyone “knows” what Marianne is thinking or feeling, Elinor is frequently seen as cold or unmoved. Which will have the greatest success – the one who relies on Sense? Or the one who enjoys her Sensibilities (emotion or sensitivity)? It’s a joy to discover the outcomes of their tangled relationships.I love Jane Austen. Her ability to write dialogue is unsurpassed, in my humble opinion. There is plenty of humor in the dinner party scenes, as well as the heartache of unrequited love or the abject misery of love lost. Sarah Badel’s performance of this audio is spot-on perfect. The way she handles the many characters makes it easy for the listener to keep track of the action. I particularly applaud her abilities in the confrontations between Marianne and Willoughby at the London party, and later between Elinor and Willoughby at Cleveland.
    • 4/5
      WARNING: The following contains spoilers so do not read if you want to be surprised.This is the story of the two Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne. When their father was dying he made their stepbrother, John, promise to take care of their mother and her daughters (which includes a younger sister, Margaret). Although John promised his father he would do so after his death his wife talked him out of settling a monetary amount on them. So John inherited the entire estate including the house in which the girls had been raised. For a short while the widow and her daughters lived with John and his wife but Mrs. Dashwood was determined to find a place to move to. Meanwhile Elinor and Mrs. John Dashwood's brother, Edward Ferrars, became fond of each other. Mrs. John Dashwood was concerned by this involvement and affronted her mother-in-law by talking of Edward's prospects and "of the danger attending any young woman who attempted to draw him in". Elinor's mother then received an offer of a cottage on an estate owned by a relative, Sir John Middleton. The only difficulty was that the cottage was in Devonshire, far from Sussex where they had been living. But the offer of Barton Cottage was so reasonable that the widow decided to move, sight unseen.At Barton Cottage the family settled in quickly aided by their landlord and neighbour, Sir John, although his wife was less welcoming. Two visitors to the Middleton house, Lady Middleton's mother, Mrs. Jennings, and a friend of Sir John's, Colonel Brandon, helped offset Lady Middleton's coldness. Soon it was apparent that Colonel Brandon was smitten by Marianne even though he was quite a bit older. However, Marianne was soon swept off her feet (literally) by a dashing young man, Willoughby, who rescued her when she fell and hurt her ankle one day. Willoughby was visiting his aunt in the neighbourhood from whom he was expecting to inherit quite a fortune. Elinor and her mother were convinced that Marianne and Willoughby were engaged although Marianne did not say anything. When Willoughby was suddenly called away, Marianne was devastated.Elinor also learned that Edward Ferrars was engaged to another, a young woman who was a relation of Mrs. Jennings, Lucy. Their engagement was a secret but Lucy had divulged it to Elinor during a visit made to Barton. Elinor could not talk of this disappointment to anyone so she kept it bottled up, unlike Marianne who pined for Willoughby quite openly.Mrs. Jennings decided to move to her house in London in January and she invited the two Dashwood girls to stay with her so they could enjoy the season. Although Elinor was reluctant to go, Marianne was wild to accept the invitation because she could then see Willoughby again. Immediately on their arrival in "town" she wrote to Willoughby, unseemly conduct for a young woman unless she was engaged. Despite several other letters Willoughby did not arrive to call and when they finally saw him at a dance he was very cold. It turns out he was about to be married to a young lady with a sizable fortune. Marianne was inconsolable.The engagement between Lucy and Edward became known to his mother who declared she would cut him off if he married Lucy. Edward, a fine young gentleman, insisted on carrying out his promise even though, in his heart, he no longer cared for her. He was offered a "living" by Colonel Brandon, meaning he could serve as minister in the church in the Colonel's area. However, the living was only 200 pounds a year, really not enough to support him and a wife. Edward offered to let Lucy out of her promise but Lucy declared she could make do with any amount (secretly hoping to get assistance from the Colonel) so long as they could be together.However, while Edward was off being confirmed his brother, Robert (who had become the sole beneficiary of his mother's fortune), wooed Lucy and they ran off together to be married. In the meantime Marianne became so ill everyone thought she would die. Colonel Brandon rode off to fetch Marianne's mother and Willoughby, although now married, came to tell Elinor that he had always loved Marianne but due to mounting debts he had felt he had to marry another. Marianne did recover and when she was well enough Elinor told her about Willoughby's visit. Both Elinor and Marianne forgave Willoughby and even felt sorry for him because his life with his wife was bound to be unhappy.By the end of the book Elinor is married to Edward Ferrars and Marianne to Colonel Brandon so the two sisters lived very close to each other.Although Elinor and Marianne managed to forgive Willoughby I thought he was a thorough scoundrel. I also disliked John Dashwood and his wife. The laws of inheritance among the gentry certainly were not just. And women were quite obviously second class citizens. Ms Austen's characters never resonate with me as much as some other English writers like George Eliot and Thomas Hardy. Their lives seem so empty, concerned only with making calls, dancing, performing music or drawing. Nevertheless this was a book worth reading and another one off the 1001 list.
    • 5/5
      everything was spot on while listening and reading the book. AWESOME!
    • 3/5
      Vroeg werk van Austen. Nog vol onvolkomendheden: weinig actie, eerder confrontatie van personen, geen humor.De personages zijn eerder karikaturen, maar wel subliem, en een heel aantal van hen ondergaan een behoorlijke evolutie. Gevoelens staan centraal: tussen containment en spontaniteitMilieu: burgerlijk, bezit en vast inkomen zijn centrale referenties, alleen vriendschap en liefde als tegengif. Religie afwezig.
    • 4/5
      The classic story of two sisters: one quiet and sensible, the other effusive and easily hurt (full of 'sensiblity' as they called it). The book charts their first romances, and the ways they deal with hurt. Rather a lot of detail, in the style of the times, and some moralising - but there's also some humour, and delightful irony exposing some of the worst traits of caricatured minor characters.
    • 4/5
      I watched the film and fortunately, although it was disapointing,it didn't put me off reading the book. Good thing too as this book is fabulous.
    • 3/5
      I liked Sense and Sensibility quite a lot, but at the same time it seemed to drag rather. Once I hit about chapter forty, I started wondering if things would ever get resolved. There were a lot of rather silly misunderstandings and assumptions. It makes sense, with the silly characters and the rather tangled love lives they have, but it dragged more for me than Pride and Prejudice did.

      I also kind of forgot about the point of the novel, the ideas of sense and sensibility and which one is better. Obviously sense triumphs, given that Elinor marries the man she wants, and Marianne marries the sensible match. Sensibility doesn't come off too badly, though. Elinor gets to marry the man she loves, despite all the obstacles, and Marianne is still a sympathetic character despite her dramatics.

      There were some especially fun passages and commentaries in and amongst the story, too. Some of the observations made me giggle rather. I do see what people mean about Austen's wit.

      Still, I think I'm rather Austen'd out at the moment. I still have Mansfield Park and Emma to read, but I might wait for a while.
    • 5/5
      One of my favorite books of all time. I can linger on each sentence.
    • 5/5
      I don’t remember how many times I’ve reread Sense and Sensibility however, it gets better with every read. Perfection!
    • 4/5
      Pure Austen, this story of two sisters and their different approaches to family, fortune and romance echoes her other works, but also carries a few surprises. Within the very claustrophobic world of Austen’s late 18th-early 19th century upper/middle class English world, we see an absolute universe of character. Instead of traveling elsewhere in her stories, she simply goes deep. In this novel, she analyzes the differences and relative merits of the sensible and the emotional approaches to life, and along the way provides sufficient color, romance, adventure and dry humor to entertain a contemporary reader with an interest in finely drawn characters.
    • 3/5
      Jane Austen is certainly an acquired taste. I typically wake away from her novels feeling like the story was good - and it sticks with me for while - but the proper prose of Austen's writing makes her novels somewhat difficult to get through. As always, Austen has a good story to tell - Elinor and Marianne are two sisters who experiences in love mirror each other, even if they come to different conclusions. The ups and downs of these sisters' lives, and the vivid characterizations of the secondary characters (I particularly like their brother John Dashwood) makes this novel well worth the effort.
    • 3/5
      Descriptions and dialog dominate the beginning of this book. It isn't until a third of the way in that the story begins move along. It can take a while to sort out the many characters, especially as each character is alternately mentioned by their first and last names. With entire families involved in the storyline, I found it difficult at times to determine which character was speaking. Overall this is a story with depth and a great deal of introspection.
    • 4/5
      This was the first Jane Austen book I ever read, and I was really surprised by how much I liked it. It definitely had a dated sense to it, but it was a portrayal of that era, and it was a spectacular portrayal at that. And considering its age, I found it remarkably easy to identify with. There were plot twists I didn't see coming, thoughts and actions I sympathized with, decisions I yelled at the characters for. It was wonderful, plain and simple. Two thumbs up.
    • 5/5
      I have always loved Sense and Sensibility best out of all of Jane Austen's novels, no doubt partly because it features the three Dashwood sisters (however invisible young Margaret may be), and I am one of three sisters myself. This tale of sensible Elinor and romantic Marianne, whose differing approaches to life and love are tested throughout the book, features the same sort of contest between desire and duty that gives Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre such power. It is a fitting tribute to Austen's powers as a writer, that although Elinor's "sense" is clearly meant to triumph, Marianne's "sensibility" is portrayed with such loving fondness.The story of a family of dependent women, whose fate is entirely in the hands of their male relatives, I have always found Sense and Sensibility to contain some of Austen's sharpest social criticism. The Dashwood women find themselves unwelcome guests in their own home when John Dashwood inherits the estate at Norland, and are only saved from the unpleasantness of the horrible Fanny by the kindness of Mrs. Dashwood's (male) cousin, Sir John Middleton. I have always found it fascinating that while Austen clearly endorses the more passive role that Elinor stakes out for herself, vis-a-vis romance, she simultaneously offers a very pointed critique of the enforced passivity of women, when it comes to economic activities and inheritance law.In the end though, for all its philosophical framework and subtle social commentary, Sense an Sensibility is most successful because Austen understands the complicated relations between women, particularly the bond between sisters.
    • 5/5
      Title Sense and Sensibility Insight EditionAuthor Jane Austen Publisher Bethany HouseISBN 978-0-7642-0740-2$14.99 In Sense and Sensibility we meet the Dashwood family, three charming girls and their widowed mother, who are forced to move from their beloved home after the death of their father. Promising his father that he would provided for the needs of his stepmother and sisters, John Dashwood’s wife Fanny, eager to get her hands on the family fortune, convinces her husband that the sum was too great and it should be extremely lowered. With little money the family is forced to move to a cottage offered by relatives. We then gain a glimpse into the lives of the two eldest sisters, Elinor, who happens to be practical and the very charming Marianne, who lives for the moment. Different as day and night each sister experiences their own version of love. Elinor with the somewhat stuffy Edward Ferrars, brother to the intolerable Mrs. Fanny Dashwood, and Marianne with the enchanting Willoughby who has the ability to charm a snake. All the while the reasonable but slightly older, Colonel Brandon comes calling for the unwilling Marianne. Although the suitors of the Dashwood girls are both hiding enormous secrets, once discovered these secrets could break both of the girls hearts. In the end which will win Sense or Sensibility?Sense and Sensibility was the first novel of Jane Austen’s to be published, now Bethany House has published the insight edition. The perfect edition to add or start your Austen collection. Complete with notes pertaining to everything from historical/cultural events, definitions during Jane’s era, to facts and tidbits about Jane’s life. Also included is comments featuring facts pertaining to the movies and pop culture surround the novel. Readers will be pleased to know that the story of Sense and Sensibility has not been altered from the one the Jane Austen wrote. The Insight edition is exactly what it claims, an insight in the world of Sense and Sensibility and the world in which Jane Austen lived. Once again I will say that this is the perfect edition to either start or add to your Jane Austen collection. This book was provided for review thanks to Bethany House