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    Sense and Sensibility
    Sense and Sensibility
    Sense and Sensibility
    Audiobook2 hours

    Sense and Sensibility

    Written by Jane Austen and Clare West

    Narrated by Multiple Narrators

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Sometimes the Dashwood girls do not seem like sisters. Elinor is all calmness and reason, and can be relied upon for practical, common sense opinions. Marianne, on the other hand, is all sensibility, full of passionate and romantic feeling. She has no time for dull common sense - or for middle-aged men of thirty-five, long past the age of marriage. True love can only be felt by the young, of course. And if your heart is broken at the age of seventeen, how can you ever expect to recover from the passionate misery that fills your life, waking and sleeping?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOxford University Press
    Release dateDec 20, 2007
    ISBN9780194209762
    Author

    Jane Austen

    Jane Austen was born in 1775 in rural Hampshire, the daughter of an affluent village rector who encouraged her in her artistic pursuits. In novels such as Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma she developed her subtle analysis of contemporary life through depictions of the middle-classes in small towns. Her sharp wit and incisive portraits of ordinary people have given her novels enduring popularity. She died in 1817.

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    Reviews for Sense and Sensibility

    4/5

    8,878 ratings247 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are two young sisters who fall in love with men who seem suitable to their characters. Elinor is very sensible and Marianne is more of a fun loving sort. But things don't always turn out as they should. Or do they? Jane Austen writes of a society and class where protocol is often strictly followed, where people don't always speak their minds, where people of a certain class are expected to marry someone of their own class, and money is of great importance. So often in this story, we see people depending on money inherited from their family, and expecting to live up to the standards of their class without having to go out and earn a living. This seems to lead to a lot of unhappiness because people end up marrying for money and status. I think people who make their own way in life and marry who they want will often find themselves to be much happier. This book has a lot going for it. Not only is this book a great work of fiction, but it is also a great study of class, money, happiness, and personalities.
    • 5/5
      I never did add this! This is one of my favorite's of Jane Austen's. Everyone loves P&P, but I think this one is just a strong a contender. I love the girls in this one, the dynamic relationship of the two opposite sisters and their struggles both against each other in small ways and with their situations. If the book itself is intimidating this is one I would highly recommend the adaptation of with Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman. I adore the movie and having recently just rewatched it while ill I have to say it's done the best so far for me of adapting a novel. It cut and trim in just the right way and does the story justice.
    • 4/5
      This was my first Austen, and I enjoyed it a good bit. The three sisters being eerily similar to my sisters and I being a contributing factor. I can see why Austen is so popular. Despite several things which didn’t work for me – the dramatics of how poor the family is (you have servants, you’re not poor!) and the inexplicable attraction Marianne and Colonel Brandon have for one another – I was sucked into the story. The real beauty of the work lies in the pitch-perfect characters – who among us has not had a Lucy Steele in their lives, that wretched cow. I will definitely be searching out more Austen.
    • 3/5
      "And after all, Marianne, after all that is bewitching in the idea of a single and constant attachment, and all that can be said of one's happiness depending entirely on any particular person, it is not meant?it is not fit?it is not possible that it should be so."
      Some random thoughts:
      ? I didn't hate this, but I also didn't love it.

      ? For one, it was soooo lonnnnggg. My interest in the story ebbed and flowed so many times over the course of reading it.

      ? One of my biggest issues with this is that apart from Willoughby, all the male characters?
      or love interests, I should say?weren't very defined. I felt like I knew next to nothing about Edward or Colonel Brandon, and I really wish we'd had more scenes with them to flesh out their personalities.

      ? Usually, Austen will do this thing where she'll explain what a character is like as soon as they're introduced (e.g. Edward --> "He was too diffident to do justice to himself; but when his natural shyness was overcome, his behaviour gave every indication of an open, affectionate heart. His understanding was good, and his education had given it solid improvement"). I'm usually fine with this because later on, we have that character interact with others and we can see how Austen's description transfers to their behaviour. In S&S, though, I just didn't get that. All I know about Edward is that he's nice and shy and all I know about Colonel Brandon is that he's good and sometimes has trouble expressing himself...I think? Basically, I wanted MORE from these characters.

      ? I think one reason I didn't love this is that it's just not as much fun as?I hate to compare, but it's inevitable?Pride and Prejudice. P&P is SO dramatic, but its drama is punchy. There's always some engaging back-and-forth going on, whether it be of the intense variety or the quippy variety. In S&S, though, the drama wasn't punchy so much as it was an unceasing stream of sadness. It's not that S&S wasn't dramatic, it's that its drama just didn't have that extra umph that I wanted.

      ? Onto some things I liked...

      ? Elinor, to me, was a really interesting character. She tries so hard to keep her feelings in check, and yet a lot of the time that's at the cost of being too much in her own head.

      ? I love what Austen did with Marianne's character. She sets up this plotline so that you think it's gonna go one way (seriously though, that scene where Willoughby magically appears on his horse and carries Marianne to safety. No wonder Marianne lost her shit), only to completely divert it and leave you with a bunch of consequences to deal with instead. I especially love that Marianne, who so completely opposed the idea of second loves, ends up having a second love herself.

      ? I like how messy everything in this book is. It's all about second chances and opening up yourself to learning and compromise. (That's why I included the quote that I did in this review.)

      ? Marianne vs. Elinor in a nutshell: "We have neither of us any thing to tell; you, because you do not communicate, and I, because I conceal nothing."

      ? I lowkey love Mr. Palmer tho. He just wants to read his damn newspaper and not be disturbed ok.

      ? Marianne and Willoughby were so extra

      ? LOL at Anne Steele and her constant talk of beaux. girl is obsessed.

      ? Also LOL at Robert Ferrar's obsession with cottages. it's weird, but you do you my man.

      (? I just watched the S&S movie and I really enjoyed it! They did a wonderful job fleshing out the male characters, and I loved Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet as Elinor and Marianne.)
    • 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.
    • 5/5
      Better than I expected!

      I am completely in love with the movie version. It is one of my all-time favorites and was worried that in reading the book, it would ruin the movie for me. This was not the case at all.

      While it was not exactly an easy read, it was not tedious as I assumed it would be. Even though the language is not as modern as I am used to, it wasn't so difficult that I found myself confused by what I was reading. I only had to look up a few words that I was unsure of their meaning/usage.

      The story itself is a beautiful one of love, family, relationships and propriety. The title makes so much sense now (duh)! This was just lovely and reading it not only made me love the movie all the more, it has given me confidence that I will enjoy other works by Ms. Austen, such as Emma, which may be next on my classics to-do list.
    • 3/5
      Finally finished reading this. I don't know if it was because it was my first read on a Kindle or not. But it took me a while to get into this book, it may even be that it isn't my usual genre. I liked it but not one of my favorites. 
    • 4/5
      Set in late 18th century England, Sense and Sensibility chronicles the love lives of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Elinor is passionate and outspoken while Marianne is more reserved and thoughtful in nature. Jane Austen, as always, does an impeccable job writing about the manners and customs of the time, poking fun at the artifice and silliness of it all. Although the sisters suffer from different heartaches and heartbreaks, they both end up with well matched suitors.
    • 5/5
      The first time I read this book, I was about the youthful main character's age. Now I'm older than Jane Austen was when she died, and the book is, if anything, better than when I first read it. At least, I think I can find more meaning in it now than I could then. I can see that Elinor is so admirable in the stoic way she deals with heartbreak and disappointment, but Marianne's more open nature, although it seems more selfish, helps her to make meaningful relationships and to grow as a person throughout the story. Each character reflects on another's personality and actions, for good and for bad. For example, Willoughby, who could so easily just be a villain, is charming, warm, intelligent- a potentially wonderful person who has weaknesses more than maliciousness. His nature is mirrored by Edward, who makes the strong choice standing by Lucy, according to his code of conduct, even if it means being disinherited, homeless, and broke. I didn't see this before when I read this book, and it makes me feel like I've grown as a person to see it now. This book kind of reminds me of the Mister Rogers biography I read earlier. It's a good feeling that I've grown as a person reading Austen's great novels. Sense and Sensibility could be my favorite of them, too.
    • 5/5
      More Austen, still love it.
    • 4/5
      I recently reread this and was once again pleasantly surprised at how funny it is. What I hadn't remembered was how sarcastically Austen describes Marianne--she's very hard on her, and it made me actually like the poor little gawthic sweetheart.
    • 4/5
      you will find underlying themes of this title in the book.
    • 5/5
      I give the narrator, Juliet Stevenson, five stars. I give Jane Austin four and a half.
    • 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.
    • 5/5
      I've actually already read this book, but I think it's my favorite Jane Austen, so I decided to read it again. Or at least it used to be my favorite. On rereading it, I think Emma or Persuasion might have the edge. But it's still very good. I'm not sure I understood all of Austen's semi-snide comments on human behaviour as a teenager.
    • 4/5
      I love Jane Austen, and since I enjoyed "Pride and Prejudice" and "Emma," I had always wanted to read this book. I loved it, although it's sometimes too light on dialogue and heavy on description/summary of conversations. Since I enjoyed hearing the character's comments and their individual voices, I wanted more of this. "Sense and Sensibility" provides an interesting look at the consequences of living your life purely based on feeling or purely based on reason/logic.
    • 3/5
      Good, but not may favorite by Austin
    • 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 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.
    • 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.
    • 3/5
      I love Elinor, she is such a wonderful character, Marianne on the other hand is just exasperating. Her moping and ridiculous dramatics were tedious, I can't imagine being quite so understanding if I were in the same position as Elinor. I guess though that is the point ... Sense and Sensibility. I love Austen's biting sarcasm, she always manages to make me giggle and her bad characters really are awful, so it's easy to barack against them. An enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      I don't remember how I rated Pride and Prejudice but I enjoyed the cutting social commentary just as entertaining in this one. Characterization was a little less smooth but the action still fun to follow.
    • 5/5
       I saw this performed this summer and fell in love with the smart choices and beautiful production. It was a pleasure to read the adapted play. The added scenes between Elinor and Edward spark with chemistry. The little sister, Margaret, is fleshed out and I love the depth her naturalist tendencies add to the story. A brilliant stage adaptation for anyone who loves the original novel.
    • 4/5
      For a novel that is two hundred years old, it hasn't lost its shine. Granted, I'd introduce the central characters more clearly at the start and update some of the language (probable reasons why practical jokers who submit it to publishers today find the manuscript rejected), but it all moves right along. Mr. and Mrs. Palmer are standouts, such a hilarious couple - her silliness and his grumpiness - I could read their dialogue all day, and I've certainly seen echoes of it in other works that came after.I'm on the 'sense' side of the divide, personality-wise, but even I have to admit it's Elinor's behaviour that has fallen by the wayside in the two centuries since. What sister now who cared for her sibling's welfare would only apply for her mother to inquire what was wrong? Or not share that she too was experiencing a similar disappointment, so they might commiserate, instead of feeling bound by promise to a stranger? I also have a melancholy feeling about Marianne's harnessing of her sensibility, and her being surprisingly denied a fairy-tale ending (however much Austen tries to dress up the one she assigns while moralizing.) To me it sounds like all the wind has gone out of her sails, a woman surrendering her life's pleasures to a nunnery. This is the template that Thakeray so blatantly defied with Becky Sharp a few decades later.
    • 3/5
      I have finally decided to take the plunge and start slogging through the classics. Reviewing a classic as someone who reads for pleasure more than anything else feels a little daunting, though. Do I try to to be critical and analytical or do I review this as I would any other book? No idea.

      First things first: I read romance books for the emotional impact. Like word candy for my brain. Reading a book about two sisters trying deseprately to procure good husbands because that is the be-all and end-all of any woman's existence is a little like eating rasins when you have a hankering for chocolate. Sure, they're both sweet, and sure the raisins are probably a lot better for you than the chocolate would have been. But a bunch of puny raisins will never fool my brain into believing I'm actually eating chocolate; no oxytocin or endorphins for me, oh no, only sticky teeth!

      I did like the flowery writing more than I would have in a contemporary work, though, because the more convoluted a turn of phrase, the more aesthetic the writer, at the time. And it's never complex as such, so the story itself was easy enough to stay on top of. If only I'd given a single doo doo for which man which sister ended up with.

      If I were to review this as a critical thinker who took into consideration the time period in which this was written, or had an appreciation for the language used, or cared about marriage games in general, I would probably hold this in high regard. Then again, if I were to review this as myself, a rather escapist reader who just wants to enjoy herself with a good book, or at least to be given some serious food for thought, I would have to say I was intensely bored throughout the story. Especially the first half was painful to get through.

      However, I will persevere and move on to the next Austen. At some point. But not straight away.
    • 5/5
      OH I just love this book the second time around. The Colonel just blows me away in this book. He really is an amazing character
    • 3/5
      Story of two sisters of different temperaments. Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, their younger sister and mother, are forced to relocate when their father dies, and his estate passes to their half-brother. They become interested in men who are either not available or not responsible. Elinor “possessed a strength of understanding, and coolness of judgment, which qualified her, though only nineteen, to be the counsellor of her mother.” Marianne “was sensible and clever; but eager in everything; her sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation. She was generous, amiable, interesting: she was everything but prudent.”

      Published in 1811, it is Jane Austen’s first novel and reflects social mores related to money, inheritance, and social classes of the time period. It is a story of overcoming obstacles and disappointments. It is also a comedy of manners, though the humor is subtle. The prose is elaborate and circuitous, as is typical of the era, so it requires a bit of patience to get through it. It contains love triangles, misunderstandings, and drama. I tend to enjoy reading the classics and found this a pleasant reading experience.
    • 3/5
      At times the excessive attention to the subject of matches between idle rentist families of 19th century Britain makes this book pretty monotonous. Prose is pretty wonderful though, and towards the end the story becomes a bit more captivating. It's going to be a while before I read Austen again.
    • 4/5
      Wonderfully written - and absolutely ridiculous "manners" romance.

      Glad I read it, but I preferred Pride and Prejudice.
    • 4/5
      Worth the re-read though still not my favorite Jane Austen. I do love these sisters and their bond even if I’m not particularly a fan of their romantic options, this is one of those occasions where spinsterhood would have felt like a happier ending.The pacing of this one is a struggle for me at times, not caring for the men definitely contributed to that since much of the story involves pining and heartbreak over unworthy guys and the lengthy chunks of speculation and explanations didn’t help either, it frequently feels more like it’s recapping events rather than being in the moment, which is maybe remnants of when Sense and Sensibility was originally conceived to be an epistolary novel? Where this shines most is in its two heroines, their dimensional personalities, the way the title qualities apply to each of them to some degree and the fascinating differences in how each handles feeling jilted.