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    Sense and Sensibility
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    Sense and Sensibility
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    Sense and Sensibility
    Ebook427 pages7 hours

    Sense and Sensibility

    By Jane Austen

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    Sense and Sensibility is a novel by Jane Austen, and was her first published work. A work of romantic fiction, better known as a comedy of manners, Sense and Sensibility is set in southwest England, London and Kent and portrays the life and loves of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne. The novel follows the young ladies to their new home, a meagre cottage on a distant relative's property, where they experience love, romance and heartbreak. The philosophical resolution of the novel is ambiguous: the reader must decide whether sense and sensibility have truly merged.

    Austen biographer Claire Tomalin argues that Sense and Sensibility has a "wobble in its approach," which developed because Austen, in the course of writing the novel, gradually became less certain about whether sense or sensibility should triumph. Austen characterises Marianne as a sweet lady with attractive qualities: intelligence, musical talent, frankness, and the capacity to love deeply. She also acknowledges that Willoughby, with all his faults, continues to love and, in some measure, appreciate Marianne. For these reasons, some readers find Marianne's ultimate marriage to Colonel Brandon an unsatisfactory ending. Other interpretations, however, have argued that Austen's intention was not to debate the superior value of either sense or sensibility in good judgement, but rather to demonstrate that both are equally as important but must be applied with good balance to one another.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookRix
    Release dateOct 16, 2018
    ISBN9783736801424
    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

    8,561 ratings212 reviews

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    • 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.
    • 4/5
      Wonderful sisters, another terrific heroine, and the least engaging of all Austen's heroes. This was my last full-length Austen novel to complete, and I finished it convinced that Austen never wrote a bad book. I was prepared not to love this one, having seen the movie, but Elinor won me over, although I still cannot fathom for the life of me what she finds attractive about Edward Ferrars! I listened to the audiobook (Kindle WhisperSync) and the narrator was terrific.
    • 5/5
      Sense and Sensibility Enjoyable 5 starsI listened to this novel on audio. The narrator, Julie Christie, did an awesome job with the characters but due to formal language and fancy words, I had to listen to the first CD twice. In short, the story tells of the Dashwood sisters search for love and their loyalty to each other. It's a wonderful, heartfelt story and well worth recommending.
    • 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.
    • 5/5
      My absolute favorite Austen novel! Yet somehow it's typically been overlooked for other, more famous, novels of hers, including in the classroom, which I think is a shame. This is a delightful work, and it is both representative of that era and shows off her talent quite well, IMO. If you've read anything of hers, but not this, and if you like any of it, please try this one out! Recommended.
    • 5/5
      Ms. Austen tells an engaging tale and illustrates two very different ways of conducting oneself in the society of her time. While Marianne is engaging and not afraid to let the whole world know how she feels about everything, Elinor's story makes the case for observing the mores of the time. Some would say Elinor doesn't fully "feel" her joys and heartaches, but I think the story does a good job of showing just how detrimental to herself Marianne's excesses are. I really liked, however, how kind and loving Elinor is to both her mother and sister. She disagrees with their emotional excesses, but it doesn't separate her from them, or even cause her to blame them for the burdens they require her to shoulder.
    • 5/5
      For some reason, this seems to be the Austen novel I come back to least often: I can't quite think why, because there's a lot of great stuff in it. There are some of Austen's funniest speeches and letters; there's a rather subversive look at Georgian courtship customs and the double standard; there's a romantic plot that gently mocks the conventions of romantic plots. Possibly there's just too much of everything? Certainly, there seem to be an awful lot of comic characters, and some of them don't get very much to do. Still, minor quibbles or not, it's a book I read with great pleasure every few years. Austen is, after all, Austen.
    • 5/5
      This was the final novel of the Jane Austen’s I read in 2014, although technically I did not finish it until two days into the new year. As are her other novels, this one is a favorite. I do love Marianne’s passion and Elinor’s sensibility and good nature. I don’t know why Austen’s books appeal to me so much, other than they are a window into a simpler, much romanticized time. This book can be judged on it’s own merit, though and not just on being one the Austen romances. I love the twists and turns. There are quite a few shocking twists to the first time reader, and all the plots are interwoven so well. The storyline of Lucy is especially heart-wrenching. It’s certainly worth the read if you’ve never read it before.

      Would I recommend this to a fellow book lover? Absolutely.
      Would I recommend this to my teen daughter? Sure. Although the old English may make it a bit hard to follow.
    • 3/5
      It was good to find out what really happened in the story, compete with more complicated relationships, different points of view for storytelling, and Willoughby's attempt at vindication at the end. But overall, I liked Emma Thompson's movie better! And thought this was much less heart-felt than Persuasion, my favorite so far.
    • 5/5
      I love anything by Jane Austen.
    • 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.
    • 5/5
      It's by Jane Austen...doesn't that say it all? I really loved her miniature portraits of some of the minor characters in this one.

      My copy is part of a set. Small blue cloth covered books with bible-thin pages
    • 1/5
      This book was on my secondary-reading list when studying Ms Austen's "Emma" as part of a university module during my English degree.Although I respect the author's talents, her choice of story here didn't appeal to me whatsoever. Perhaps this is because the novel is aimed at a female audience. For me it was slow and depressing with little of interest.Glad it was "Emma" and not this title that was the primary text we had to study!
    • 5/5
      Title: Sense & SensibilityAuthor: Jane AustinPages:Pub: 1811Genre: Classic, Victorian The Short of ItSensible or not, Love is tricky.The Long of ItThe Dashwood women are in a precarious position. After the death of their father, Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret are essentially forced to move from their comfortable and majestic estate to the farmland in a different area completely. And although there are multiple characters in S&S, the story primarily follows the two older siblings, Elinor & Marianne. Polar opposites, they must come to terms with their role in society and love.The Thoughts about ItJane Austen books have a way of welcoming the soul. And I have to admit, I’m slightly restless knowing that I only have three more novels of hers to experience “for the first time”. Sense & Sensibility stole a piece of my heart immediately. I love the contrasting roles of Elinor and Marianne. Elinor constantly tries to follow proper etiquette and attempt to make others feel at ease. Marianne, genuine and authentic, believes it is more important to live in the moment, at its fullest, with complete honesty. Both are admirable women, even when their views conflict with what they know or what they hope.The men, compared to Emma and Pride & Prejudice, didn’t stand out as much for me. And I still stand by my decision that Mr. Knightly is the dreamiest.But Sense & Sensibility didn’t strike me as a romance novel in the same way that Emma and P&P did. Rather, it was much more a commentary of female roles, breaking free from those roles, and growing comfortable in them. Perhaps the most tragic, the love affair between Marianne and John Willoughby was a train wreck to read. How much did I want to tell Willoughby off for being such a wuss! To leave Marianne as ill and wretched as she was because he couldn’t move past his financial placement? I mean, of course I get it. I understand that these were different times, but the “Me” of 21st century sexual politics grows nearly riotous when it comes to this cultural and historical norms, especially when the romantic in me wants love to conquer all.Oh and also, even though Lucy was hardly someone who I would sip tea with, I couldn’t help but feel bad for her role in the Elinor, Edward, Lucy triangle UNTIL she did that awful unimaginable deed that caused me to go, “Oh no you didn’t!” Finally, do you guys remember those internet crazes…Celebrity Death Match? Or was it an MTV show? Anyways, I’d love to see Fanny and Lucy duke it out. If there were two women that deserve to be back-stabbing and bitter besties, it’s those two for sure.Overall, Emma is still my Austen favorite….BUT Sense & Sensibility definitely took second place, leaving Pride & Prejudice resting in at third.
    • 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.
    • 4/5
      A classic Austen, but not my favorite. This is again, a great love story with great characters, however, it doesn't have as much tension as P&P so it's a little lacklustre. It's still a must-read, must-own sort of book.
    • 4/5
      I read Sense and Sensibility as part of the Sense and Sensibility Bicentenary Challenge 2011. The book (a pretty hardcover version) had been sitting on my shelves for some time, so it was a good opportunity to get onto it! Sense and Sensibility is the only Jane Austen novel I haven’t seen as a movie or series (yes, I know, shameful) so I was relying on Miss Austen herself to tell me all about this book.I’m sure everyone knows the plot of this book (or can Google it), but in short, it’s the story of two single sisters of marriageable age and their trials and tribulations when it comes to men. There’s the cad, the gentleman (actually, two of them), a trip to London and a nasty illness. The sisters are very different – Elinor is sensible and restrained, while Marianne is passionate and impulsive. The Austen wit is hard at work in this novel, and I enjoyed being able to chuckle at some of the actions of the characters (especially Marianne’s outbursts). It is finely written and captures the time well. I could picture Barton and the Dashwood’s cottage easily. I found myself on the edge of my seat at Marianne’s illness, wishing for penicillin – Austen captured well the despair that Elinor found herself in.I did enjoy this book, but I still think Pride and Prejudice is my favourite. Elinor is a little too restrained for my liking, while Marianne is a bit too impetuous.
    • 5/5
      *Warning: some spoilers*At the ages of 19 and 17 respectively, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood lose their father – and their prosperity. With no financial support from their elder stepbrother, the Miss Dashwoods, their mother, and their younger sister retreat to live in a cottage on the estate of Mrs. Dashwood’s cousin. Prudent and practical Elinor faces the reality of their situation – and considers how it stands in the way of her love for Edward Ferrars while impulsive and passionate Marianne swings from despairing over their new situation to rapidly falling in love with the dashing John Willoughby. But, as Shakespeare notes and the Miss Dashwoods soon learn, the course of true love never did run smooth….I’ve often said that picking a favorite Jane Austen novel is like picking a favorite vital organ - an impossible task. But whenever I try to narrow it down, it is inevitably Emma and Sense and Sensibility at the top of the list, duking it out. In fact, on re-reading Sense and Sensibility, I realized that I had forgotten just how much I enjoy this particular Austen novel. There are some wonderfully classic moments such as Fanny talking John out of giving his sisters any financial assistance despite his deathbed promise to his father; the awkward situation Edward finds himself in when he walks into a room with both Elinor and Lucy present; and the absurd comedy of confusion that occurs when Mrs. Jennings thinks she overhears Colonel Brandon proposing to Elinor while Elinor thinks Mrs. Jennings perfectly comprehends that Colonel Brandon has offered Edward a living. Furthermore, the characters in this novel are simply wonderful. Yes, Marianne is a bit obnoxious in the beginning but she grows as a person by the end and one hopes she will continue on this path. I absolutely love Elinor – she may not be as an exciting a character as possible, but when it comes down to it, she is exactly the sort of person one would want to be friends with in real life. (And I should note that I feel as though Sense and Sensibility is really her book as we see more from her perspective and are privy to more of her inner thoughts than Marianne's). The minor characters are all delightfully quirky – whether it’s the ridiculously snobby Mrs. Ferrars, the gossipy and teasing Mrs. Jennings and Sir John, the exaggeratedly elegant Lady Middleton, the affected Robert Ferrars, Miss Steele and her obsession with beaus, the manipulative and ultimately false Lucy, etc.The ending, while perfectly satisfactory, is a bit disappointing just because I hate to leave these wonderful characters and know no more about their lives. It really feels like I am leaving behind old friends. One note on the audio version with Juliet Stevenson: She does the voices for individual characters well but when she simply narrates or does Elinor's voice, she is too placid for my taste. (In my opinion, she sounds like she wants to put someone to sleep at these times). This is certainly not an awful audio narration, but it’s not the best one either.
    • 5/5
      I was attracted to this book by the film version starring Emma Thompson. I had watched snippets of it, and found it to be charming, witty, humorous, and very interesting, versus the dull, stilted, talky story I expected. So now it is years later and to break up my usual diet of crime fiction, I read this 400 page novel, one of Austen's seven, over four days. I will read more Jane Austen! What did I like? The prose was beautiful, never boring, though sometimes I got so lost in the words that I lost track of the point. I fully utilized Kindle's "definition" feature, and looked up perhaps five times the usual number, but with pleasure. The characters were very interesting, though saints or sinners with no gray between. And the rich detail about people's behaviors and motivations.....I came away feeling that an hour with Jane Austen and she would have looked into my soul and known me better than I. I enjoyed discovering words no longer in use, as well as expressions used 200 years ago that I had thought were made up by my father's generation, e.g., "blockhead". I noted the sheer enjoyment that was shared when meeting friends and loved ones, and how thoroughly people (for the most part) enjoyed visits, both announced and unexpected, and how much pleasure there was in walks in the countryside. In the end, good triumphs over evil, but there is a minor character, an innocent victim, whose future will not be all roses. Completed 8/18/11, rated 4.5
    • 3/5
      I did not appreciate this book as much as Pride and Prejudice, by the same author. I kept expecting someone of Mr. Darcy's calibre to show up!
    • 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.
    • 3/5
      Sisters Elinor Dashwood, the elder and reasonable one, and Marianne Dashwood, the younger and impetuous one, are at the heart of this romantic novel. Their father has passed away, leaving the bulk of his fortune to his son John from a previous marriage, entrusting him with the care of his sisters and step-mother. But John's wife Fanny, a selfish and wonderfully disagreeable woman, soon convinces him that the best he can do is to give them nothing at all and store away the bulk of his inheritance for their young son's future prosperity. Money plays a large part in this novel, as does the importance of marrying into it, and the sisters, with their limited fortune must consider marrying well. While taking a walk one day, Marianne trips and falls to be immediately rescued by the dashing young Willoughby, who conveniently happens to be walking by at that moment. With all the ardour of her immaturity and spirit, and with Willoughby's constant attention, Marianne falls hopelessly in love and it is quickly assumed that the young couple are engaged to be married, but Marianne is soon bitterly disappointed by the young playboy and much drama ensues. Meanwhile, Elinor discretely pines after her Edward only to discover one day that he is secretly engaged, but she suffers in silence as Marianne stomps around pouting and crying bitter tears and falls dangerously ill from a broken heart. Many complications ensue. Then, many sudden convenient plot twists occur, and both ladies find love and eternal wedded bliss and material comfort after all. The End. This was my fist Jane Austen novel and I was at first immediately charmed by her irony and the witty dialogue, in particular when describing the unpleasant Fanny Dashwood and other secondary characters, such as Edward's fiancée Lucy Steele. But the drama! The bitter disappointments! The dashed hopes which are magically restored! It was too much like a soap opera for me and I couldn't help but groan and wish for zombies to come in and bite people's heads off, even though zombies really aren't my thing. Will I read more Austen novels? Yes, I plan on reading Pride and Prejudice next. Am I likely to be counted among Austen's legions of devoted fans? Not likely, if I don't find a stronger injection of irony thrown into the mix. But one can always hope.
    • 4/5
      So far in my journey through Austen I have been 1-1. I loved Pride and Prejudice and really disliked Emma. I needed a tie-breaker so I dove into Sense and Sensibility. I'm pleased to announce that the score is now 2-1. I didn't like it as well as P&P but I still enjoyed it quite a bit.As I read I couldn't help but compare the relationship of the two Dashwood sisters to myself and my older sister. My sister and I are definitely not as close as Elinor and Marianne but the similarities in our own characters and that of the Dashwoods was there. My sister is a lot like Elinor Dashwood. She's responsible, steady, full of common sense, and usually more in control of her emotions than yours truly. I am much more like Marianne, impulsive, led by emotions, and tend to jump into situations or relationships without thinking them through all the way. I rather enjoyed reading through and comparing the actions of the sisters with what I or my sister would do.I ended up being quite emotionally invested into the story right from the beginning. The way the Dashwood ladies are pretty much thrown out on their asses by their own brother just broke my heart. Who does that? Apparently spineless men who have snobby, horrible wives. I hated Fanny with a passion right from the start and was secretly hoping a random house would suddenly fall on her. From there on out it was an endless stream of relationship troubles. There was enough drama, secrets and lies going around in that little town that they could create their own soap opera. I'll admit, though, that near the end I was getting confused as to who was in love with whom and how it had happened. In the end, it all works out as it should, of course, so my little romantic heart was happy with it.
    • 5/5
      I just finished reading Sense and Sensibility for the first time. I tried it once before when I was in my twenties and didn't make it, but I absolutely loved it this time around. I think I started to love this book at the part where Willoughby comes to the Dashwood's cottage and speaks to Marianne and he leaves and Marianne is obviously upset. Instead of Mrs. Dashwood or Elinnor asking her what happened they kept talking and talking and talking about what could have happened. I kept thinking to myself someone go ask her. In today's world it would have been all over Facebook for the world to see by the time he had left the lane. At that point I was hooked. Many times I laughed out loud, while also feeling the pain of young love gone badly. Both sisters had problems with the men they loved and each handled it so differently that I also found that to be an interesting element of the book. I highly recommend this book. I'm giving it a five star rating, eventhough I see that most people like Pride and Prejudice better. Since I haven't read that yet I'm not influenced about which I like better yet.
    • 4/5
      Recently I read Austen's 'juvenalia', and when I started reading this book, I could see a lot of similarities. The beginning of S&S has a tone of satire. The reader can tell Jane is a young writer, mocking many of society's views which were common at the time.However, as the story progresses, I began to see Jane getting more serious about her subject and caring about her characters. That was when I began to love this book. And it just got better and better toward the end.On a personal note, I found some similarities to my own life in this book. When I was young and in love for the first time, I acted a bit like Marianne, wearing my heart on my sleeve. I think many of us probably did. I loved this book and gave it 4 stars - but you can see how I might be a biased reader.Some of Austen's other books are definitely a little better, but this is also a good book. It's amazing to me that hundreds of years can pass, and a modern reader like me can still identify with these characters.
    • 4/5
      When Mr. Dashwood dies all his posessions and estate go to John, his son out of first marriage. His second wife Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters Elinor, Marianne and Margaret are left on a small income. They move into a small cottage at Barton, where they make many new acquaintances.For Elinor and Marianne, sisters who could not be any more different, a respectable marriage is desired to establish in life.Elinor feels attracted to Mr. Edward Ferrars, a pleasant, intelligent but reserved young man and Marianne falls in love with dashing, handsome Willoughby.When both sisters are invited to come to London in winter to stay with a friend, the engagement of Edward Ferrars as well as Willoughby to other women is revealed. Where Marianne suffers publicly, Elinor suffers in silence as nobody knows of her pain and she wants to spare her sister of more suffering which the knowledge of Elinor's feelings must cause her.I grew to like the character of Elinor very much, being the one reasonable and responsible whereas Marianne gives way to her thoughts and emotions too freely.From the introduction to Sense and Sensibility in the Penguin Classics edition:The main contrast between Marianne's and Elinor's codes of conduct lies in Marianne's romantic insistence that desires be spoken, whereas Elinor requires that they be silenced.Austen used different traits in characters but unique fates to point out the meaning and difference of sense and sensibility.Due to Marianne's silence Elinor is pledged to think she experiences everyting the first time. She falls in love first, she discovers that Willoughby is already engaged, and she struggles to gain control of her feelings when they are hurt. Only Elinor and the reader knows that Marianne's experiences are a repititon of Elinor's.That Elinor is the first to become happy is no secret though, and as Marianne gets happy too some time later, everything appears in the right order again.I enjoyed reading another Austen (besides P&P) but did not like it enough for five stars. Four stars it is then.
    • 4/5
      In a nutshell: Not Austen’s best, but a fine and entertaining introduction to her work.I really enjoyed my first reading of [Sense and Sensibility], despite being familiar with it through the Emma Thompson/Kate Winslet film. This was Austen’s first published work and a good introduction to the themes and ideas that concern her most. The characterization is very strong without endless descriptions and explanations. The dialogue and actions of the characters provide us all the detail we need to know what Austen wants us to know about each. The minor characters are especially entertaining – selfish Fanny, spineless John Dashwood, vulgar but loveable Mrs. Jennings, and mean-spirited, sneaky Lucy. There is some wonderful commentary in the novel; my favorite line:”Elinor agreed to it all, for she did not think he deserved the compliment of rational opposition.”And another favorite:”…and because they were fond of reading, she fancied them satirical; perhaps without exactly knowing what it was to be satirical; but that did not signify. It was censure in common use, and easily given.”I won’t go into the Elinor vs. Marianne, sense vs. sensibility arguments. This was my first reading and I read mainly with an eye to the plot and characters. A second reading will provide better opportunity for deeper reflection.
    • 5/5
      One doesn't really review Jane Austen, so much as bask in the elegance and wit of her prose and wonder at such auspicious beginnings. 'Sense and Sensibility' was Austen's first published novel -- though she had written significant juvenalia and an unpublished epistolary novel, 'Lady Susan', before writing this one -- and as many other LTers have noticed, her craft still bears a little youth when this freshman effort is compared to her greater masterpieces. Even so, there is nothing bad, or even mediocre, about the book.Anyone who has ever had a sister can appreciate and connect with Austen's two heroines, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. The two, early in the novel, are opposites in perspective, expression and, of course, sense. Marianne is the angsty teenager, Elinor the elder, calmer, more pragmatic young adult. For sisters, their relationship is relatively typical: the younger drama queen thinks she knows it all; the elder goody two-shoes frets in overly-maternal fashion and tries to gently enlighten her sister about how the world really works. Of course, in the context of the reserved Regency period, their interactions are much more sedate than the melodrama to which 21st century television has accustomed the current reader, but genuine emotion -- love, heartbreak, frustration, respect, injury -- pervades their connection.The core of the novel is the transformation of these two young women. Over the span of the plot, they become each a little bit more like the other (with significant transformative weight given to the common sense and reserve of Elinor, who is the obvious role model throughout -- she becomes a little bit more open, like Marianne, while Marianne becomes a great deal more like her in comparison) and each a little wiser in the world. Of course, the mechanism of their respective transformations involves romantic love, foolishness and family interference, as much of life does.The gentlemen who provide agency of transformation range from the tragically selfish Willoughby to the solidly dependable Edward. For my money, however, the ideal male figure in the novel is Colonel Brandon, who offers up a mysterious and sad history that could have graced a Gothic character, combined with gentlemanly manners, unflagging devotion, and a quiet, eternal romanticism. Each of these characters is fleshed with particular realism but highlighted with a certain glow of the ideal that makes them appealing when the novel needs them to be so.The true masterpieces of this particular Austen novel, however, are the characters who are utterly untouched by any ideal. However fond we might be of our heroines and their love interests, it is the rest of the cast -- each character pocked and pitted with personality quirks ranging from the quixotic to the flat-out bitchy -- that makes the book a genuine pleasure. From the early chapters, in which Fanny Dashwood's snipes about money and property prompt the reader's ire and humor, through the hilarity of Mrs. Jennings' ridiculousness, to the deliciously snide self-righteousness of Miss Lucy Steele, the novel is thoroughly populated with satire and social indictment. Austen's eye for the true ridiculousness of humanity makes the genius here.Overall, while some may not find this to be a quick and bright as Austen's pinnacle, the novel does present a rich reading experience, authenticity of emotion, and brilliant satirical observations. Granted, I am biased, as a Jane Austen fan of long-standing and having read the novel several times, but for me the bottom line is this: 'Sense and Sensibility' is exactly what a classic ought to be.
    • 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
      Cumbersome language which I enjoyed for a while until it became tiresome. Otherwise, an interesting story, written of course by Jane Austen, over 200 years ago. This is the story of two sisters looking for husbands in late eighteenth century England. The eldest daughter, Elinor, very likable and sensible, follows all the rules of decorum. The younger sister, Marianne, was likable as well but also a bit flighty and ruled by her emotions. Both have difficulties landing a man despite their differing approaches because they live in a very class conscious society and lack money or title. In the end, "sense" triumphs and gets the guy she wants, while "sensibility" loses one guy and gets another while learning that the rules do indeed matter and must be followed.