andreeagugi's review against another edition
5.0
Jane Austen has done it once again. Beautiful, romantic, and dramatic! This book felt so much more complex than her other ones while it not only tells one story but two that intermingle together to form one beautiful resolution. Firstly, Marianne and Elinor are such complex and richly drawn characters that complement each other in a way I have never seen before. Their sisterly relationship is in my opinion the main focus of this novel and how each of their qualities (sense and sensibility) are demonstrated throughout the story. Because of this, I found myself at times relating to Elinor and other times relating to Marianne! Additionally, even though it's Jane Austen and we already know how all her stories end, this one had so many twists and turns that I was never expecting. The drama, the wit, and the hilariously over-exaggerated characters (like Mrs. Jennings) are what gave it that Austen touch that I always love in her books! All in all, this was a beautifully told story that has definitely left its mark on me!
millie_rose_reads's review against another edition
4.0
He had just compunction enough for having done nothing for his sisters himself, to be exceedingly anxious that everybody else should do a great deal; and an offer from Colonel Brandon, or a legacy from Mrs. Jennings, was the easiest means of atoning for his own neglect.The last time I read anything by Jane Austen was when I was fifteen, and that's ultimately down to the fact that while her novels might present themselves as surface-level romance, or philosophically-minded morals-and-manners tales, its the liabilities of being a woman in the oppressively patriarchal seventeenth-century Britain that truly inform its narratives. With each of her novels, the object is to procure a husband through marriage, which is to say, secure a legally-binding male protector from whom everything in your life depends on—until you have a son, or your daughter marries and you become beholden to your son-in-law—and its all kinds of horrifying.
Sense and Sensibility foregrounds its story with its main characters, Elinor and Marianne, being ousted from their home. On the death of their father, the family wealth is given to their older step-brother, as they become solely dependant on the whims of him and his wife. That's not to say they're destitute, as they still have the means to live comfortably if not extravagantly, but they are comparatively poor. Writing about characters that go from indigent to actual destitution would have made these stories vastly different (and Dickensian), and more obviously depressing.
I enjoyed how, in my opinion, neither sense nor sensibility unanimously won out, as I feel the story demonstrates the virtues and excesses of both in Elinor and Marianne. Elinor's "sense" allows her to more accurately appreciate her circumstances and avoid humiliation, but its also this affected temperance that prevents her from expressing herself and communicating with those around her. By contrast, Marianne's "sensibility" makes her a social butterfly, incredibly personable and attractive, but creates its own isolation through its heavy prescription of embellishment that can graduate to outright fantasy. I do believe that Marianne's marriage to Colonel Brandon at the end ultimately tilts in favour of "sense", but the compassion the novel has for Willoughby suggests a smidgeon of complexity.
Of all the relationships in this book, the one I enjoyed the most was between Elinor and Colonel Brandon. They have this respect and interest in each other that is so refreshing when most non-familial men and women interactions are narrowed through the lens of romantic attachment. And my one issue with this stories romance is how the climax of this book, arguably all about getting that proposal, skips over the proposals. Edward is reserved for the entire book, and the one time he has a chance to unreservedly express himself, Austen chooses to skip over it. Why, Austen, why?
anna_i3's review against another edition
5.0
Finally read Sense and Sensibility, it's been sitting on my shelves for probably 15 years even though the film is one of my favourites and I generally love Jane Austen. I even found a bookmark I drew on page 86 which I guess marks as far as I had previously got. I think though it was just waiting for the perfect time which turned out to be now! The perfect mix of normality: conversations, dinners, reading, walks etc but also the constraints the women live under and cope with, _constantly_ having to wait for news, not free to travel freely and so on was a mix that felt strangely comforting in these strange times. Really enjoyed every moment spent reading this.
verorikky's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
aliceh90's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
spacetaunter's review against another edition
2.0
I discovered Jane Austen with Pride and Prejudice and so I decided to read Sense and Sensibility, as I loved her writing. However I found this book was just boring, the whole plot and the 'denouement' happening during the last hundred pages...
cleotheo's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Grief, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Violence
mandi_m's review
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jobinsonlis's review against another edition
4.0
Sense and Sensibility isn’t my favorite Jane Austen—that’s always going to be Northanger Abbey—but the Ang Lee Sense and Sensibility movie is probably one of my top ten favorite movies so I do really like the book. Book Elinor isn’t quite as charming to me as Movie Elinor but since the latter was Emma Thompson that was obviously a high mountain to climb.