tigeryear's review
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Everyone was opp in this book. Rough read -- not that it was hard to comprehend, but in that it was boring drudgery. It didn't work for me as a satire, after my first read I'm not convinced the characters even had development, and if you have to say "we're not really blood related [insert whine]" -- you failed!
Mash that up with some early 1800s pedophilia and you've pretty much got the plot of this.
Disappointing!
Mash that up with some early 1800s pedophilia and you've pretty much got the plot of this.
Disappointing!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Misogyny, and Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcohol
Spoiler
literally marianne was given three options: frivolous ninny, taboo creeper, or spinster. which would YOU pick? this would make a good play, honestly, but austen?? why?? would you not comment prejudicially upon this topic?!reiven's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy and Eating disorder
Minor: Pedophilia, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship
jadziaaudrey's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, and Emotional abuse
boglord's review
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Grief
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Medical content, and Misogyny
Minor: Death, Incest, and Pregnancy
lindseyhall44's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
This is my second Jane Austen novel and I really enjoyed it! Although it is more of a gentle book (in my opinion) the witty social commentary packs a punch which will leave you thinking of our two heroines for many days after.
Sense and Sensibility follows the romantic and self exploration of two sisters after the tragic death of their father. Where Elinor is more prone to reason (Sense), Marianne gives way to her emotions (Sensibility), creating a contrasting depiction of love in a disproportionate society.
The duplication of events in such a polarizing way highlights incredible writing by Jane Austen, especially admirable as this is believed to be her debut adult fiction. The characters too are fleshed out and understandable, even when written in another century! While some may find it slow, Sense and Sensibility is an incredibly smart book, I cannot wait to continue into Jane Austen’s literary catalog, with Persuasion up next!
Sense and Sensibility follows the romantic and self exploration of two sisters after the tragic death of their father. Where Elinor is more prone to reason (Sense), Marianne gives way to her emotions (Sensibility), creating a contrasting depiction of love in a disproportionate society.
The duplication of events in such a polarizing way highlights incredible writing by Jane Austen, especially admirable as this is believed to be her debut adult fiction. The characters too are fleshed out and understandable, even when written in another century! While some may find it slow, Sense and Sensibility is an incredibly smart book, I cannot wait to continue into Jane Austen’s literary catalog, with Persuasion up next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, and Misogyny
Moderate: Death
Minor: Pregnancy
filipa_maia's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
If there is a book that makes me dread every single "classic" this is the one. Jane Austen wrote the kind of books that makes me never want to read another classic in my life. I understand that those were different times, and people wrote about the world they lived in... man, those people lived boring lives.
I don't understand what's the appeal of reading stories about people gossiping about each other, being constantly invited to lunch/dinner at each others houses, and, overall, just travelling from place to place for a couple of months just to keep each other company. I feel like this book could be much shorter if people just sat down and talk or if people just did not faint or be dramatically offended by every single situation all the time.
There are much better classic authors and classic books out there.
P.S.: Please, don't be offended. I know that so many people love Jane Austen and her books, but, for me, so far, none of them was "it".
I don't understand what's the appeal of reading stories about people gossiping about each other, being constantly invited to lunch/dinner at each others houses, and, overall, just travelling from place to place for a couple of months just to keep each other company. I feel like this book could be much shorter if people just sat down and talk or if people just did not faint or be dramatically offended by every single situation all the time.
There are much better classic authors and classic books out there.
P.S.: Please, don't be offended. I know that so many people love Jane Austen and her books, but, for me, so far, none of them was "it".
Content Warnings
Minor: Pregnancy and Grief
solouncapitulomas's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
my first austen book…i will read more ofc, man cannot be trusted is what i learned from this one
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity
Minor: Pregnancy, Ableism, and Death of parent
anna_wa's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
4.75
I was wary of leaving a review because I started this on September 25th, then after completing the second volume on October 9th, I stopped reading because the class was moving on to Pride & Prjeudice, and then I didn't approach it again until November 30th (after I had finished Persuasion, the final novel of the semester).
However, I know Catherine is going to want to know what I thought of the book since it's one of her favorites of all time, so here I go...
Well, I'm glad that I read this book as part of a class instead of on my own because if I had read it on my own I probably would have taken it too seriously and not caught a lot of the humor/irony Austen was aiming for. The way she sets up the entire novel as a satire of sentimental novels of the time was wonderful, and I love knowing that this entire novel was basically a callout of her brother: the one who got all the inheritence and left his sisters with nothing, forcing them and their mother to live in poverty. Like heck yes, you better call him out for being terrible to you all.
What I love the most about this book (other than her @'ing her brother through the characters of John and Fanny Dashwood) is that it is a story about the love between two sisters. People can say all they want about the love between the heterosexual couples that marry at the end of the book, but the heart of the book for me is how Elinor and Marianne comfort each other and grow both as individuals and as sisters.
When our teacher first told us that the message of the book was you can't have "too much sense and not enough sensibility" and you also can't have "too much sensibility and not enough sense" because both will end in disaster, I thought "duh, doesn't everyone know that?" but no, they didn't actually and they still don't (I'm looking at certain people who think there is one objective way of thinking that is not inherently emotional, especially music critics). So thank you Jane Austen for spreading that message, and I hope it reaches the people in the 21st century who still need to see it.
All in all I loved this book and I hope that in the future I will read it again, without such a big lag in between when I start and when I finish, so that I may appreciate it to its fullest extent.
However, I know Catherine is going to want to know what I thought of the book since it's one of her favorites of all time, so here I go...
Well, I'm glad that I read this book as part of a class instead of on my own because if I had read it on my own I probably would have taken it too seriously and not caught a lot of the humor/irony Austen was aiming for. The way she sets up the entire novel as a satire of sentimental novels of the time was wonderful, and I love knowing that this entire novel was basically a callout of her brother: the one who got all the inheritence and left his sisters with nothing, forcing them and their mother to live in poverty. Like heck yes, you better call him out for being terrible to you all.
What I love the most about this book (other than her @'ing her brother through the characters of John and Fanny Dashwood) is that it is a story about the love between two sisters. People can say all they want about the love between the heterosexual couples that marry at the end of the book, but the heart of the book for me is how Elinor and Marianne comfort each other and grow both as individuals and as sisters.
When our teacher first told us that the message of the book was you can't have "too much sense and not enough sensibility" and you also can't have "too much sensibility and not enough sense" because both will end in disaster, I thought "duh, doesn't everyone know that?" but no, they didn't actually and they still don't (I'm looking at certain people who think there is one objective way of thinking that is not inherently emotional, especially music critics). So thank you Jane Austen for spreading that message, and I hope it reaches the people in the 21st century who still need to see it.
All in all I loved this book and I hope that in the future I will read it again, without such a big lag in between when I start and when I finish, so that I may appreciate it to its fullest extent.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent
manarnia's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
Not my favorite Austen book, but still good! I find the first half a bit dull, but it picks up from there.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy, Infidelity, Terminal illness, and Death
nerdkitten's review
emotional
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Medical content
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Pregnancy