A review by chivalryxsword
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

emotional lighthearted relaxing 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? It's complicated

5.0

Spoiler-free Thoughts: I loved this book so much. Usually, I have a hard time getting into classics which I expected to happen with this book. Instead I immediately fell in love with all of the characters!! I wanted to know what happened to all of them and it really pulled me into the book and the storyline.

Plot: 5/5

I sound myself invested in this book SO FAST. Much quicker than I thought I would be. The drama is well paced and is very well written (obviously, it’s Austen). The plot of the sisters and the way they connected to each other drew me in, and I wanted to know where life would take them and what would happen to the entire Dashwood family. Jane Austen knows how to write villains and I hated every single one. I absolutely love how she writes parallels into her books, and everytime I picked up on one I couldn’t help but note it or write it down. The tension in some scenes was so palpable I had to put the book down and take a walk, it felt so intense, and it’s all said in slightly passive aggressive tones and UGH it’s so good. 

Characters: 5/5

Every single character in the story caught my attention whether good or bad. I got invested in all their storylines, even if I just wanted to see them fail. She writes characters so well, especially ones who are kind of mean but with the best intentions at heart. If I had to pick a favorite it would be Elinor because I found myself heavily relating to her. She focused so heavily on the sisterly love and bond, and it honestly made me quite emotional. Also, Jane Austen knows how to write thirteen year olds, oh my GOD. Margaret is such a little snoop and a know-it-all but what thirteen year-old little sisters aren’t. The character foils are so well written, and I love how they have extremes to show how tame Elinor and Marianne are in comparison despite how they view themselves and each other. 

Timelessness: 5/5

I think when reading classics you kind of have to view them from the lens of, “Is this still relevant? Do I connect to this in a deeper way?” And in this case, the answer to both is yes. I already said it but I connected to Elinor on a much deeper level then I expected myself to. There were scenes that felt like I could read it straight out of a book set in today’s time. These characters are so chaotic, and so desperate to just be people that it hit deeper than expected. Obviously there are some things that you need historical context for, or can’t be understood from a modern lens, but overall I would consider it timeless. Especially the way that the family acts with each other and how the children behave.