Sense and Sensibility

by: Jane Austen

Published by: Vintage Classics

Reviewed by Edyth Abraham

One of Austen’s first books to be published, Sense and Sensibility tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne. Having lost their father, they had to start life anew, since their half-brother and his wife were not willing to take care of them. So Elinor, Marianne, their mother and younger sister move to Barton Cottage. In their new home, they experience heartache and pain as they mature and grow.

Elinor, the elder sister is extremely sensible, even in matters of the heart. When she learns that Edward Ferrars, the man whom she loved, was going to marry Lucy Steele, she takes it in stride. She is sad, but that does not slow her down. Marianne, on-the-other-hand, is very dramatic and emotional. When Mr. Willoughby breaks her heart, she decides she is never going to recover. She starts getting sick often and being melancholy. The story ends well, but both sisters learn to become less rigid in their respective personalities. Elinor realizes that showing emotions is alright and Marianne decides that living life in the past is not useful. Hence, Elinor gains some sensibility and Marianne some sense.

Once again, Austen has outdone herself in this novel. Her characters are well-developed. Like in her other novels, Austen’s writing paints a charming picture of the life and times of the 19th Century English. The story line is very captivating and Austen goes into great detail describing every aspect. However, it seems that towards the end she wraps everything up very quickly. She mentions Lucy Steele and Willoughby’s whereabouts and feelings; she mentions Elinor’s and Marianne’s respective marriages. She does this without using her usual descriptive language. But other than her ending, this is an excellent novel.

Armchair Interviews says: If you have not read Austen before, Sense and Sensibility is the novel to start with!

Author’s Web site: http://www.Austen.com