Jane Austen

New chronology and further reading; Tony Tanner's original introduction reinstated Edited with an introduction by Ros Ballaster.

Sense and Sensibility

Two sisters, one practical and conventional and the other emotional and sentimental, find that only through compromise of their mutual differences can they get along.

sariya

"Marianne Dashwood was born to an extraordinary fate. She was born to discover the falsehood of her own opinions, and to counteract, by her conduct, her most favourite maxims. She was born to overcome an affection formed so late in life as at seventeen, and with no sentiment superior to strong esteem and lively friendship, voluntarily to give her hand to another!"

"...she was oppressed, she was overcome by her own felicity;—and happily disposed as is the human mind to be easily familiarized with any change for the better, it required several hours to give sedateness to her spirits, or any degree of tranquillity to her heart."

"I will be calm; I will be mistress of myself."

"Elinor now found the difference between the expectation of an unpleasant event, however certain the mind may be told to consider it, and certainty itself."

"I have laid down my plan, and if I am capable of adhering to it, my feelings shall be governed and my temper improved. They shall no longer worry others, nor torture myself. I shall now live solely for my family. You, my mother, and Margaret, must henceforth be all the world to me; you will share my affections entirely between you. From you, from my home, I shall never again have the smallest incitement to move; and if I do mix in other society it will be only to shew that my spirit is humbled, my heart amended, and that I can practise the civilities, the lesser duties of life, with gentleness, and forbearance."

"My illness has made me think— It has given me leisure and calmness for serious recollection. Long before I was enough recovered to talk, I was perfectly able to reflect. I considered the past: I saw in my own behaviour, since the beginning of our acquaintance with him last autumn, nothing but a series of imprudence towards myself, and want of kindness to others. I saw that my own feelings had prepared my sufferings, and that my want of fortitude under them had almost led me to the grave. My illness, I well knew, had been entirely brought on by myself by such negligence of my own health, as I had felt even at the time to be wrong. Had I died,—it would have been self-destruction. I did not know my danger till the danger was removed; but with such feelings as these reflections gave me, I wonder at my recovery,—wonder that the very eagerness of my desire to live, to have time for atonement to my God, and to you all, did not kill me at once. Had I died,—in what peculiar misery should I have left you, my nurse, my friend, my sister!—You, who had seen all the fretful selfishness of my latter days; who had known all the murmurings of my heart!—How should I have lived in YOUR remembrance!—My mother too! How could you have consoled her!—I cannot express my own abhorrence of myself. Whenever I looked towards the past, I saw some duty neglected, or some failing indulged. Every body seemed injured by me."

"She said little, but every sentence aimed at cheerfulness, and though a sigh sometimes escaped her, it never passed away without the atonement of a smile."

"The world had made him extravagant and vain—Extravagance and vanity had made him cold-hearted and selfish. Vanity, while seeking its own guilty triumph at the expense of another, had involved him in a real attachment, which extravagance, or at least its offspring, necessity, had required to be sacrificed. Each faulty propensity in leading him to evil, had led him likewise to punishment."

"The openness and heartiness of her manner more than atoned for that want of recollection and elegance, which made her often deficient in the forms of politeness; her kindness, recommended by so pretty a face, was engaging; her folly, though evident, was not disgusting because it was not conceited."

“...misery such as mine has no pride. I care not who knows that I am wretched. The triumph of seeing me so may be open to all the world. Elinor, Elinor, they who suffer little may be proud and independent as they like—may resist insult, or return mortification—but I cannot. I must feel—I must be wretched—and they are welcome to enjoy the consciousness of it that can.”

“I should hardly call her a lively girl—she is very earnest, very eager in all she does—sometimes talks a great deal and always with animation—but she is not often really merry.”

"I wish as well as every body else to be perfectly happy; but like every body else it must be in my own way."

"There is something so amiable in the prejudices of a young mind, that one is sorry to see them give way to the reception of more general opinions.”

"Her mind was inevitably at liberty; her thoughts could not be chained elsewhere; and the past and the future, on a subject so interesting, must be before her, must force her attention, and engross her memory, her reflection, and her fancy."

"It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy;—it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others."

"Oh happy house! could you know what I suffer in now viewing you from this spot, from whence perhaps I may view you no more!—And you, ye well-known trees!—but you will continue the same.—No leaf will decay because we are removed, nor any branch become motionless although we can observe you no longer!—No; you will continue the same; unconscious of the pleasure or the regret you occasion, and insensible of any change in those who walk under your shade!—But who will remain to enjoy you?"

"The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!"

"He admires as a lover, not as a connoisseur. To satisfy me, those characters must be united. I could not be happy with a man whose taste did not in every point coincide with my own. He must enter into all my feelings; the same books, the same music must charm us both."

Karen

He must enter into all my feelings; the same books, the same music must charm us both.

"In seasons of cheerfulness, no temper could be more cheerful than hers, or possess, in a greater degree, that sanguine expectation of happiness which is happiness itself. But in sorrow she must be equally carried away by her fancy, and as far beyond consolation as in pleasure she was beyond alloy."

Iris van der zanden

Elinor was to be the comforter of others in her own distresses, no less than in theirs.

akshita

"to wish was to hope, and to hope was to expect."

"I have never yet known what it was to separate esteem and love"

Bilge Ince

…to the ladies, began complaining of the weather. "How horrid all this is!" said he. "Such weather makes every thing and every body disgusting. Dullness is as much produced within doors as without, by rain. It makes one detest all one's acquaintance. What the devil does Sir John mean by not having a billiard room in his house? How few people know what comfort is! Sir John is as stupid as the weather."

When the Dashwood family estate passes to the eldest son John and his wife, Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret must find a new home. Moving to a cottage in Devonshire, the Dashwood women begin adjusting to a new life and a new social circle. Soon, Elinor is being courted by the gentlemanly Edward Ferrars, and Marianne finds herself torn between two suitors, the brooding Colonel Brandon and social-climbing scoundrel John Willoughby. The love and heartbreaks that they all endure are shaped by the temperament of their time and place and the sense and sensibility of their society. Originally published in 1811, Jane Austen's first published novel is revered as a classic romance of manners. This volume is one of Barnes & Noble's Collectible Editions classics. Each volume features authoritative texts by the world's greatest authors in an exquisitely designed foil-stamped binding, with distinctive coloured edging and an attractive ribbon bookmark. Decorative, durable, and collectible, these books offer hours of pleasure to readers young and old and are an indispensable cornerstone for any home library.

These past few weeks have been a bit much, so reading Austen has been the perfect escape. 

 felt like just the right thing, kind of like a little reminder to find joy in the little things even when everything else feels heavy. I love how Jane Austen writes men; either they’re total heartthrobs or complete disappointments, but they’re always a reflection of what the women in her stories desire or struggle with. It’s like she really gets at the heart of what women expects, and what they end up facing when those desires don’t align with reality. I vibe with that whole dynamic. Elinor and Marianne’s different takes on life and love captivates me the most. They both have such unique ways of handling things—Elinor with her “sense” and practical approach, and Marianne with her all-in “sensibility.” I feel like I could spend hours in their heads, thinking through all their musings about love, loss, and society. I wish, I wish I could approach the world like Elinor, or at least have her ability to be so introspective without being too harsh (I think I need a little more of that Austen gentleness in my life). How does one even be written by Jane Austen, though?

🏹

These past few weeks have been a bit much, so reading Austen has been the perfect escape. Sense and Sensibility felt like just the right thing, kind of like a little reminder to find joy in the little things even when everything else feels heavy. I love how Jane Austen writes men; either they’re total heartthrobs or complete disappointments, but they’re always a reflection of what the women in her stories desire or struggle with. It’s like she really gets at the heart of what women expects, and what they end up facing when those desires don’t align with reality. I vibe with that whole dynamic. Elinor and Marianne’s different takes on life and love captivates me the most. They both have such unique ways of handling things—Elinor with her “sense” and practical approach, and Marianne with her all-in “sensibility.” I feel like I could spend hours in their heads, thinking through all their musings about love, loss, and society. I wish, I wish I could approach the world like Elinor, or at least have her ability to be so introspective without being too harsh (I think I need a little more of that Austen gentleness in my life). How does one even be written by Jane Austen, though?

ezra 

so much drama which was fun but kinda not worth the hype …i was expecting more

giuli

When i finally understood who all the People are it was really great.

Gwenifer

Kavitha Ramachandran 

Sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood set their sights on men to perfectly match their disparate personalities, with unexpected results.

elizabeth

Four stars for this makes me realize my ratings system is hopelessly inflated; a four-star book written by Jane Austen is still better than most four-star books on my Read shelf. It's just that it feels weird to rate this five stars when it doesn't quite hit me square in the heart and mind the way that Pride and Prejudice and Emma do. 

But as always, I love, I love, I love Jane Austen. I love her subtle, artful walking of the fine line that separates criticizing regency society from overturning it. I love how her plots are new permutations of different types of imbalances that she rights by the end. I love her use of romantic writing tropes as a burlesque to mask her conservative conclusions. I love it all. 

In Elinor, I met an Austen heroine special to me because I find her so thoroughly relatable. Sure, I can relate to Lizzy Bennett's headstrong snark, and I can picture Emma sitting with me watching Vanderpump Rules. But, more than any other Austen character I've encountered, reading Elinor feels more like I'm reading myself.

Chloé

Austen owns me. I loved this book truly. I listened to the audiobook and loved it.

Story and plot twists were good, though the story dragged on in some bits, I’m also just not the biggest fan of classics but o did enjoy this 

amelia <3

Isabella 

The book was quite enjoyable. I couldn't care less about Elinor and Marianne's love stories even though it was what they focused on; I was more interested in their growth. I love their bond with each other, and it highlights how they are each other's most constant companion. It was a good book, but I didn't like the ending; felt rushed and strange.

The plot of Sense & Sensibility was frankly good to follow while reading.

The sudden drama with Willoughby came out of the blue and made me so invested. I just didn't expect it. And Edward? Thoroughly believed Elinor and him were ill-fated lovers.

Nina May

The plot of Sense & Sensibility was frankly good to follow while reading.

The sudden drama with Willoughby came out of the blue and made me so invested. I just didn't expect it. And Edward? Thoroughly believed Elinor and him were ill-fated lovers.

No happy ending in sight when money is the backbone of marriage.  

Niko

julia

it was an unique experience to read jane austen's story about love troubles of not one but two heroines. their sisterhood was lovely and helped accentuate how completely different two people who deal with a heartbreak can behave. i loved how it was showed that both sense and sensibility need moderation, otherwise we can end up hurting ourselves and our loved ones. the book surprised me with few events i haven't predicted and kept me in the dark about who is going to end up with whom for very long. that spiked my curiosity about the possibilities and the typical for austen wit and satire of the elite made me giggle. i enjoyed it very much.

Francesca Starecheski

A book I thought was to be of the minds of women turned only to be on the men there residing.

lexie

i don’t like it that much but a great introduction to reading austen’s novels

Hooman Rostami

Jane Austin’s thing is romance literature. I read this just because it is a classic and I guess I’m not a fan. I just can’t stand the “damsel I distress”. Eleanor sounds like a interesting and smart girl, but her and her sisters’ while world is who they are going to marry.
And the book of course ends up without anything interesting happens to them. It all revolve around what men in their lives decides for them.

 held my hand through this amazing labyrinth.

Julien M.

my God! this was such a journey. @readingella held my hand through this amazing labyrinth.

Sense and Sensibility: An Annotated Edition

Jane Huber

I didn’t want Sense and Sensibility to be my first Jane Austen read, but I’m glad it was. The story itself, I adore. I found myself being wholly immersed in this hopeless romantic English world (which if you know me is like so Jane-as in me not Jane Austen) and felt like I knew the characters inside and out. Not only did I relate to a lot of them, but I’m going to be honest, sometimes I liked having the intentionally dislikable characters so I could complain about them (aka Lucy). That’s why they’re there. But, I have to say, one of my favorite elements of this book is the nuanced humor. I honestly don’t know how Austen does it. So many times I found myself audibly laughing. Being funny is one thing, but being witty is another, and Austen’s wit just adds to this already enjoyable book.

Sense and Sensibility (Bantam Classics)

Colleen

4.5 Stars

The title indicates the juxtaposition that the novel explores. You have Elinor, the logical introvert, full of sense and practicality. And you have outgoing, boisterous Marianne, full of passion and vivre. They both fall in love and experience roadblocks to their love but handle the situations in very different manners.
 
Where Sense and Sensibility excels is in exploring human nature. She explores themes of classism, materialism, manipulation, loyalty, and love. This is satire with just the right amount of sass.
Austen creates such vivid characters, both good and bad. She absolutely hits the nail on the head when it comes to portraying the more obnoxious character traits. I totally wanted to smack John Dashwood and his awful wife!
 
It is also an honest portrayal of the times in which this was written and takes place. How precarious women’s situation was! They had few legal rights, were held captive by the whims of the men in the lives, and had little chance of true happiness. Women had to make a good marriage or rely on the kindness of relatives. And while trying to find a match, they were restrained by the suffocating limitations of society. They weren’t allowed to be too forward or blunt. They weren’t even supposed to write letters to unrelated men unless they were engaged. DTR was pretty damn hard back then since a woman wasn’t allowed to ask where the relationship was going.
 
As far as exploration of human follies goes, this book excellently explores characters and caprices. But I didn’t find the romance satisfying. Having two different romances that both involve love triangles, deceit, and disappointment wasn’t my recipe for happily ever after. And I didn’t think the build and timing was right to achieve that romantic crescendo. This one certainly didn’t give me butterflies in my stomach. So while I think Sense and Sensibility is ingenious when it comes to displaying the follies of human nature, the romance side was not as satisfying as Austen’s later works.
 

RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 5 Stars
Writing Style: 5 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 5 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 4 Stars
Level of Captivation: 4 Stars
Originality: 5 Stars

Katherine Yang

okay okay so SENSE switched with SENSIBILITY !!! :))))

In its marvelously perceptive portrayal of two young women in love, Sense and Sensibility proves that Jane Austen’s novels, along with their perfection of form and tone, are full of strong feeling.

Its two heroines—so utterly unlike each other—both undergo the most violent passions when they are separated from the men they love. What differentiates them, and gives this extroardinary book its complexity and brilliance, is the way each expresses her Marianne–young, impetuous, ardent–falls into paroxysms of grief when she is rejected by the dashing John Willoughby; while her sister, Elinor—wiser, more sensible, more self-controlled—masks her despair when it appears that Edward Ferrars is to marry the mean-spirited and cunning Lucy Steele. All, of course, ends happily—but not until Elinor’s “sense” and Marianne’s “sensibility” have equally worked to reveal the profound emotional life that runs beneath the surface of Austen’s immaculate and irresistible art.

Sense and Sensibility (Vintage Classics)

the thing about reading austen, for me, is that it takes a while for me to get invested into the story. but when the events pick up, oh /man/ do they pick up - the final chapter of the first volume had me audibly gasping and there was so. much. drama. in the second and third volumes that i couldn't help but to tear through the rest of the book. i know the realism behind the romantic philosophies of the book is not for everyone, but i liked it. and i think the scandal and drama that surrounded the sisters' love lives were more than enough to add that element of dramatized scandal that, had they not been present, might have made the tale a little too dry for my tastes.

fira

I fell in love with the book from page 1! The language she used was beautifull and I grew attached to the characters. It was comforting to be a part of their family relationships as they grew and the ending is suprising, for sure. 

Ania Wysoczanska

Meghan Navoy

** spoiler alert **
           I love reading books by Jane Austen so much!!! She is absolutely brilliant at writing dialogue and characters. I genuinely laughed out loud at times when reading this. A couple things left me confused and felt like more could have been written - why does Marianne end up with colonel Brandon in the end?? It seems like they have nothing in common and she’s so young and would have met someone else?? I saw in the movie she marries him and hoped the book would elaborate more on how this comes to pass because it seems very abrupt. I also don’t know how Lucy Steele came to be suddenly in love and marry the other brother? This is sort of glossed over. Anyway, I still enjoyed it immensely!!

Sense and Sensibility

Reviews

Highlights