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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
I listened to this as an audiobook, and honestly, I think that’s the only reason I managed to finish it. If I had been reading a physical or ebook copy, I probably would have given up. I struggled to stay focused, and my mind often wandered while listening.
I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters, and the story felt slow and dragging. I understand that this book was written a long time ago, and society was very different back then, but it was still hard for me to relate to their reactions — especially the idea of becoming physically ill because of heartbreak. It felt unrealistic to me.
I do appreciate the core message about balancing reason and emotion, and I admire Jane Austen for writing this during her time. Still, it wasn’t a book that I enjoyed reading, and it was very hard to get through.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I adore this book - as with the majority of the Austen’s this is a re-read for me, and I am so familiar with various adaptations that there were no surprises in the story, but there are so many additional elements that you get from the book that is always missing from an adaptation.
I suppose what I love about this story is Elinor who is one of my favourite heroines. She is not one of Austen’s flashier women, her personality is far more subtle, but however uninteresting some might find her I have always seen her as the backbone of the story; far more than her mother she is the cornerstone that’s binds the family together. She is sensible and discerning, and not one to push herself forward, and yet she is always there for others and willing to overlook their failings.
But with regards to Edward your heart just breaks for her, and there are 2 sections which always stay in my head. The first where she has to tell Marianne about Edward’s engagement to Lucy, and you can see the wave of emotion that she has been bottling up while also caring for her sister. The second is in her mothers realisation that just because Elinor did not show her emotions in the same way as Marianne, did not mean that her pain was any less severe, and that she was doing her eldest daughter a disservice by not recognising that.
But I do love the relationship between the sisters, who are so close and yet so different. With regards to Marianne I think that Austen, much with her other novels, does write this as an exposure of men’s vice to young women who will easily fall into their charms, and Marianne is definitely given a lucky escape from a desolate future. Not that Willoughby ever deserved her, but if he had given up the promise of a fortune to marry her, his love for her would not have lasted. And for a girl with such a passionate nature this would have had a devastating effect on her. So despite the alarming age gap, Brandon was ultimately the best man for her, and after her brush with passionate love she would be happy with a deeper devotion that would come from her marriage to Brandon.
I suppose what I love about this story is Elinor who is one of my favourite heroines. She is not one of Austen’s flashier women, her personality is far more subtle, but however uninteresting some might find her I have always seen her as the backbone of the story; far more than her mother she is the cornerstone that’s binds the family together. She is sensible and discerning, and not one to push herself forward, and yet she is always there for others and willing to overlook their failings.
But with regards to Edward your heart just breaks for her, and there are 2 sections which always stay in my head. The first where she has to tell Marianne about Edward’s engagement to Lucy, and you can see the wave of emotion that she has been bottling up while also caring for her sister. The second is in her mothers realisation that just because Elinor did not show her emotions in the same way as Marianne, did not mean that her pain was any less severe, and that she was doing her eldest daughter a disservice by not recognising that.
But I do love the relationship between the sisters, who are so close and yet so different. With regards to Marianne I think that Austen, much with her other novels, does write this as an exposure of men’s vice to young women who will easily fall into their charms, and Marianne is definitely given a lucky escape from a desolate future. Not that Willoughby ever deserved her, but if he had given up the promise of a fortune to marry her, his love for her would not have lasted. And for a girl with such a passionate nature this would have had a devastating effect on her. So despite the alarming age gap, Brandon was ultimately the best man for her, and after her brush with passionate love she would be happy with a deeper devotion that would come from her marriage to Brandon.
funny
hopeful
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:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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:
No
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
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
When I found out Nicola Coughlan did an audiobook recording of Sense & Sensibility, I went right to my library to put it on hold (and my library only owned ONE copy of this version) and waited….
But my, my, was it worth the wait! I’ve got a collection of Jane Austen paperbacks in my unread owned TBR pile and this was a great way to check if off the list.
If you’re new here, a story about sisters is a sure fire way to make me FEEL ALL THE FEELS, and Sense & Sensibility is the archetype for this motif. As an Eldest Daughter (™) that has sometimes not known how to care for my own needs and prioritizing my siblings, Elinor was wildly familiar. Of course I have been familiar with the main plot points from the story with the excellent film with Emma Thompson et al, I did watch the film the day after finishing the book and the differences are definitely in there (the men are more flushed out in the film - which makes sense for a movie with STARS).
The shame about this book is that Sense and Sensibility has lost some of its impact as an actual title as a COMPARISON, those words mean too much the same thing in current English. Wisdom being more of the definition, or even prudence, here for “Sense” as in common sense… and then sensitivity, sympathy, etc, for sensibility, but we think of sensibility as being SENSIBLE meaning wise. Whereas Jane is trying to draw a difference that Elinor and Marianne inhabit throughout the novel. This is perhaps a little gripe, because the alliteration is great. At the end of the novel, after comparing these two themes there is no real winner. I know there are critics who dislike this, but the fact that Marianne and Elinor both end up in positive relationships (with hardships along the way) has to be the end goal for this time period, and both girls, really, do have pretty fleshed out personalities. Yes Marianne is a bit superficial at the beginning, but she’s also an accomplished musician and smart, she’s heart forward. Elinor is a thinker, dutiful, and more reflective and not very forward with her feelings, she’s brain first.
ALSO hella mad for Jane and her era that women could not inherit. AND don’t get me started on LUCY.
It’s a classic. I really enjoyed Nicola’s presentation of it, she does all sorts of great voices, so if you haven’t picked this up before, I highly suggest this version.
But my, my, was it worth the wait! I’ve got a collection of Jane Austen paperbacks in my unread owned TBR pile and this was a great way to check if off the list.
If you’re new here, a story about sisters is a sure fire way to make me FEEL ALL THE FEELS, and Sense & Sensibility is the archetype for this motif. As an Eldest Daughter (™) that has sometimes not known how to care for my own needs and prioritizing my siblings, Elinor was wildly familiar. Of course I have been familiar with the main plot points from the story with the excellent film with Emma Thompson et al, I did watch the film the day after finishing the book and the differences are definitely in there (the men are more flushed out in the film - which makes sense for a movie with STARS).
The shame about this book is that Sense and Sensibility has lost some of its impact as an actual title as a COMPARISON, those words mean too much the same thing in current English. Wisdom being more of the definition, or even prudence, here for “Sense” as in common sense… and then sensitivity, sympathy, etc, for sensibility, but we think of sensibility as being SENSIBLE meaning wise. Whereas Jane is trying to draw a difference that Elinor and Marianne inhabit throughout the novel. This is perhaps a little gripe, because the alliteration is great. At the end of the novel, after comparing these two themes there is no real winner. I know there are critics who dislike this, but the fact that Marianne and Elinor both end up in positive relationships (with hardships along the way) has to be the end goal for this time period, and both girls, really, do have pretty fleshed out personalities. Yes Marianne is a bit superficial at the beginning, but she’s also an accomplished musician and smart, she’s heart forward. Elinor is a thinker, dutiful, and more reflective and not very forward with her feelings, she’s brain first.
ALSO hella mad for Jane and her era that women could not inherit. AND don’t get me started on LUCY.
It’s a classic. I really enjoyed Nicola’s presentation of it, she does all sorts of great voices, so if you haven’t picked this up before, I highly suggest this version.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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