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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
I was taken by how modern this seemed. The characters and humour seemed like it was written recently even with the older, more formal style of English. It’s very apparent why this has stood the test of time.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Elinor and Marianne are sisters, but they couldn't be more different. Elinor, the eldest, is polite, calm, level-headed, and rational. Marianne, on the other hand, is impetuous, headstrong, and emotional. Their differences in disposition are unsurprisingly mirrored in their views on love: Elinor wants a gentleman, someone steady and reliable, while Marianne cares for nothing but a passionate, dashing man who can sweep her off her feet. They each meet a man who they think is perfect, but 19th century London high society is rife with gossip and intrigue, and the men they've set their sights on may belong to other women.
The drama! The scandals! The intrigue! I'm not really interested in classics and I don't care much for "living room" drama. So I was very wary of picking this up, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would! Mostly because it reads like the 19th century version of a reality tv show that captures the gossip and drama that occupied women of the time. It's very much a critique of London high society in the early 1800s, specifically when it comes to marriage. People married to enhance their prospects, their fortune, their social standing. They very rarely married for love.
Austen is also excellent at writing dialogue, particularly the subtext of conversations - what someone says versus what they really mean. I understand why so many people say that she's "witty" (she is).
Despite all this, I found myself slogging through once I hit the halfway mark. Most of this middle section felt frivolous and unnecessary. I would have much rather her cut out part of the middle and spend more time on the ending, which felt simultaneously rushed and anticlimactic. Marianne's character development was disappointing - part of what made her interesting was her complete lack of care for social niceties.
All the men suck (with perhaps an exception for Colonel Brandon) which isn't surprising but is still upsetting. I could never survive British high society unless I set fire to things repeatedly.
I'm happy I finally read a Jane Austen novel (and liked it more than I thought I would), but I'm also not in a hurry to pick up anything else by her.
The drama! The scandals! The intrigue! I'm not really interested in classics and I don't care much for "living room" drama. So I was very wary of picking this up, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would! Mostly because it reads like the 19th century version of a reality tv show that captures the gossip and drama that occupied women of the time. It's very much a critique of London high society in the early 1800s, specifically when it comes to marriage. People married to enhance their prospects, their fortune, their social standing. They very rarely married for love.
Austen is also excellent at writing dialogue, particularly the subtext of conversations - what someone says versus what they really mean. I understand why so many people say that she's "witty" (she is).
Despite all this, I found myself slogging through once I hit the halfway mark. Most of this middle section felt frivolous and unnecessary. I would have much rather her cut out part of the middle and spend more time on the ending, which felt simultaneously rushed and anticlimactic. Marianne's character development was disappointing - part of what made her interesting was her complete lack of care for social niceties.
All the men suck (with perhaps an exception for Colonel Brandon) which isn't surprising but is still upsetting. I could never survive British high society unless I set fire to things repeatedly.
I'm happy I finally read a Jane Austen novel (and liked it more than I thought I would), but I'm also not in a hurry to pick up anything else by her.
challenging
funny
lighthearted
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
emotional
funny
reflective
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
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Reviewed for Books and livres
Practically every reader I know hated Marianne in this book. Oh, come on, poor Marianne ! She's only 17 ! What contemporary teenager hasn't considered the world in black and white ? What teenager in all periods of time haven't considered the world in black and white ? I have one home ! Well, she'll be 17 in 4 months, but still. I liked Marianne less by the end of the book - no, not true, I pitied her, she looked broken. Isn't it pitiful to be broken at her age ? Yes, Marianne was "too much", but she would have grown out of it if anyway she had been left some time.
Willoughby ? Elinor pitied him ?... She really liked him anyway, scolded him, but I think he got away scot-free. Maybe he had charm, but he was selfish and didn't care about others. Even at the end, when he confides to Elinor, he's full of self-pity : he's so unhappy, his wife is not right. You chose a life to fit your interests, deal with it, man !
And Edward ? He wasn't much better, but he got away Scot-free too, in my opinion. Yes, he fell in love while he was otherwise engaged, ok, he couldn't help it, ok, he couldn't talk about the engagement but hey, he made a whole family believe he was going to marry Elinor while he couldn't, so I find Elinor very lenient. I could have kicked him.
Colonel Brandon ? Poor guy. Straight in his boots, at least, he's the one character that was consistent from one end of the book to the other. Even if nowadays, he would have been considered marrying a young trophy wife, lol !
And Elinor ? Ah, Elinor, the sense, reason, conventional part of this story. When that thing happened at the end of the book when she broke - a little - out of character and burst out of a room running, I almost shouted "Finally !" I was in the train, people looked at me, but I explained "It's the book !". Finally, some blood in her veins, less consideration of what people might think ! Pfffiouuuuu, that was worth waiting. But I'm still not completely satisfied that she married who she did. But I guess she is, so I'm happy for her. Yet I have a feeling they'll make a dull couple.
I wouldn't have liked to be on the receiving end of Jane Austen's wit : the way she describes the toothpick-case loving gentleman is... awesome !
And when a man develops his opinion much to Elinor's annoyance, she "agreed to it all, for she did not think he deserved the compliment of rational opposition." I laughed !
So, yes. Sense and sensibility is not my favourite book by Jane Austen but as you can see above, those characters, unperfect as they were (hence more human), made me react strongly and I loved reading about them, so yes, 4 well-deserved stars ! The next Jane Austen book on my re-read list will be Pride and prejudice.
Practically every reader I know hated Marianne in this book. Oh, come on, poor Marianne ! She's only 17 ! What contemporary teenager hasn't considered the world in black and white ? What teenager in all periods of time haven't considered the world in black and white ? I have one home ! Well, she'll be 17 in 4 months, but still. I liked Marianne less by the end of the book - no, not true, I pitied her, she looked broken. Isn't it pitiful to be broken at her age ? Yes, Marianne was "too much", but she would have grown out of it if anyway she had been left some time.
Willoughby ? Elinor pitied him ?... She really liked him anyway, scolded him, but I think he got away scot-free. Maybe he had charm, but he was selfish and didn't care about others. Even at the end, when he confides to Elinor, he's full of self-pity : he's so unhappy, his wife is not right. You chose a life to fit your interests, deal with it, man !
And Edward ? He wasn't much better, but he got away Scot-free too, in my opinion. Yes, he fell in love while he was otherwise engaged, ok, he couldn't help it, ok, he couldn't talk about the engagement but hey, he made a whole family believe he was going to marry Elinor while he couldn't, so I find Elinor very lenient. I could have kicked him.
Colonel Brandon ? Poor guy. Straight in his boots, at least, he's the one character that was consistent from one end of the book to the other. Even if nowadays, he would have been considered marrying a young trophy wife, lol !
And Elinor ? Ah, Elinor, the sense, reason, conventional part of this story. When that thing happened at the end of the book when she broke - a little - out of character and burst out of a room running, I almost shouted "Finally !" I was in the train, people looked at me, but I explained "It's the book !". Finally, some blood in her veins, less consideration of what people might think ! Pfffiouuuuu, that was worth waiting. But I'm still not completely satisfied that she married who she did. But I guess she is, so I'm happy for her. Yet I have a feeling they'll make a dull couple.
I wouldn't have liked to be on the receiving end of Jane Austen's wit : the way she describes the toothpick-case loving gentleman is... awesome !
And when a man develops his opinion much to Elinor's annoyance, she "agreed to it all, for she did not think he deserved the compliment of rational opposition." I laughed !
So, yes. Sense and sensibility is not my favourite book by Jane Austen but as you can see above, those characters, unperfect as they were (hence more human), made me react strongly and I loved reading about them, so yes, 4 well-deserved stars ! The next Jane Austen book on my re-read list will be Pride and prejudice.