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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
It's been nine years since I last read Sense and Sensibility. I think I liked it less this time. I still feel the characters are well written. Marianne is rather intense. I can relate to her passion about life, her strong feelings about things. After the disaster with Willoughby, I felt her reaction was frustrating. I wanted to jump in the book and shake her.
I liked Elinor but I also wanted to jump into the book and encourage her to actually speak up once in awhile. Her reserve is admirable but she could have given an encouraging word at times it was really needed. Instead, she stays quiet.
The ending drove me nuts. Sorry, but there it is. I kind of felt like neither of the girls really deserved the happiness they received. I wanted Elinor to find true love but not with the person she ended up with. He didn't deserve her.
I liked Elinor but I also wanted to jump into the book and encourage her to actually speak up once in awhile. Her reserve is admirable but she could have given an encouraging word at times it was really needed. Instead, she stays quiet.
The ending drove me nuts. Sorry, but there it is. I kind of felt like neither of the girls really deserved the happiness they received. I wanted Elinor to find true love but not with the person she ended up with. He didn't deserve her.
Ah, Sense and Sensibility. A classic story. Well written. Well loved.
The BBC (1981) did such a great job producing this title that I felt I could watch the movie in my head as I read. I wish I had read the book first!
The BBC (1981) did such a great job producing this title that I felt I could watch the movie in my head as I read. I wish I had read the book first!
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
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
hopeful
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
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
I preferred this novel to Pride and Prejudice. Elinor is clearly "sense" and her sister Marianne "sensibility". I know all about Jane Austen's preference for titling her books by the value of her main characters. I was immediately drawn to Marianne and her passionate tendencies. Willoughby's rescue of her and their immediate romantic connection was one of my favorite parts of the book. I knew though, that Austen would be forced to separate them, a happy ending cannot come before a plot twist. I disliked Edward a good deal until he found his own parish, much as that was a motive for Elinor to marry him. I was evidently sure that Willoughby would come back eventually, and this was part of what kept me reading the book. When Willoughby shows up when Marianne could be dying, I was so happy. I thought it rather fitting that he be inebriated, because he was clearly upset. I was comforted to know that he always loved her, even if he did not follow his heart most of the time. In short, I was not completely happy with the ending. I really had hoped that maybe Willoughby would stop being practical and follow his heart. I would gladly have given the book five stars if Willoughby and Marianne would have gotten married. Maybe this book just needs an alternate ending, or a sequel perhaps?