Reviews with content warning for Classism - Sense and Sensibility

My first Jane Austen! I enjoyed reading about these characters that I'd only known about through media and cultural osmosis. Austen's ability to lovingly draw out her characters' faults and idiosyncrasies was quite fun. There were parts that felt too glossed over - like why some actions were forgiven or age differences allowed - but all in all, a solid introduction to her writing.

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anjasshelf's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

4.0

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_maia3_'s review against another edition

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funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Whilst not among my favourites of Austen's novels, this was a compelling and interesting read. As my reading partner put it "it's as if everyone is in a romance novel except for Elinor and Lucy, who are both in a social intrigue novel". It blends the two genres well and manages to display the merits of acting sensibly and with good judgement without coming off as haughty or moralising. Attention is given to the insipidity of the gentry, the financial troubles of women, and the importance of patience and calculation.

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withlivjones's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Ah, these Regency men and their… secret girlfriends?

This book is rather difficult to follow, and I think that the main reason for this is that most of the plot points are related through second-hand accounts. Our protagonist, Elinor, is quite passive and spends most of the novel being told things by other characters, either through long speeches or letters. This means that the plot gets complicated quite easily and there is very little action that occurs first-hand. Also not helping matters is the fact that Elinor appears to be highly gullible, instantly believing every story she is told until it is disproven later in the novel. I also think that the loose ends were tied up a little too conveniently at the end.

There are definitely some aspects of the novel I enjoyed, however. I did like the fact that in the main misunderstanding between Willoughby and Colonel Brandon there isn’t a clear-cut right and wrong side quite as much as there is in, for example, Darcy vs Wickham in Pride and Prejudice. I also really enjoyed the farcical humour in the brief miscommunication between Elinor and Mrs Jennings about her nonexistent engagement to Colonel Brandon. Finally, Austen is as always an expert in constructing the more comical characters who come across as caricatures of Regency upper-class society. My favourite characterisations include Mrs John Dashwood, Mr Robert Ferrars, and Mrs Jennings.

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readbycarina's review against another edition

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adventurous funny reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I think I need to read the physical versions of Ms. Austen's books to get the full impact, but I love her moments when you gasp from the very depths of your soul. I also liked picturing Elinor as a meme where she is just trying to astral project to somewhere else while everyone won't shut the heck up around her. A treat, as usual.

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thecriticalreader's review against another edition

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hopeful mysterious tense 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

3.5

Sense and Sensibility is the third Jane Austen novel I have read. I have previously enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Emma, so I was looking forward to reading Sense and Sensibility.

If you have read Jane Austen before, you will recognize the clever social satire, well-written characters, humor, emotion, and heart that characterize her works. I quickly became invested in the lives of the two main characters, sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, and thoroughly enjoyed reading about their family, friends, and acquaintances. One thing that I did not expect is the level of mystery that persists throughout the book. There is not any murder or crime, but characters tend to act in unexpected ways that kept me guessing. Some of the twists and turns left me genuinely shocked!

Although the book has plenty of positive elements, certain things detracted from my enjoyment. The plot became too convoluted at times, and the ending felt far too rushed and unearned. I also would have liked to see Elinor have more character development throughout the book.

I would recommend this book to people who have already read and enjoyed one or more of Jane Austen’s novels, but suggest that people new to her works start with Emma or Pride and Prejudice.

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