A review by bookiecharm
The Sense and Sensibility Screenplay and Diaries: Bringing Jane Austen's Novel to Film by Lindsay Doran, Clive Coote, Jane Austen, Emma Thompson

3.0

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

This is the second Jane Austen book that I've read. Firstly, I learned that Sensibility actually means something different today then it did when Austen used it to describe Marianne as romantically inclined and expressive. So there's that.

This book follows the Dashwood sisters as they come of age and learn from one another under some unfortunate circumstances. Elinor who is more reserved and the eldest, represents the sense and Marianne represents the sensibility. This is a story about a relationship between sisters, horrible men, and how these sisters have to enter society after their father's death.

As I read more of Austen's novels, I realize she sets the scene by discussing the property, reputation, and obligations that English people have to assimilate to in order to ensure a stable income. I get bored pretty quickly with these discussions but the real focus on the Dashwood sisters allowed me to enjoy this book more than Northanger Abbey. Elinor and Marianne are, arguably, the only people in this book capable of deeper thought and their interactions were the best parts for me. Outside of the sisters, it was hard to get me to care about any other characters.

If the commonality with Northanger Abbey is any indication, it seems that the major themes and plot points in Austen's novels are all very similar. A family is under some financial constraint and women are limited in terms of resources so they often have to marry to survive. Yet, Austen's protagonists also seek happiness.

Hoewever, I'm starting to think Austen's books may just not be my thing. Of the books I've read so far, they feel like reiterations of the same issues with the same long winded monologues and discussions of the same conflicts. Do I really need to read hundreds upon hundreds of pages to get to the same points? Much to think about.