The Classics Adventure: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

As you’ve noticed, its taken me a while to get The Classics Adventure started.  For one, I need to acquire the books and for me, I’ve realized that especially when it comes to reading classics, I need to hold a physical book in my hand.  Plus, I’m a little picky on which version I choose to regardless, long story short, I managed to get a copy of it while taking some time off of the indie novels to start this project.  I’m attempting to read Jane Austen novels as my first feature classics novel this year.  I’m hoping it won’t take an entire year to get 6 novels done but we never know.  In general, it takes me double the time to get through classics.

Lets stop this ramble and take a look at Sense and Sensibility!

If there are any other authors, you’d like me to check out, please feel free to suggest here or on the The Classics Adventure page up in the menu 🙂

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

By Jane Austen

After the death of their father, his estate was left to his nephew, John because he only had daughters and his wife left and they were unsuitable to take control of the estate.  However, he did ask John to make sure that his daughters would be cared for suitably.  Taking these terms loosely and influenced by his wife, the ladies leave for Barton Park where Marianne and Elinor, both of age of marriage but different in personality both find their romances.  Marianne meets Willoughby, a man that charms her with his handsomeness and she demonstrates her romantic/emotional sensibility where Elinor finds her interest in Edward Ferrars, and regards those feelings in a more emotionally reserved way.  However, they both end up succumbing to similar situations when they realize that both Willoughby and Ferrars are engaged to marry another girl.

I’ll just leave the synopsis there.  Writing synopsis for any book is hard but writing one for Classics and reviewing them for that matter is even harder.  I’ll try my best to do a good job of this though.  Just like reading Classics before of a different and more elegant writing style, writing a review is like picking apart a book with more meaning. The writing style itself makes it such a beautiful piece of work. The sophisticated words and the way she weaves her strong-willed ladies such a joy to read.

Right away, the book itself brings in a lot of sense and sensibility talk, however, the focus is ultimately and successfully portrayed in the two Dashwood sisters.  Elinor definitely is the strong-willed girl who holds her mind very still regardless of what happens.  She stays strong for her sister and holds true commitment to making sure her promises are held even if it means her own suffering.  For example, when the girl thats engaged to Edward, the man she loves, talks to her in secret about the secret engagement and asks her to not tell anyone until its made public.  That commitment makes Elinor so great to read because she is so honorable.

On the other hand, Elinor’s strength reflects and emphasizes on Marianne’s sensibility because she is emotionally volatile.  Knowing that Willoughby has turned her down to her face at a party, she falls ill and closes herself off.  She kind of a drama queen in a more direct way of saying things.  However, she also expresses a lot more of how being madly in love with.  She forgives and hopes easily.  Even though Willoughby has wronged her, she forgives him even without knowing the reason and expecting that he definitely has some reason for doing it.

While sculpting this relationship and drama being somewhat of a mirror in the sense of Marianne and Elinor, the other characters are written very well.  Willoughby offers some surprises for one while Edward Ferrars, a much different man also does that.   At the same time, they reflect different sorts of desire and influences they have to go through during that period.  At the same time, the first character to drive me crazy was when John Dashwood was so ridiculous as his bitchy and extremely selfish wife keeps making him reduce how much he was going to give the girls.  As the book went along, his reappearance made me a little angry because he is such a wishy-washy person that has such shallow thoughts.

Sense and Sensibility is paced a little slow for me.  There was a few parts that I felt myself drifting away in my concentration.  However, it does pick up and I ended up enjoying it around the middle straight to the end.  Its definitely a good read.  From my memory, I still remember Pride and Prejudice being just a tad better.

Also, expect the movie review soon 🙂

Thoughts on Sense and Sensibility? What did you like about it? If you didn’t like it, why didn’t you?