Sense & Sensibility

The story was really marvellous. Jane Austen never fails to disappoint. The story follows 2 sisters who represent the "sense " and "sensibility" of the novel and the authors tries to tell the reader that both these traits are essential in moderation and in harmony. It was nice to read through the perspective of Elinor who is a very rational person, and about the trials and troubles of the 2 sisters. Jane Austen writes beautifully. Her sentences are well crafted and exquisite and her plots are detailed and intricate. The only problem I had was with the romance in the novel which was underdeveloped . It is definitely worth reading.

All experience is good

Excellent classic. The best.

Cover could be better if they used bubble wrap maybe but yeah still inside is spotless so okay

One of the Dashwood daughters is smart, down-to-earth and sensible. The other is wildly romantic and sensitive. And in a Jane Austen novel, you can guess that there are going to be romantic problems aplenty for both of them -- along with the usual entailment issues, love triangles, sexy bad boys and societal scandals. "Sense and Sensibility" is a quietly clever, romantic little novel that builds up to a dramatic peak on Marianne's romantic troubles, while also quietly exploring Elinor's struggles. When Mr. Dashwood dies, his entire estate is entailed to his weak son John and snotty daughter-in-law Fanny. His widow and her three daughters are left with little money and no home. Over the next few weeks, the eldest daughter Elinor begins to fall for Fanny's studious, quiet brother Edward... but being the down-to-earth one, she knows she hasn't got a chance. Her impoverished family soon relocates to Devonshire, where a tiny cottage is being rented to them by one of Mrs. Dashwood's relatives -- and Marianne soon attracts the attention of two men. One is the quiet, much older Colonel Brandon, and the other is the dashing and romantic Willoughby. But things begin to spiral out of control when Willoughby seems about to propose to Marianne... only to abruptly break off his relationship with her. And during a trip to London, both Elinor and Marianne discover devastating facts about the men they are in love with -- both of them are engaged to other women. And after disaster strikes the Dashwood family, both the sisters will discover what real love is about... At its heart, "Sense and Sensibility" is about two girls with completely opposite personalities, and the struggle to find love when you're either too romantic or too reserved for your own good. As well as, you know, the often-explored themes in Austen's novels -- impoverished women's search for love and marriage, entailment, mild scandal, and the perils of falling for a sexy bad boy who cares more for money than for true love... assuming he even knows what true love is. Austen's formal style takes on a somewhat more melancholy flavor in this book, with lots of powerful emotions and vivid splashes of prose ("The wind roared round the house, and the rain beat against the windows"); and she introduces a darker tone near the end. Still, there's a slight humorous tinge to her writing, especially when she's gently mocking Marianne and Mrs. Dashwood's melodrama ("They gave themselves up wholly to their sorrow, seeking increase of wretchedness in every reflection that could afford it"). And Marianne and Elinor make excellent dual heroines for this book -- that still love and cherish each other, even though their polar opposite personalities frequently clash. What's more, they each have to become more like the other before they can find happiness. There's also a small but solid supporting cast -- the hunting-obsessed Sir John, the charming Willoughby (who has some nasty stuff in his past), the emotional Mrs. Dashwood, and the gentle, quiet Colonel Brandon, who shows his love for Marianne in a thousand small ways. "Sense and Sensibility" is an emotionally powerful, beautifully written tale about two very different sisters, and the rocky road to finding a lasting love. Not as striking as "Pride and Prejudice," but still a deserving classic.

i prefer penguin prints over any other but i hate how the books are delivered, the cover always look worn out.

Today I received the novel and I compared to my previous purchase of penguin classics there is no similarity in term of overall quality of the novel(paper, cover etc)

Peu de choses à ajouter. Le propos peut être critiqué dans un contexte plus moderne, mais la qualité d'écriture est indéniablement présente.

Dieses literarische Werk ist ein Klassiker. Das Buch ist sehr gut verarbeitet.

Loved it.

Book has damaged cover, it’s readable nonetheless

At the ripe age of 212 years, this is a novel that has survived, prospered, and is assuredly ranked among the great tomes of literature. Sense and Sensibility set the benchmark for the Jane Austen novels that followed: Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma. Her other works; Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published following her death in in 1817. While certain aspects of this book are highly reflective of the time of its writing – life expectancy being just one, it is overall quite timeless, and it takes little to assign the traits of characters you know or have encountered personally to those who populate this story. And there is the ongoing debate – at least among some – as to whether it is better to marry for love or for money; a choice that features prominently in decisions faced by the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne. It is in total a tremendously well written novel with a story line that is creatively structured and a joy to read. You may well find yourself at times quite indecisive as to whether the male characters are more deserving of love or loathing; a decision not always easily arrived at. It is certainly historical in context, but its soul is the soul of love, and what can be considered more timeless than that.