Very good! ( )

"Razão e Sensibilidade" é um livro em que as irmãs Elinor e Marianne representam uma dualidade, de maneira alternada, ao longo da narrativa. As expectativas vividas pelas duas com a perda, o amor e a esperança, nos aponta para um excelente panorama da vida das mulheres de sua época. As irmãs vivem em uma sociedade rígida, e ambas tentam sobreviver a esse mundo cheio de regras e injustiças. Tanto a sensível e sensata Elinor como a romântica e impetuosa Marianne se veem fadadas a aceitar um destino infeliz por não possuírem fortuna nem influências, obrigadas a viver em um mundo dominado por dinheiro e interesse. As duas personagens passam por um processo intenso de aprendizagem, mesclando a razão com os sentimentos em busca por um final feliz.

I forgot how funny this is! In a somewhat different way from P&P, because Elinor is so much more sedate than Lizzy. Plot-wise this one has quite a few problems. Brandon seems more suited to Elinor - even Austen seems to need some convincing that Marianne should marry him. And the whole Lucy switching to Robert is just way too convenient. Persuasion, in contrast, is much more solid. But Austen is always worth reading, and this one is special to me because it is above all a sister book ( )

I must admit that I didn't love this and I'm really bummed about it, because I've heard lots of good things. I just couldn't get into it and I kept zoning out and having to backtrack. I don't even know if I got enough out of it to write a review, but here we are... ( )

Marianne, rejected by John Willoughby, is impetuous and needs sense. Her sister, Elinor, is the sensible one who will not let on that she is crushed when Edward Ferras plans to marry another. Sense and Sensibility tells the story of two very different romances. Although both are rejected they deal with it in different ways. To utter the words extinction of the individuality is to imply that the price of marriage is a loss of one's sense of self. Threaded through the story of romance is another, more societal, theme of male dominated lineage. Austen was extremely observant about the world around her. She chose to write abut the country gentry because they stayed in her head, sometimes for years. Like other women authors of her time, Austen published Sense and Sensibility anonymously.
As an aside, I have read a lot of critical reviews of Sense and Sensibility and I have to wonder if Jane's ghost laughs at the critics who took their task too seriously. Is Jane a psychiatric radical? She is a philosophical conservative? How deep can one delve into the ideology of sense and sensibility? Did she fashion Fanny after the Shakespearean character of Iago? ( )

Read for Rolla library irl book club. I hope someone else did, too. It is a challenge to get through, and much is, honestly, rather dated and dull. But these young women are really an awful lot like modern teenagers. For example, when Marianne suffers from sad news, she 'feeds and encourages' her own 'violent sorrow.' Another example, of the wit and grace of the writing: a b* woman is described: 'a lucky contraction of the brow had rescued her countenance from insipidity, by giving it the strong characters of pride and ill-nature.' So I do agree with those who say the book still has value. Still, I don't find it to be much more than a YA (or maybe NA) romance. ( )

For a long time now, I've always thought of Austen as commenting on the precarious situation of women, and their utter dependence on men to build a life for themselves. And that's true, but reading this I realized she's almost as concerned about the situation of men. I get the sense that she saw the entire system as deeply fucked up, and that men were *almost* as badly abused by it as women were. Even for the men, their whole livelihood -- including their ability to marry and raise a family -- can be determined by the whim of some distant relative.

https://donut-donut.dreamwidth.org/886580.html ( )

Many years ago I watched the film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, but could not remember very much of the plot. So there was some suspense to the novel - I knew that Elinor and Marianne would each marry someone, but who? I enjoyed finally reading it, although I preferred both [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320399351s/1885.jpg|3060926] (funnier) and [b:Emma|6969|Emma|Jane Austen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1373627931s/6969.jpg|3360164] (more moving). The reader largely views events from the point of view of Elinor, who must deal with her extremely tiresome relatives while trying to protect her impetuous sister Marianne. I felt a great deal of sympathy with her at moments like this:

"I would not attempt to force the confidence of any one; of a child much less; because a sense of duty would prevent the denial which her wishes might direct.”
Elinor thought this generosity overstrained, considering her sister’s youth, and urged the matter farther, but in vain; common sense, common care, common prudence, were all sunk in Mrs. Dashwood’s romantic delicacy.

Amongst her struggles, however, she does get some astringent one-liners such as: ‘“It is not every one,” said Elinor, “who has your passion for dead leaves.”’ She is also an observant and incisive judge of character, with truly impressive self control under intense provocation.

Just about every comment I might have contemplated about the two sisters as allegories for social tension is covered well by the Tony Tanner introduction. (This is included as an appendix in the Penguin Classics edition I read.) He gets straight into Foucault’s [b:Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason|51933|Madness and Civilization A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason|Michel Foucault|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388554747s/51933.jpg|756961], discussing how Marianne’s emotional incongruity with her milieu seems to make her physically ill. This introduction also deals thoughtfully with secrecy as a running theme and takes the same ambivalent view of the ending that I did.

Marianne being married off to Colonel Brandon hardly seems happy for either of them. He compares her perpetually with his long-lost love; she finds him old and boring. At several points it seemed that he might propose to Elinor instead and, frankly, they seem better suited. Poor Marianne is apparently forced by peer pressure to marry at 18 while still recovering from heartbreak. While initially I found her less sympathetic than Elinor, in the final third of the book I really felt for her. Nonetheless, she gets perhaps the best ending that could be realistically expected in context. Colonel Brandon’s first love is a clear warning of what disasters passion can lead young women into. Although there are many funny moments, I found Sense and Sensibility sharper than the other Austen novels I’ve read. There is a tangible sense that both Elinor and Marianne are trapped by society, which is discomforting to the reader despite all the witticisms. ( )

i actually really enjoyed this book. the ridiculousness of the more minor characters made me laugh aloud more than a few times, and i found myself not expecting the twists. the only thing i can find a bit lacking is marianne and colonel brandon’s romance. i feel like the book majorly lead up to who marianne would marry. yet, when it came time to talk about it, there really wasn’t much said. just “they fell in love.” though, wasn’t all that surprised that it wasn’t talked about in depth. i felt it coming.

overall, i liked this book a lot more than i expected. i’m not sure if i’d read again, but it definitely wasn’t time badly spent. i’m glad i read it :) ( )

this may be austen's funniest book, and the middle volume is a mile-per-minute social drama of the highest calibre, just endlessly riveting. but my hot take is that elinor should've ended up with brandon and marianne with edward, since those were the more interesting conversations to read throughout the novel, and i felt a little meh about the ending because i knew what was coming, lol ( )

The novel centres on the Dashwood family particularly sisters Elinor (the rational one) and Marianne (the emotive one). The story starts when the Dashwood sisters' father dies and the estate goes to their half-brother John. Along with their mother and younger sister they are forced to move out and find a cottage in Devon. There they meet a varying cast of characters such as Sir John Middleton, an amiable landowner and his elegant wife Lady Middleton. His wife's mother, Mrs Jennings visits them and is great for Austen's satirical pen. Both Elinor and Marianne are looking for love but it doesn't always bring them the happiness they would hope for. For more: https://readableword.wordpress.com/2021/07/10/sense-and-sensibility-by-jane-aust... ( )

If this had been written by anyone else, it would be on my DNF list. ( )

Disclaimer: Very novice reviewer trying to get better at explaining my thoughts on books.

Overall

To me, the book feels like a cleaned up and classy version of a sordid romance. That sounds contradictory, it probably is, but that is my impression.

Writing was very dialogue heavy. Not necessarily a bad thing. I've enjoyed a number of novels that do the same, but it could have used a little bit of extra text on who was speaking to help keep things straight during some of the longer conversations. Typically, they would just be back and forth by paragraph in those situations, so it wasn't too bad.

There are 3 John characters: John Dashwood, John Middleton, and John Willoughby. They are usually called Mr. Dashwood, Sir John, and Mr. Willoughby. I still find it funny.

Recommendation

It's a book. It's fine. Elinor was quite enjoyable so that the book didn't feel like a slog, but ultimately I don't who I would recommend this to. Clearly I am missing something. Jane Austin is popular and does have a following, that means something in the book appeals to a lot of people.

This is a very good example, to me at least, of how much of what you get out of a story depends on what you bring to it.

Brief Summary

Elinor Dashwood falls in love with Edward Ferrars. Marianne Dashwood falls in love with John Willoughby.

The story just follows the twists and turns of those relationships and the heartbreak associated with disappointment.

It also contrasts Elinor's sense in falling for a good man against Marianne's "sensibility" getting duped by a scummy con man. Sensibility apparently meant something along the lines are following sensations back when Jane Austin was writing. It does not refer to being sensible or having sense.

Elinor falls for Edward when her family is staying with her brother's family at Norland. After moving to Barton she doesn't see him for a while. When he returns, his behavior is off and she later learns from a guest of her hosts that Edward is engaged to Lucy Steele and has been for 4 years. She carries on with great stoicism for the rest of the book until Lucy dumps Edward after he gets disowned by his family.

Marianne falls for the dashing and handsome Willoughby. They are both passionate about all the same things and he dotes on her greatly. One day he leaves abruptly and disappears. When encountered much later, he snubs her and reveals his engagement to some rich heiress. Marianne proceeds to fall apart. After falling greatly ill, Willoughby reveals his excuses to Elinor, but he does end up leaving forever. Marianne is later wooed by Colonel Brandon who is a friend of the family and the patron of Edward.

Thoughts

It's a romance with a clean narrative. A little bit of naughtiness obliquely referenced.

The men are very blind and dumb. At least about romance, not necessarily generally, but since the book is about romance that is all that we really see. I can see how men would appear so to a women. Men are very clueless when it comes to noticing women's interest. However, men do tend to be perceptive of other men's interest.

Characters

Elinor is great. Love her character. She absolutely carried this novel hard. Without her, I wouldn't be ambivalent to Sense and Sensibility, I would hate it. Though, given how much of the novel focuses on Elinor, she pretty much is the novel. This is exactly what I want in a woman. When her emotions finally break through on discovering the marriage of Mr. Ferrars and then later that it was Robert Ferrars not Edward was a very nice counter balance to her normal control, sense, and stoicism.

Marianne is awful. I don't know how to describe it, I just cannot stand her.

Willoughby is obviously no good. Almost right from the get-go, I could tell he was acting without honorable intentions. At the end, his excuse chapter does make me feel a little bad for him. His problems are still all of his own making, so I don't feel that bad. He has a complete lack of constancy. I agree with Elinor's assessment that would always pine over that which he didn't have.

Edward is just not in the book enough. He is very duty bound, which is nice. Ultimately, we just don't get him in the story much at all. He exists more as a motive for Lucy to be mean to Elinor. The fact that he just would not see Lucy's duplicitous side was a nice touch. very realistic.

Mrs. Jennings moves, at least in the character's opinions, from a busy-body early in the novel to a good friend as she tries her best to help Elinor and Marianne with their heartbreak.

This is the novel that allowed me to spread the wings of my feminine side and embrace a little chick-litting without having to feel any less of a man (not that this novel is chick-lit, or that I'm saying there's anything wrong with chick-lit...but I think you get the point). Before Jane Austen, I never would have thought it possible to craft a love story so exquisitely and nobly, avoiding all of the maudlin that is so often paired with romance books. But that isn't to say Jane Austen isn't sentimental (what would romance be without it?), but that she embraces her sentimentality with such a matronly deportment that it causes one to reassess all the negative connotations one may possess about women's literature, or at least it did for me. ( )

Not my favorite Austen, but enjoyable. The characters weren't as developed as her later books, such as "Emma" and "Pride and Prejudice". ( )

Much better than the movie. I did see the movie but wow this book blew me away. There is so much more detail in the book I would recommend to anyone. Especially young girls ( )

I'm won over a bit more towards Austenland after this one, following on from Pride and Prejudice. While naturally still entirely concerned with the lives of the idle, parasitic landed gentry class (though only fair to mention that a servant did get to speak a couple of lines here; one small step and all), there appeared a handful of Dickensian moments, which locate a similarity across the apparently vast gulf between the social conditions of the typical Dickens character and the typical Austen character, lying in a caustic description of human nature's faults in a passage taking the form of ironic approbation. For instance:

The whole of Lucy's behaviour in the affair, and the prosperity which crowned it, therefore, may be held forth as a most encouraging instance of what an earnest, an unceasing attention to self-interest, however its progress may be apparently obstructed, will do in securing every advantage of fortune, with no other sacrifice than that of time and conscience.

That's the sort of writing that amuses me most agreeably, and which Dickens absolutely excelled at. Most pleasing to find more of that in Sense and Sensibility, and hopefully more in her later novels?

The opening scene in which John Dashwood talks himself down in steps, with the invaluable assistance of his wife, in terms of what monetary gesture he should make to his half-sisters following the death of their father which left him most wealthy and them comparatively middle class (a reduction in status to the employ of only 4 servants, I believe), is pretty comic. The twist involving Lucy at back of the novel is quite good, I admit, I didn't see that coming, a nice change from the entirely predictable unfolding of Pride and Prejudice, although they end up in the same place: marriages and happily ever after. Ah well, this one only barely got over the line. The novel does drag somewhat in the middle for me, could have been a bit more swift in its arrival, but then anyone who enjoys Dickens has to grant the license in an otherwise highly creditable work. ( )

4.5/5 Two sisters who are complete opposites in character spend most of their time trying to understand one another as they struggle with their world and finding happiness and husbands. Both undergo changes and learn to meet each other halfway as they grow closer together. Austen's wit and savage commentary about the social norms of the day are evident here as in her other books. I adored Elinor and Marianne. Next, the movie! ( )

The Dashwood sisters are unlucky at love, thanks to men who were deceitful about their intentions. Meanwhile, their world is surrounded by nasty in-laws and busybodies and manipulators. Thankfully there are also a few kind souls who genuinely care about them and some luck and payback may help to put things to right. Rosamund Pike is an excellent narrator—taking the time to distinguish many characters and their emotions. ( )

I first read this in high school. In re-reading it now 20 years later, I realized the Emma Thompson movie version had become *the* version of the story for me. I'm glad I had nothing else on my Kindle but the complete works of Jane Austen and no way to connect my ancient device to the hotel wifi because I enjoyed re-reading this.

Now, it's also been a long time since I've seen the movie, but I think Lucy Steele and Elinor's friendship is portrayed differently in the movie than in the book. Is Lucy Steele kind of a bitch in the book or what? I feel like the movie treats her shacking up with Edward's brother like a big shock because she seemed so innocent and nice, but in the book, she's telegraphing her pettiness from the get-go. All of the conversations between Lucy and Elinor are really about the subtext that they are rivals and Lucy has the upper hand. She is almost worse than Fanny Dashwood.

Another thing I noticed was that Mr. and Mrs. Palmer seem similar to Mr. and Mrs. Bennet in P&P. He seems to have zero respect for her and she carries on like she hardly notices. Mrs. Palmer, though, is all laughter whereas Mrs. Bennet is all her poor nerves.

I think S&S has never been my favorite because I don't love Marianne or Elinor. Marianne is an immature drama queen, obvs. She does some growing up, but not until the end. Elinor is too close to being a prig for me to really like her (though I don't really blame her because she thinks she needs to compensate for her mother's occasional lack of good sense and propriety). They are not characters I want to be friends with, but I root for them because they are underdogs. They deserve better than how they're treated throughout most of the book.

It is intriguing to think about how they might evolve after having been married for a few years. Has Elinor relaxed? Has Marianne grown wise? After having their own children do they judge Lady Middleton a little less harshly for how much she dotes on her kids? Is there any weird tension between them with Marianne living in the mansion and Elinor in a nearby cottage on 10% of the income? ( )

There is a lot of joy in rereading Jane Austen - again, and again, and again. The language and the sharp wit are always there, and so is the comfort her books bring. There are also new discoveries every time. "Sense and Sensibility" has not been my favourite Austen, and I have not read it as many times as her other books. The narrative threads are not as finely put together here as in later novels, the ending is rushed. But I am still glad I decided to come back again.
So, discoveries:
- I remember liking Marianne so much... But she is really insufferable! (Yes, I know, it does get better.) Teenage angst galore, anyone? Yet, oh, how she burns... I suspect there are only ashes left. The narrator may insist on her happiness in the end, but I found the words "what could she do?" quite chilling.
- Elinor sometimes comes across as a rather superior know-it-all. It is easy enough to forgive her, though. When you seem to be the only reasonable person in your family, constantly surrounded by people whose goal in life is, as we would say today "TO GET IN TOUCH WITH MY EMOTIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGE MY FEEEEELINGS (OR ELSE)". Elinor, you have my sympathies and deserve every happiness.
- My goodness, Edward is a geek. Lovely.
- I read between the lines as Colonel Brandon told Eliza's story. There are hints buried there that I failed to notice before.
- I noticed and enjoyed the secondary characters a lot more this time, Mrs Jennings and the Palmers in particular. ( )

I love Jane Austin, I was more interested in this story than any of the others I have read so far. It was refreshing to know that Marianne could have a happy ending without Mr. Willoughby, and that Elinor got hers with Edward. ( )

Up to volume 1 chapter 16 and it just struck me how we're told over and over through Elinor that Marianne's courtship with Willoughby is indecorous yet she's the only person who says so - her mother doesn't care and the only person who's commented on it so far is the social circle's gossip, who didn't seem to be condemning it either. I imagine part of this is my distance from the social standards of the day so I can't tell what's super bad or whatever although it seems to me pretty obvious why an unmarried man and woman going to the man's house for a day can be seen as improper and it's weird to me that not much is made of it, unless that's coming up. I dunno, so far it's just been kind of strange to me.

that ending is absolutely off the wall, all the difficulties of the past 150 pages get solved in 10. and Edward's behaviour makes absolutely 0 sense. i feel like I'm just not able to comprehend 19th century ideas of romance, propriety and relationships. which i guess is a pretty big flaw on my part. also Jesus Christ the age gap!!! 36 and 17!!!!! what the fuck!!!!! that's sick

like I'm glad Willoughby didn't end up with Marianne, his eleventh hour confession and justification was some real self serving crap. but to instead just be like "oh yeah the character who's been mooning over her in a creepy way for the whole book with no response suddenly makes her fall in love" is just silly and kind of cheapens the plot because there's been 0build up or anything. honestly the whole plot is weird b.c there so little contrast between the two romances. Edward gets written about descriptively early on, then disappears for most of the book because he had 2 girlfriends. Willoughby is talked about much more, but is in the exact same situation. both Elinor and Marianne experience people believing there's an engagement and being embarrassed, for Marianne it's more public but only by a bit. although Marianne is presented as impulsive etc, at least her feelings seem to have some basis, unlike Elinor who moons over a guy she's been around for a month total maybe with 0 romantic overtures involved. and then is immediately willing to marry him at the end. it doesn't feel like a conflict between "sense and sensibility" more 2romances that end differently because the author was willing to give 1of them an utterly implausible escape route from a bad situation.

maybe I'm a dumbass for not properly appreciating classic literature and for not understanding the romantic angle fully. idk at this point

I will say I thought volume 2 was overall pretty great, volume 1 is kind of uneven and volume 3 starts great and has a kind of naff ending. I liked Austen's commentary on human relationships and stuff quite a lot. I just wasn't a huge fan of the plot. I think part of it was reading it in a bad mood so I didn't really fully appreciate it. It's absolutely not a bad book and in other circumstances I might like it a lot more

Also for whatever reason the penguin classics version has a footnote which spoils something later, it's the one for Hamlet. I have no idea why they do this, it's annoying enough having to learn to skip the introduction to avoid having the ending spoiled but it's super frustrating for explanatory notes to do so too. I don't care a ton about spoilers it just seems silly. ( )

This book is on the list of books to read that my grandfather was keeping. I found the list and decided to finish it for him.
This book was very hard to get into, but once I got past the first 30 pages or so, it was enthralling. I already know the end having seen the movie, but the book is so much better. ( )

Turns out I like my biting Victorian commentary with a little less superiority and snark. Elinor and Marianne are not so sympathetic as Jane and Lizzy. ( )