Sense and Sensibility was the only one of Jane Austen’s major novels I hadn’t read and when I saw that Yvann of Reading Fuelled by Tea was hosting a readalong for Advent with Austen it seemed like a good opportunity to read it. Unfortunately I struggled to keep up with the weekly readalong schedule due to lack of time earlier in the month, but I managed to catch up this week and finish the book. Now that I’ve read it, Sense and Sensibility is not my favourite Austen novel (that would definitely be Persuasion) but not my least favourite either.
For those of you who haven’t read it yet, this is the story of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood (there is a third sister, Margaret, but she doesn’t have a significant part in the plot). Elinor and Marianne have entirely different personalities and temperaments, representing the ‘sense’ and ‘sensibility’ of the title. While Elinor is the more calm and practical of the two, Marianne is passionate and emotional. After their father’s death, their half-brother John inherits the family estate and the girls and their mother go to live in a small country cottage in Devonshire belonging to their relations, the Middletons.
Marianne soon falls in love with Mr Willoughby, a man she meets soon after moving to their new home. When Willoughby suddenly leaves for London, Marianne is left devastated. She’s certain that he still loves her, but does he? The man Elinor loves is Edward Ferrars, her sister-in-law’s brother, but there are several obstacles preventing them from marrying, including the disapproval of Edward’s mother and also a previous relationship of Edward’s. There’s also a third man, Colonel Brandon, who becomes a friend of the Dashwoods – but which sister is he interested in and will she ever be able to love him in return?
During the story both sisters experience disappointment and heartbreak, and it’s interesting to see how differently they cope with their feelings. Elinor is more reserved and tries to keep her emotions to herself, while Marianne makes no effort to hide how she is feeling. And that is really the major theme of the novel: a comparison between two extreme reactions to a similar situation. Is it better to wear your heart on your sleeve or to suffer in silence? Is one type of behaviour right and the other wrong? The answer, I think, is to find a balance between the two.
I liked both of the Dashwood sisters, though I found Elinor easier to identify with because I’m definitely more of an Elinor myself than a Marianne. Marianne annoyed me a lot during the first few chapters of the book, but my feelings about her changed as the book went on. I did like the fact that she had such strong opinions about things and that she was prepared to speak her mind when she believed it was necessary. I loved Elinor and admired her quiet self-control, though she did frustrate me at times too, because I don’t think it’s necessarily always a good thing to be so reserved that nobody can tell how you feel.
Other than the Dashwoods, there were a good variety of secondary characters. There were some that I liked (Mrs Jennings, who irritated me at first but I warmed to her later as she was one of the few women Marianne and Elinor met who seemed to genuinely like and care about them) and some that I disliked (I thought Lucy Steele and her sister were vile!) and some who gave Austen a chance to have some fun, e.g. Charlotte and Mr Palmer. The story also has lots of examples of Austen’s famous irony and satire. I’ll admit that when I read some of her other books in the past I didn’t always appreciate all the subtleties of her wit, but with this book I did and some of the dialogue and observations were very clever and amusing.
As this was the first time I’ve read Sense and Sensibility, I liked the way Austen kept me wondering what was going to happen. I suspected there would be a happy ending for Marianne and Elinor, but I couldn’t see exactly how things were going to work out for them or which men they would end up with. Austen does put a few twists into the last few chapters of the novel and I liked the way Elinor’s story was resolved, but I’m not sure I was very happy with how Marianne’s ended.
Now that I’ve read all six of her major novels I’m looking forward to exploring Austen’s other work and also reading the novels again so I can pick up on some of the details I probably missed the first time!
Have you read Sense and Sensibility? Are you a Marianne or an Elinor?
She Reads Novels 
Team Elinor all the way. Thinking of getting a T-shirt made.
I’m glad that you stuck with the book even if the read-along schedule was a bit demanding (I’ll admit I was undertaking a bit of lunchtime on-screen reading on the day that the blog post was due…)
I have really enjoyed reading around people’s posts and seeing strong support for Elinor or Marianne (I read a very impassioned Team Marianne post today), but you are right, the moral of the story is the middle way. Mrs Jennings is redeemed by her actions when Marianne gets sick, which I didn’t really expect.
Thanks for organising the readalong, Yvann. I wouldn’t normally have had a problem with the schedule but I’ve been so busy this month I’ve had less time than usual for reading in general.
Yep, Elinor here as well. I agree with Persuasion as the best Austen, followed closely (very closely) by Pride and Prejudice. I love Mr. Darcy!
Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice are my two favourites too. I need to re-read P&P soon as it’s been a very long time since I last read it!
Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion are my favourites by Austen. Sense and Sensibility and Emma not so much. Something about the characters puts me off.
Emma is probably the one I’ve enjoyed the least due to the fact that I just didn’t like the character of Emma herself. I do want to read it again one day to see if I feel any differently the second time.
Oh and according to a quiz I took I am Elinor Dashwood. Go figure!
I shamelessly have not read any Austen other than Persuasion which I read this year.
I must rectify that I know as I loved Persuasion. I am thinking next year though of Dickens books.
I’m planning to read some Dickens in 2012 too, probably beginning with Great Expectations. As I said, I do want to re-read Jane Austen’s novels but I think I’ll leave those until later in the year.
I’m reading Great Expectations in February 🙂
I’m a Marianne with a bit of Elinor.
As you know, I didn’t really like this novel but I liked Marianne a great deal and found the book extremely witty at times.
Still I’m surprsied I struggled so much while reading it. The three I have read before (Northanger Abbey, Emma and Pride and Prejudice) were such great reads. I’m looking forwad to read Persuasion.
I ended up liking Marianne a lot more than I thought I would at the beginning of the book, though Elinor was still my favourite sister. Sorry you didn’t like this book much, but hopefully you’ll have better luck with Persuasion.
I have to go with Elinor as well, though I do like Marianne (and their wifty mother, also exuding sensibility). I think Elinor and Col. Brandon could be very happy together, and that’s not just because I picture him as Alan Rickman (S&S is one of only three Austen films I’ve seen, I’ve avoided most of them). This is an interesting book to me because I think the tone is sharper than in her later books, more satirical.
Yes, I noticed the more satirical tone too. I found her writing very sharp and witty, more than in some of her other books.
I’m an Elinor, who displays a hint of Marianne now and again. I read this earlier in the year and enjoyed it but I haven’t yet read enough Austen to compare with her other novels. I own Persuasion but I’m saving it for just the right time as I’ve heard so many declare it as a favorite.
I hope you enjoy Persuasion. Now that I’ve read all of her novels, that one is definitely my favourite.
Team Marianne!!! JASNA VT had a great meeting three weeks ago about Marianne.
P&P and S&S are one and two, but very close. I think I’m up to 6 or 7 times for reading S&S(Happy 200th Bday!!). Lol, MP is 6th out of 6(but much better than anything from those twisted English sisters)!
I’ve read Sense & Sensibility and absolutely ADORE it. I’m a Marianne, but I’m pulled to and inspired by Elinor’s character. I love her quiet self-control and have tried to emulate it (tried!) since read S & S a couple months ago. This one is my favorite by Austen so far. 🙂