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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.7
EAN num: 9780486290492
ISBN number: 0486290492
Label: Dover Publications
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 272
Printing Date: December 27, 1995
Publishing house: Dover Publications
Sale Popularity Level: 178047
Studio: Dover Publications
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
When two sisters appear to be deserted by the young men they had intended to marry, the stage is set for a delicious comedy of manners that not only showcases Austen's perception, humour and incomparable prose, but offers a splendid glimpse of upper and middle-class English society of the early 19th-century.
Amazon.com Review:
Though not the very first novel she wrote, Sense and Sensibility was the very first Jane Austen published. Though she initially called it Elinor and Marianne, Austen jettisoned both the title and the epistolary mode in which it was originally written, but kept the essential theme: the necessity of finding a workable middle ground between passion and reason. The story revolves around the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne. Whereas the former is a sensible, rational creature, her younger sister is wildly romantic--a characteristic that offers Austen plenty of scope for both satire and compassion. Commenting on Edward Ferrars, a potential suitor for Elinor's hand, Marianne admits that while she 'loves him tenderly,' she finds him disappointing as a possible lover for her sister: Oh! Mama, how spiritless, how tame was Edward's manner in reading to us last night! I felt for my sister most severely. Yet she bore it with so much composure, she seemed scarcely to notice it. I could hardly keep my seat. To hear those beautiful lines which have frequently almost driven me wild, pronounced with such impenetrable calmness, such dreadful indifference!
Soon however, Marianne meets a man who measures up to her ideal: Mr. Willoughby, a new neighbor. So swept away by passion is Marianne that her behavior begins to border on the scandalous. Then Willoughby abandons her; meanwhile, Elinor's growing affection for Edward suffers a check when he admits he is secretly engaged to a childhood sweetheart. How each of the sisters reacts to their romantic misfortunes, and the lessons they draw before coming finally to the requisite happy ending forms the heart of the novel. Though Marianne's disregard for social conventions and willingness to consider the world well-lost for love may appeal to modern readers, it is Elinor whom Austen herself most evidently admired; a truly happy marriage, she shows us, exists only where sense and sensibility meet and mix in proper measure. --Alix Wilber
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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Critical reviews of Austen's very first book don't rate Sense and Sensibility as her best work. In any event, I find her sense of humour and grasp of the English language makes this book a must in any collection of Austen's works. It is well worth purchasing. Too, the Everyman's Library cover is finely done. This book will last on your shelf for years.
Rated by buyers -
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY is an excellent book by one of the great authors of all time. However, the large-print volume (issued by Pavilion Press) that I purchased for my wife is one of the worst-bound books I have ever seen. The pages literally fell out as she was reading, no matter how careful she was. There are also numerous typographical errors throughout. This is a shame, because the format is quite attractive and the print size is very good. I wrote a letter of complaint to the publisher, but received no reply.
Rated by buyers -
I love the narrator, I love her accent. It took me a little longer to figure out the whole story since I didn't catch her for the most part. But I think it is not uncommon for a foreigner to find some difficulties in getting used to her accent.
I like British accent although sometimes I cannot understand them.
Rated by buyers -
Okay, I wrote a review on this novel about 4 days ago, and I don't think it's going to show up on here, so I'll give it another try.
I can't help but love Jane Austen. She is my guilty pleasure read, like a Jackie Collins of the early 19th century because her novels are just drenched in drama and scandal. They are not really a thinking man's novel, just fun stories to read. I also enjoy the romance aspects of her novels because they are classy, not like the trash smut you read in today's modern "romance" stories. I feel almost uncomfortable and embarrassed when I read a modern romance story. Well anyhow, when it comes to drama and scandal, Sense and Sensibility does not disappoint. When you commit to the story, it really takes you in. I really enjoyed the protagonist, Elinor, but I was unhappy with Austen's Marianne character. It seems as if Austen could truly identify with Elinor because she did a great job developing her character as level-headed, proud, and classy. Perhaps she took a little Elinor from herself? Now, in the beginning of the novel you get drawn in by Marianne. She commands a good third of the book with her story and her character starts off well developed. You get a true feeling for her impetuousness. She is emotional, passionate, wears her heart on her sleeve. The novel is so interesting until the end. The end completely disappoints. Now I don't know if Austen became uninspired at the end of the novel or just didn't know how to end it better, but it falls completely flat. Like I mentioned before, you get interested in this Marianne character and you know how she is, but then at the end she decides one day to become like Elinor?! Just like that?! An impetuous person like Marianne would not and could not do a 180 with their mannerisms. Then, Austen does no justice to Marianne by having her marry at the end of the novel. It is just so dubious it doesn't make sense. Austen also wraps up all the scandal and drama in almost 3 pages. How convenient! That was just bogus to me. But the rest of the story is so good I would still recommend this, especially to Austen fans. If I were to make a recommendation to a new Austen reader, I would recommend Pride and Prejudice over Sense and Sensibility. It is more concise and it is a shorter novel.
Rated by buyers 
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I used to wonder why so many people preferred Pride and Prejudice over Sense and Sensibility. What differences were dynamic enough to make so many people sway? I read the novel and was intrigued, yet not as much as I was when reading Pride and Prejudice.
Sense and Sensibility is a delightful story with characters easy to fall in love with. You automatically root for Elinor at the drop of a hat, and though we prefer to think of Marianne as someone completely different from ourselves, we resist reproaching her and root for her instead. Though I wouldn't call it Austen's best, this book is a great way to pass time, especially on a shaded porch swing in a drizzle.
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