Sense and Sensibility (Penguin Classics)

Edition Review:I have had my eye on the Chiltern Classics edition since a friend showed me her growing collection. My old copy is getting tattered so I decided this was the edition I wanted to replace it. Hardbound with gorgeous raised art print cover, gild-edged pages, ribbon marker, heavy paper stock and easy-read page font. In a word, exquisite! It is not much larger than a paperback and has a comfortable cushioning to the hardcover for reader comfort. Giftable and collectible!Book Thoughts:Sense & Sensibility is the story of the Dashwood sisters coming of age, losing their home and previous income/status, first throes of love and starting over, and making their way along a new path after their romantic adventures are settled. There are two sisters who are central, but it is the oldest whose perspective is most utilized.Many folks are drawn toward one or the other sister, but personally, I've always thought the point was not to go toward either extreme, but to find balance between all sense or all sensibility.I've also found the surrounding characters a split between comedic and dramatic. Some characters fall into both camps. I detest Fanny Dashwood, but I got a real kick out of that scene when she discovers the truth about the simpering, flatterer Lucy Steele. And, that moment when Edward shows up to visit with Elinor in London and comes on Lucy Steele cracks me up almost as much as Mrs. Jennings- my favoritest of S&S characters.I pick up something new each time I read this book and this time it was how Elinor was almost too perfect. She's nineteen and has the wisdom and grounding of a woman far beyond her years. I think back to myself at nineteen and I know for a fact that if I had a mother and sisters up in alt like that and a girl like Lucy Steele rubbing my face in it over her secret engagement to the guy I'm half in love with, trust me, I would have had a few moments of losing my cool and not just internally. I've always cut Marianne some slack because of her age, but never considered how improbable Elinor's behavior was for a woman of her age.And, speaking of Marianne, she wasn't the only one who fell for a less than pristine hero. Willoughby and Edward Ferrars both were not honorable toward these women for more than one reason. Just by conducting themselves so that impressionable and vulnerable ladies allowed themselves to become attached was doing them the injustice of sabotaging their chances of marriage- when they needed the stability of that- with other honorable gentlemen. These guys weren't just wounding the gals' hearts and lying to them, but they were making their chances of future comfort that marriage could give them harder than ever. Neither started out to hurt the women intentionally, but neither were free to court or even let a woman think them eligible for courtship at the time. But, only one of the men really crossed the line. Edward later showed he had honor though it was hard on Elinor's heart at the time.So, it was a wonderful perusal of a fabulous classic.

Jane Austen's writing is one that I had trouble with when I first started reading the classics and over the time I have come to really enjoy. She took the time period and the problems of women in that time to different levels and put it out there for others to read. I found this book filled with heartache to be a perfect example of it.The problems that women faced were numerous and the fact that they could only do two things in life, either marry or not was a given fact. Ms Austen brings to life the perils of the first and what can happen when a young woman fell in love and it was not returned. Driven to heartbreak she told how Marianne fell ill with the loss of her love and her sister, Elinor fell to hidden despair at the same time.We also were given an example of the honor of the men of that time. Both in Edward but also in Colonel Brandon. As I have found with all of her books though she leads us on a merry chase to only have the happy ever after endings. However in this book we do find that there were some really interesting twists and turns to get us there.What did I like about this book, well I think what I found is the honor of both men was the best. Edward and Colonel Brandon were both in a complicated love but in different ways. Edward due to folly and the Colonel due to a lost love. I was so proud of Edward when he stood by his commitment, even when his mother disowned him. Then the Colonel so giving even when he thought there was no chance for himself.What did I not like, well that has to be obvious, Lucy and Fanny. They both drove me mad with anger. Throw in the stupidity of Edwards mother and it was enough to really give way to a fit. I know that even today there are women like that but it just made my skin crawl.The best part of the whole book though was the ending. Edward to be released from the commitment and allowing him the chance for true love and for the Colonel to win the love of Marianne. Of course, even better than that was the love of family that surrounded all of them.Reading the classics is an honor that should be required of our younger generations so that they can see just how far we have come. They have a freedom that was unheard of and yet they don't seen to understand how much they have. Even I have learned to really appreciate what so many prior to me have gone through just so that I have the right to make a decision for myself. This was a really great read and I am looking forward to continuing my enjoyment of the classics.

Arrived in decent condition. Some dirt spots all over the cover and on the end of the pages. The color of the cover is not as intense as it is pictured to be by Amazon, this is a good thing for me, though, as I wasn't a huge fan of the super bright cover.

very good quality, beautiful item

I’m re-reading Jane Austen’s works to commemorate her 260th birthday year 2025.I’ve started with Sense and Sensibility as her first published work and going through in order of publishing.I love this book and her ability to tell a great story while making comments on disparities of her times. Just read, and enjoy!

Although I am an Austen fan, this is not my favorite. The characters are less compelling and charming than in some other works and the ending left me unsatisfied.