ISBN: 0486290492
Another of Jane Austen’s more popular books, Sense and Sensibility is all about the love and devotion of a family to each other and how it can lead to so much more.
Rich Man, Poor Man
The Dashwoods have never needed to worry about money because their father has always had everything they need. When they lose him however the family is devastated. The money isn’t as important as the fact that a beloved father has died and then, that the house they have always lived in belongs to their half-brother and his imposing and terrible wife. They are invited to stay but unfortunately the behavior of the wife is simply impossible to work with and they determine to set out on their own making their way as best they can.
Elinor Dashwood is the most practical of the Dashwood family with a rather loopy sister and mother who believe only the best of everyone, even when those others simply aren’t worth those emotions. This is how her middle sister Marianne gets caught up in a flurry of emotion and adoration with a man who is simply not worthy of her but the romance of it all absorbs her. Elinor on the other hand finds herself in love with the brother of her own sister-in-law but without any thought of whether he feels the same about her.
It’s going to be a long and crazy season while the elder Dashwood sisters court their beloved. But only one of the sisters will end up happy in love and it won’t be the one that you may think from the start. This story is written with an excellent style that puts you right in the midst of England. Elinor may not be as flighty as her younger sister but that doesn’t mean that she’s not any less in love and Marianne may be more flamboyant about her love and affection for the man in her life. Her mother will simply be pleased as long as her daughters are happy.
There’s more to this family than meets the eye and there’s definitely plenty that’s going to happen to them over the course of just one short year from the time that they lose the most important man in their life. There’s plenty also that occurs with the men they choose to love and the men who choose to love them. Jane Austen has created a story of love and romance that is completely clean and yet no less passionate than any other romance you may find in modern times. Elinor and Marianne will have their work cut out for them to succeed at what they want in life. Sense and Sensibility are two of the traits they will both need to understand to succeed.
