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When Mr. Dashwood dies, he leaves his second wife and her three daughters at the mercy of his son and heir, John. John's wife convinces him to turn his step-mother and half-sisters out, and they move to a country cottage, rented to them by a distant relative. In their newly reduced circumstances Elinor and Marianne, the two eldest daughters, wrestle with ideas of romance and reality and their apparent opposition to each other. Elinor struggles in silent propriety, while Marianne is as violently romantic as her ideals. Life, however, teaches the girls to balance sense and sensibility in their approach to love and marriage.
Sense and Sensibility was Jane Austen's first novel to be published, in 1811. It has been adapted for film and television many times, most notably in Ang Lee's 1995 film adaptation.
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. ( )
The family of Dashwood had been long settled in Sussex.
Quotations
Well, I am convinced that there is a vast deal of inconsistency in almost every human character.
... Marianne, who had the knack of finding her way in every house to the library, however it might be avoided by the family in general, soon procured herself a book.
People always live for ever when there is any annuity to be paid to them.
She had an excellent heart; -- her disposition was affectionate, and her feelings were strong; but she knew how to govern them: it was a knowledge which her mother had yet to learn, and which one of her sisters had resolved never to be taught.
His temper might perhaps be a little soured by finding, like many others of his sex, that through some unaccountable bias in favour of beauty, he was the husband of a very silly woman, - but she knew that this kind of blunder was too common for any sensible man to be lastingly hurt by it.
"Well, it is the oddest thing to me, that a man should use such a pretty girl so ill! But when there is plenty of money on one side, and next to none on the other, Lord bless you! they care no more about such things! - "
[...] after experiencing the blessings of *one* imprudent engagement, contracted without his mother's consent, as he had already done for more than four years, nothing less could be expected of him in the failure of *that*, than the immediate contraction of another.
Last words
Between Barton and Delaford, there was that constant communication which strong family affection would naturally dictate;—and among the merits and the happiness of Elinor and Marianne, let it not be ranked as the least considerable, that though sisters, and living almost within sight of each other, they could live without disagreement between themselves, or producing coolness between their husbands.
When Mr. Dashwood dies, he leaves his second wife and her three daughters at the mercy of his son and heir, John. John's wife convinces him to turn his step-mother and half-sisters out, and they move to a country cottage, rented to them by a distant relative. In their newly reduced circumstances Elinor and Marianne, the two eldest daughters, wrestle with ideas of romance and reality and their apparent opposition to each other. Elinor struggles in silent propriety, while Marianne is as violently romantic as her ideals. Life, however, teaches the girls to balance sense and sensibility in their approach to love and marriage.
Sense and Sensibility was Jane Austen's first novel to be published, in 1811. It has been adapted for film and television many times, most notably in Ang Lee's 1995 film adaptation.
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Jane Austen (I 775— I 8 I 7) imajo za eno največjih angleških pisateljic. Odlikuje Jo iskriv čut za družabno komedijo in bistro 01(0 za medsebojne človeške odnose, pri tem pa Je izvrstna slikarka družinskih ritualov in družabnih šeg svojega časa. V svojih romanih spretno prepleta Ijubezenska razmerja z dramo in družbeno satiro, njeni orisi pa presegajo vsakršen časovni okvir Zato ji še danes ne manjka bralcev, saj yse njene romane vVeliki Britaniji ponatiskujejo že ves as od njihovega prvega izida, niti gledalcev, saj so vsa njena literarna dela ekranizirali, nekatera celo večkrat. Umirajoči Henry Dashwood mora po zakonu posest izročiti sinu iz prvega zakona Johnu in njegovi soprogi Fanny. Dashwoodova druga žena in njune tri hčere, EIinor Marianne in Margaret se tako znajdejo brez strehe nad glavo in s komaj dovolj denarja za preživetje. Rozsodnost In rahločutnost je predvsem pripoved o dveh sestrah: stvarni, a ironični Elinor in strastní ter samosvoji Marianne, o zapletenih zadevah njunega ljubezenskega življenja ter boju s siromaštvom. V angleški družbi s konca osemnajstega stoletja, kjer najbolj cenijo bogastvo in družbeni prestiž, so ženskam zaprte yse poti do intelekĹualne in materialne samostojnosti, zato je poroka edino jamstvo, da na stara eta ne bosta v breme sorodnikom, To je prví objavljeni (čeprav ne tudi najprej napisani) roman Jane Austen, tudi tu pa se v vsej moči kaže pisateljičin dar, da s svojim pisanjem bralca ne spustí iz klešč radovednosti. Besedo na ovitku: Max Modic
VIRAGO EDITION: Marianne Dashwood subscribes to the fashionable cult of sensibility. Ardently avowing every fluctuation of emotion, she despises discretion and reticence. Her elder sister Elinor, whose feelings are no less sincere, is far more prudent and considerate and when her love for the shy, quiet Edward Ferrars is betrayed, she is sustained by her own calm dignity. The impetuous Marianne, however, scorns any concealment of her adoration for the dashing Willoughby... While giving a vivid portrayal of the society and manners of her time, both in the country and in London, Jane Austen's chief preoccupation, handled with sympathy as well as astringency, is the effect of differing ideals and expectatioins. Though she satirises Marianne's emotional excesses, she is even harder on hyprocisy, selfishness and mercenary snobbery, giving us merciless wit and a wonderful story.
Haiku summary
Elinor reasons, Marianne catches a cold And Lucy gets Bob. (thorold)
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. ( )