Review: Sense and Sensibility (novel)

An author's first novel is never as good as their later works. But it usually foreshadows what they'll be capable of writing later in their career, and in many cases a first novel is pretty good in its own right.

Sense and Sensibility is Jane Austen's first novel, published in 1811. It's about two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, and how they deal with trials and heartbreak in their very different ways.

Jane Austen had a wonderful sense of humour, and she uses it liberally through the book. Her sarcastic asides about the cottage, the Ferrars' behaviour, and Marianne's discovery that a sixteen-year-old's opinions are not fixed forever are highly amusing -- or perhaps I should say excessively diverting. Seems more Austen-ish 😊

It becomes clear very early in the book that Marianne is a childish, melodramatic idiot while Elinor is much more sensible. It's not surprising that each sister falls in love with a man whose personality suits hers. But things quickly go wrong when Willoughby, the man Marianne loves, mysteriously leaves without a word of explanation, and Elinor learns that Edward, the man she loves, is engaged to another woman. Added into this mess is the well-meaning but gossipy Mrs. Jennings, the arrogant and spiteful Lucy Steele, and Colonel Brandon, who's secretly in love with Marianne but who Mrs. Jennings thinks is in love with Elinor.

Marianne is one of those characters who makes a fool of herself with everything she does. I spent most of the book sympathising much more with Elinor. Even after Marianne grows up (slightly) and learns some more sense, I still don't like her as much as Elinor. Willoughby is an absolute scumbag, in spite of Austen's attempts to make him somewhat sympathetic, and Edward doesn't have much personality, so Colonel Brandon is my favourite of the sisters' suitors. But my favourite character in the whole book has to be Mrs. Jennings. She's such a comical gossip, and yet she has such a good heart, that it's impossible not to like her even while laughing at her. I love the scene where she thinks the colonel is proposing to Elinor, but he's actually offering Edward a place to live 😄

Sense and Sensibility isn't quite up to the level of Pride and Prejudice or Emma, but it's a good book with some sweet and amusing moments. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet!

Is it available online?: Yes, on Gutenberg.

Rating: 8/10.