Sense and Sensibility

2007454 pages

You

Read it? Rate it

Summary

Jane Austen's first published work, meticulously constructed and sparkling with her unique wit Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby she ignores her sister Elinor's warning that her impulsive behaviour leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Meanwhile Elinor, always sensitive to social convention, is struggling to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. Through their parallel experience of love - and its threatened loss - the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love. This edition also includes explanatory notes and textual variants between first and second edition. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Themes and moodShow

This book explores the lives of the Dashwood sisters as they navigate the challenges of love, social expectations, and economic hardship in early 19th century England. It adeptly balances themes of reason versus emotion, making it a timeless exploration of human relationships that will resonate with readers who appreciate nuanced character development and social commentary.

Themes

  • •the role of gender in marriage
  • •class and social mobility
  • •the contrast between reason and emotion
  • •the complications of love and friendship
  • •sacrifice and personal growth

Era

classic

Reading Level

popular