Sense & Sensibility

Before I can begin a review of Sense & Sensibility, I feel as though I must mention a few things:

-I AM one of those girls who likes Jane Austen. I’ve embraced it and at this point you’re going to be forced to embrace it as well.
- While a fan, I have only read (and re-read in both cases) two of her novels, Pride & Prejudice being my first in high school and then later Persuasion. And I really love both of these books.
- I really like Emma Thompson.

So as I set out to read S&S, there was a high set of expectations, albeit Austen was competing against her own work, but nonetheless the expectations were high. I also read it knowing at the end of it I could reward myself with a viewing of the 1995 film adaptation starring Emma Thompson, whose work I generally admire, as our main character Elinor Dashwood.

The two other Austen novels that I’ve read have started off slow, solid, but slow. It took me about 60 pages, give or take, before I was really interested or invested. S&S was different. Perhaps this comes with age or being more familiar with Austen’s format, but I genuinely felt the book was just slightly more engaging from the get go. My theory is that the conniving, manipulative Fanny Dashwood and her too-easily-influenced husband have a lot to do with why it’s more interesting, but I could be wrong.

It might also have something to do with the relatable main character, Elinor. While I’ve always longed to be as spirited as Elizabeth Bennet or self-preserved as Anne Elliot, I’ve never been as much like them as I wanted to be. Having said that I’m not Elinor either, but her practicality and awareness of the brazenness of her sister’s behavior have me doing a double take at times.

So this makes me a fan of Elinor from the start. I like Marianne, too, but she’s a bit too blinded by her passion and inconsiderate of other’s to really win me.

There are lots of other players in this, which is par for the course. There seem to be more peripheral characters than there are in the other two Austen novels I’ve read, but the suitors are the most important. Here’s a quick break down:

- Mr. Edward Ferrars – a quiet, shy, very reserved suitor for Elinor. He’s a little bit like Elinor in his reservation, but he’s not as sure or confident of himself as Elinor is. He relies on his family to decide what career he will take and this makes him less appealing for me. It makes him seem weak. Now, I have to step back here and remember that this is how rich British people used to do it (maybe this is still how it is…I wouldn’t know because I don’t know any rich and/or British people). I always want to find him stronger than he really is in each scene, but it doesn’t happen until the end of the novel. However, when he finally does make a stand it isn’t for Elinor…it’s to prove his love of another woman (who, by the way, he used to love, but doesn’t anymore). So at this point he just seems silly, fickle, and still a little weak because he can’t bear to say “no” to the woman he no longer loves.

- Colonel Brandon – older, endearing suitor of Marianne. He truly seems to adore her. In the process of the novel he becomes good friends with Elinor as well which endears him to the reader even more, I think. He has a curious past, but one that actually makes him more attractive to Marianne. This little bit I won’t give away, but it’s good.

- Mr. John Willoughby – young, careless suitor of Marianne, and yep if you haven’t guessed it he’s our slightly less evil Wickham of the story. He’s sweet, well-intentioned at the time he falls in love with Marianne, but he has a truly shady past with one giant bad decision that puts him at odds with Colonel Brandon. It also sets him up to decide whether he marries for money or for love…guess which he chooses?

All of the predictable elements of Austen’s novels are there, but they are elements that I appreciate. There is a trip to London and one of the sisters gets sick. The trip and the unexpected illness set our ladies up for heartbreak as well as admissions from all interested parties about their past, their love, and inevitably their future together.

What I didn’t expect was that Edward wouldn’t be a likeable love interest for Elinor (at least he fell short for me). I didn’t expect that his love would seem fleeting or fickle. Ultimately his indiscretion make his feelings towards Elinor seem less genuine and makes me feel as though his character is more akin to Lydia Bennet. This is a huge character flaw. Don’t worry, he really does love Elinor at the end of it, but it’s less believable than Elizabeth and Darcy or Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth.

This flaw led me to something more I hadn’t planned for. I began rooting for Colonel Brandon and Elinor to fall in love. Here me out. It’s not so far fetched, really. They become friends while Marianne is off being heartbroken. And yes, Brandon looks at Marianne dotingly, but I keep hoping that he only looks at her in such a way because he’s afraid of how her behavior affects Elinor. Besides, he’s older than Marianne and Elinor is the oldest. Also, he’s very sensible, much more like Elinor. But alas, this doesn’t pan out for me. Perhaps I’m the only one who wanted this, but in my head that’s how this book would end.

This leads me to my final conclusion: with a strong start Sense & Sensibility is a solid Austen novel, but overall not a favorite. The female characters, especially Elinor, were very relatable, but the male characters were not nearly as strong or likeable as the ones I’ve read before. Darcy and Wentworth have no fear of being replaced.

And as for the movie, it’s enjoyable. I like Emma Thompson, I really do, but the movie wasn’t what I would have visualized after reading the novel. Hugh Grant is more of a Willoughby than a Ferrars and Alan Rickman isn’t what I would have pictured the older Colonel Branden to be. Nevertheless, Sense & Sensibility is worth reading.