Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility is Jane Austen’s classic novel of reputation, romance, and family. It follows the lives of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, as they navigate their way through the complexities of English society in the early 19th century after they are cast out from the family home after the death of their father. The sensible and reserved eldest sister, Elinor, is the “sense” half of the novel’s title, while the younger and more emotionally expressive Marianne is the “sensibility” half. The tensions and contrasts between these characters form the dramatic arch and moral focus on the story. The novel celebrates the virtues of sense and sensibility, exploring themes of love, money, social status, and family responsibility. Elinor and Marianne must confront their own prejudices and come to terms with the realities of their society in order to find true happiness. With its sharp wit and insight, Sense and Sensibility is a timeless story of love, loss, and growth. Jane Austen (1775-1817) was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature. Her realism, biting irony and social commentary have gained her historical importance among scholars and critics. Austen lived her entire life as part of a close-knit family located on the lower fringes of the English landed gentry. She was educated primarily by her father and older brothers as well as through her own reading. The steadfast support of her family was critical to her development as a professional writer. Her artistic apprenticeship lasted from her teenage years until she was about thirty-five years old. During this period, she experimented with various literary forms, including the epistolary novel which she wrote at the age of eleven, and later wrote and extensively revised three major novels and began a fourth. From 1811 until 1816, with the release of Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1815), she achieved success as a published writer. She wrote two additional novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1818, and began a third, which was eventually titled Sanditon, but died before completing it. Austen's works critique the novels of sensibility of the second half of the 18th century and are part of the transition to 19th-century realism. Her plots, though fundamentally comic, highlight the dependence of women on marriage to secure social standing and economic security. Her work brought her little personal fame and only a few positive reviews during her lifetime, but the publication in 1869 of her nephew's A Memoir of Jane Austen introduced her to a wider public, and by the 1940s she had become widely accepted in academia as a great English writer. The second half of the 20th century saw a proliferation of Austen scholarship and the emergence of a Janeite fan culture. Austen has inspired a large number of critical essays and literary anthologies. Her novels have inspired many films, from 1940's Pride and Prejudice to more recent productions like Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Love & Friendship (2016). Today, Austen is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language.
ASIN: 1676583386
VSKU: DBV.1676583386.A
Condition: Acceptable
Author/Artist:Austen, Jane
Binding: Paperback
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: This copy has clearly been enjoyed—expect noticeable shelf wear and some minor creases to the cover. Binding is strong, and all pages are legible. May contain previous library markings or stamps.