Falling in Love with Sense and Sensibility

#janeaustenjuly
In which I talk about rereading and suddenly loving Sense and Sensibility . . .



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My debut novel, The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, is coming out in early 2023.

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[nksurf]

One of your best quotes: ‘Everyone should reread, rereading is the best!’ Such a true line. I often feel like others don’t get why rereading a good book is so satisfying.

[Rudhon]

I have the book, but only after watching the 2008 BBC TV series and then listening to the Rosamund Pike audio book on Audible as you mentioned. One thing connected to Willoughby and Edward, which I have read elsewhere in various articles is discussion of the theme of men in relationships. If we take the Sense/Passion dichotomy you used, we could almost see both Edward and Willoughby as so far pushed towards Sense, that they(sadly like many men today) are lacking self knowledge of their emotional state(i.e Passion). I feel this in my own life. What I feel this means, especially with Willoughby, is that a reason why the romances are unsatisfying, is that the men don't have emotional courage to pursue them and maybe that is Jane Austen's point. For Willoughby, there is a possible reading at end, where he realises that Marianne may have been his best chance at happiness but that being brought up as "Rake" made him push her away. For Edward, its the fact that its only Lucy Steele abandoning him, that frees him to go to Elinor, he never says to Lucy, " Sorry but I want to be with Elinor." I feel that therefore the romances are made deliberately unsatisfying by Jane Austen as a commentary on men and the issue of their emotional self knowledge within or going for relationships.

[agathayo]

This is one of my favorite videos you've done. Love the perspective on rereading and your enthusiasm for S&S.

[viviennehayes]

One of the many reasons that I love Jane Austen's books so much, is that there is so much more to them than romance. Of course, I never thought of what the author that you were quoting came up with! S & S is my third favourite JA novel, after P & P first and Emma second 😊. Thank you for everything you have shared - helping me to become more educated!

[sarahmwalsh]

This is great!! I had never thought before about those "sense and sensibility" pairings of other siblings - what might have happened if Sir John had married Charlotte, and Mr. Palmer had married Lady Middleton?? The couples as they are do certainly balance each other out, but it's interesting to think about!

[TooFondofBooksJH]

Great discussion! I love Sense and Sensibility and feel like it doesn't get enough attention for how fantastic it is!

[sarawilson]

Oh Katie. Now I have to reread Sense and Sensability to spot everything you pointed out. And that’s why I love your videos!

[jodihowe]

You have me intrigued! I just listened to you and Nick talk about Noerthanger Abbey which is third on my list….below that would be S&S tied with Persuasion. Mansfield Park coming in last. Looks like I have some re-reading to do. Great videos!!

[readingindefinitely]

I read Sense & Sensibility this month and really loved it!! I appreciated all the points you made in this video and highlighted some ideas I hadn’t thought about!

[pabloaguirre]

I’ve just finished reading it today. This was my last Jane Austen novel that i had left to read and I really loved it! For me I think I’ll rank it number 2 in between Emma, my favorite Austen novel, and Mansfield Park

[edsonemilio]

I’ve just finished S&S, this being my second Jane Austen. My first, just like yours, was P&P, and when I started reading S&S I felt like there was quite some similarities to P&P, and also how unsatisfying in comparison the love dynamics are, but I instantly caught that yes, definitely Jane Austen was doing something very different with this one. You managed to summarize my final thoughts of my first read of S&S hahaha, I loved the way this video seems like I’m chatting with a friend (since I have no one to talk about the books I read), really enjoyed the video! I agree with you that Willoughby is really such an interesting character. And overall I just loved the whole grief scenes of the book, so beautifully written, and Marianne’s character development is so good to see. I love Austen’s comments about marriage in this book too, so interesting, also the focus on money in this book and some characters’ dependence of others, it’s really nice to read about these topics. I’ve found only that the beginning dragged a bit for me, but after some chapters it took off, I guess it’s because I might have been comparing it to P&P haha.

Idk if you’ll read my comment, but if you do, which Jane Austen book would you recommend me as my next Austen? I guess you said in another video that is best to leave Mansfield Park to be the last, and that’s what I’m going to do (but definitely highly anticipating that one), but I’m still quite unsure of which Austen to tackle next: Northanger Abbey, Emma or Persuasion. Thanks in advance!

[christysmith]

Really perceptive analysis! S&S was the first Austen novel I ever read and it was the sisters' relationship that drew me in - I didn't find Edward or Col. Brandon romantic in the slightest - and I'll definitely be flashing back to your comments here the next time I reread this book.

[ElliesCozyChronicles]

I am re-reading S&S this week🤗 Thanks so much for this video! It has made me even more excited.

[beckybleaden]

It's been 2 years since my last reread, and your suggestion of looking at the (pseudo) sibling relationships really helped.
You've tempted me to reread it!

[ABearandaBeeBooks]

I’m so glad you enjoyed it this time! It is my favorite Austen, though to be fair I’ve never finished Mansfield Park. I did reread Persuasion this year and ended up loving it even more this time!

[lorriemerson]

This month, I reread SS for the third time. I also looked more closely at JA's commentary on sense and sensibility, the corresponding Enlightenment and Romantic philosophies, and satire of the Sentimental novel. I also noted her mixture of pain and pleasure. JA's observations are so sharp and timeless! Edward also teases Marianne with his realistic views of the countryside versus her Romantic and picturesque effusions. It amazes me that JA could see the folly of the Romantic Era even though it was only beginning. SS mirrors my teenage relationship with my, then, drama-queen sister. Currently, I place SS in a tie with Persuasion at third/fourth.

[FullyBookedMelissa]

This really makes me want to reread sense and sensibility. Will probably put it on my TBR for next July. I'm also excited to read the Paula Byrne book once I've finished all of Austen's novels (only Mansfield Park to go!). I find it really interesting how this was a bit satirical of sentimental novels of the time. I think this is the perfect example of how the context of when/where books were written matters so much and I fear it's something we often ignore!

[launchedathousand]

I read Sense and Sensibility when I was 16/17 for my English novel and didn't really like it. I finally reread it last year and found a whole new appreciation for it. It still ranks as my lowest Jane Austen novel, but I can now say that I like it and it's closer to Emma now in ranking.

[meghanthestorygirl]

I so agree about Willoughby being the most psychologically complex of all Jane Austen's rakes. Such a fascinating and despicable character!

[kathleencraine]

Brilliant thoughts, Katie--thanks for sharing. S&S has never been one of my favorites, but I understand how a re-read, especially with an outstanding audiobook narrator, can make all the difference.