Sense and Sensibility

Jane Austen

Aug 2014 · Ignatius Press

About this ebook

What are two sisters of uncertain fortunes to do when the death of their father exiles their family to live in the countryside of southwestern England? Why, fall in love, of course! Through her deft unraveling of the dramatically different romantic fates of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, Jane Austen displays her singular mastery of the English language and her equally masterful invention of colorful and realistic characters. The author s appreciation of what it is to be human, grounded in her deeply convicted Christianity, illuminates the tale with special wisdom. In this, her first published novel, we see the sense and sensibility of Miss Austen herself, which combine to form the brilliance that shines forth in all of her works a brilliance enlivened by her remarkable sense of humor and the affectionate kindness that could only be born of a gracious Christian spirit.

Ratings and reviews

I love the story (though not as much as I love Pride and Prejudice). My only complaint is how old Colonel Brandon is. Justify it all you want with "it was a different time;" he is more than twice Marianne's age at the beginning of the book (he's 35, she's 16). He could be her father. Yikes. Otherwise, I love the book and all its dramas and pettiness.

About the author

Eleanor Bourg Nicholson is assistant executive editor for Dappled Things and assistant editor for the St. Austin Review (StAR). She edited the Ignatius Critical Editions of Mansfield Park and Dracula and is the author of an epistolary novella, The Letters of Magdalen Montague. Her work has appeared in the National Catholic Register, Touchstone, First Things, and The Catholic Thing. She and her husband, Professor Sam Nicholson, live in Charlottesville, Virginia, with their daughters, Beatrice and Veronica.