Penguin Classics Sense And Sensiblity [Hardcover]

I've been considering getting one of Jane Austen book for a few years now but I never did so far. Yes I am honestly saying to you that I have never read one of her book before. When I had the opportunity of reviewing a new edition of Sense and Sensibility, I thought it was the perfect opportunity of revising this lack in my bookworm life.
So as many of you probably know, this is the story of two sisters and their love ones. So I won't expand on the story per say for this review since this is apparently a classic in English literature. Being French Canadian, I had not gotten to know Jane Austen in the past. But I am now and I am glad to have read one of her book. But I must be honest to say that at times, I was having trouble to understand the old English style of writing and reading. For example, when talking about the age of someone, they would say of me one and forty instead of forty-one. So I figure that part pretty easily. But other terminology and words were harder to understand.
Well the insight edition will bring various notes throughout the reading of the book to help clarify what the reader comes upon. There are historical and cultural details and definitions from England in the early 1800s. I really like these as it helped me to picture and situate the culture of that time. There are also facts and tidbits from Austen's life that parallel or illuminate the novel. This information was interesting but I suspect that die-hard fans of Austen would really enjoy them. The reader will also have access of references to Sense and Sensibility to today's culture, unscientific ranking of the novel's most frustrating characters, themes of faith drawn from the novel or Austen's life as well as comments and asides on the book's characters and plot.
As I said previously, I am having some issues with the way it is written - old English style- but I also believe that a person shall make the effort of reading something out of her comfort zone once in a while. And this novel is definitively out of my own comfort zone. The story is a classic brought many times on TV and movie. The author is well known around the world. It is my duty as a woman who loves to read to get exposed to this kind of writing to expand my knowledge and my taste. So I pursue the reading every night and I discover a little bit more about the Dashwood sisters and their life in the 1800s in England. I find it interesting.
Another thing that I particularly appreciate in this book is the fact that the reader will find a series of questions that are perfect of a book club.
This review was possible because I received a copy of Sense and Sensibility from Bethany House.

My love for anything and everything Victorian has helped me embrace this novel set in the Regency Period, and so, naturally I fell in love with this timeless piece. This story of the very different Dashwood sisters and their clashing tastes in their choices of men to love, was endearing as well as very frustrating at times. Just when I thought the obvious about Colonel Brandon, Edward or Willoughby- the story took a different turn just to add to the intrigue of it all; classic Austen at its best.

The story revolves around love-sickness, love-triangles, a marriage of convenience, age and love, differences of choices and opinions, wealth and social status, influence, family conflict, secret-filled pasts and ultimately'and appropriately so: sense and sensibility. I'm still not sure which of the sisters I concurred with the most; Elinor or Marianne... Austen brilliantly shifts us from one perception to the other while embracing both depending on the situation. Ultimately the girls' reconciliation and love for eachother blends the disparities of state helping them come to terms with their own serenity. Love can then be found and accepted under a new light.

Sense and Sensibility is a light read embedded with deeper meaning that brings comfort, peaks interest and offers a colourful variety of figures (the comical busy-body Miss Jennings is indeed very special!) On the whole, this read meshed excitement, passion, drama as well as 'sagesse' in the lives of two otherwise very ordinary ladies of the times. The book doesn't skip a beat with essential meanings and turn of events within every paragraph- With this one, you won't want to blink:)

One can never get enough of elegantly written suspense-filled love twists and pangs. At least I can't- Loved it!

[...].

I had to read this novel for an ENG university class and I was excited because despite so many years, I had yet to pick up a Jane Austen book. I found that I really enjoyed the way she wrote and didn't feel like I was forcing myself to read through it. Upon a discussion in class however, the men spoke up about how it was not something they would've read in their free time.

I guess Austen has a way of using de-script words and likes to set the scene while most men like it with more...action? My boyfriend didn't complain about it but I think it was just to make me feel better.

I'm going to explore her other works but I will warn you that it is a little frustrating sometimes when all men are antagonists at first and the time period they were in really limit women.