Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility (1811)
Author: Jane Austen
Genre: Romance (Regency)
Plot Summary:
Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are two young women of marrying age who live in England along with their mother and younger sister. They left their family home when their half-brother and his wife inherited it. They settled in a cottage in another area of England. Elinor had left a man behind who she was interested in. Marianne finds a man in her new neighborhood. She is head over heels in love with him. Then he has to leave. Meanwhile, Elinor finds out that the man she had hoped to marry is engaged to another woman and has been since before Elinor met him. Elinor is sad. Marianne is upset when her beau does not visit or write to her. The two sisters travel to London to stay with a family friend. While in London, Marianne finds out that the man she loves is engaged to be married to another woman as well. She is heartbroken. The two sisters eventually travel to another town. While they are there, Marianne becomes dangerously ill. She recovers and finds herself in love with a man
who has loved her for a long time and has remained loyal throughout the visits from her other suitors. Elinor and Marianne return home. SPOILER: Elinor is visted by her old love who tells her that his fiance has married his brother and that he is now free to marry her. Just as he had always hoped for.
Geographical Setting: England (various places including London)
Time Period:Contemporary (1811)
Appeal Characteristics:
This classic romance novel is set in England. Part of the time the characters are in the countryside and part of the time in London. The setting is a very important part of the novel. Jane Austen spends alot of time setting the scene. This makes for a more leisurely pace. In fact, the romantic climax for one of the characters doesn't occur until the last thirty pages. This novel would appeal to a reader who wants a romance from a young woman's perspective or a book about sisters. Sense and Sensibilty might also interest readers who are looking for a book that focuses on the middle and upper classes as opposed to a book that is about a poor protagonist. This book contains no discussion or descriptions of sex, so it shouldn't scare away readers who might be bothered by that topic.
Read-alikes: Readers who enjoyed this book should read Austen's Pride and Prejudice (1813). It has a similar writing style, but the pace is slightly faster and the romantic suspense comes much sooner in the book. If your reader is looking to read something with the same characters, but not necessarily the continuation of Elinor and Marianne's lives, they might try The Third Sister (1998) by Julia Barrett. In this book, Barrett tells the story of Elinor and Marianne's younger sister Margaret. Margaret finds herself having to choose between the love of two men. It is set in nearly the same time period and geographical setting. Some reviews say that Barrett's writing style is very similar to Austens. If the reader enjoyed the time period of the book, but was looking for more description of the secondary characters, they might enjoy Gail Eastwood's novel The Persistent Earl (1995). This romance is about a beautiful, young widow who winds up taking care of a wounded, handsome young man. If your reader is looking for another classic romance, they may read charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre (1847). It has a leisurely starting pace, but it does gets faster. This novel is very descriptive, and it features a strong, female protagonist. The story revolves around a poor orphan who grows up and takes a job as a governess for a wealthy man who she falls in love with. The road to happyiness is not an easy one in this story. Carla Kelly's novel The Wedding Journey (2002) could be another successful match for a Jane Austen reader. This story is about a young woman who has chosen to marry a man to save her from a horrid marriage. Then she starts to fall in love with her husband. This book would appeal to the reader who enjoys a romance that involves a man and woman relationship set in the regency period.
Red Flags: none
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