A Jane Austen Re-read: Sense and Sensibility

Well, since I last wrote, we have entered a very different world! And what better time to explore the classics? They are available free online, you don’t need to leave your house, and after you read the book you can watch hours of Regency movies in all your free time.

The next book in this series will be Mansfield Park, the story of poor relation Fanny Price who is taken in by her rich cousins.

There are spoilers below. If you haven’t already read this book or watched one of the movies, this post likely isn’t going to make much sense anyway.

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Rereading The Book

This installment, I read Sense and Sensibility, which was Jane Austen’s first published novel. It tells the story of calm, reserved, “sensible” Elinor and passionate, impulsive Marianne, as they and their family navigate a drastic loss in fortune after the loss of their father and, because it is an Austen novel, find love and fortune.

I will say that not enough attention is placed on their grief, but I get that that was not the focus of the book. What it does focus on is the social life of Elinor and Marianne, and it is an interesting look at how being poor yet from a good background can put people in positions where they are dependent on richer, less refined people for every social interaction.

The condescension of those around them, even the people who are supposed to be “good”, really struck a chord with me. This is where Austen’s social commentary is in high gear, and her point that having money means you get forgiven for many sins is very well illustrated.

As I read this book this time, I was struck by the incredible way that Austen writes Elinor, who might be one of my favorite heroines. Her interactions, especially with Lucy Steele, are written so that you see both her calm outward demeanor, and her often snarky and hilarious inward thoughts, and no adaptation below does this beautiful juxtaposition justice.

Written Adaptations

I don’t have enough time to actually review the written adaptations, but I did want to give you all a list, particularly because there are some really interesting diverse adaptations out there

• Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge – Modern day Austin, Texas and tea)
• Sense and Sensibility: An Amish Retelling by Sarah Price – Amish community
• Ordinary Girls by Blair Thornburgh – YA, contemporary
• Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters – Sense and Sensibility with sea monsters
• Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood by Abby McDonald – Contemporary LA
• Suit and Suitability by Kelsey Bryant – 1935 Ohio
• Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trollope – Contemporary part of the Austen Project
• The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman – Contemporary Silicon Valley
• Colonel Brandon’s Diaries by Amanda Grange – The story from Brandon’s point of view
• The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine – Beachfront Connecticut
• Little Miss Austen: Sense and Sensibility by Jennifer Adams (Author) and Alison Oliver (Illustrator) – Board book highlighting opposites
• Sense and Sensibility: Marvel Adaptation by Nancy Butler (Adapter) and Sonny Liew (Illustrator) – Comic book

Film Adaptations Worth Watching

In contrast to Pride and Prejudice, there are fewer Sense and Sensibility adaptations out there. However, some are crap, so this guide will help you figure out which one is right for you.

The one flaw with every modern adaptation below is the Edward-Elinor story line, which is almost impossible to update without making Edward into a jerk (secret engagements that it is honorable to go along with just don’t happen these days), so the heart of the main romance tends to veer into rom-com misunderstandings which are not as elegant or interesting.

1.) Sense and Sensibility 2008

This was exceptional, and took everything that was great about previous adaptations of Sense and Sensibility and made them even better. I love that they played on so many lovely moments from earlier versions (Margaret under the table!), and they augmented it with a tension and beauty that had me captivated. I really enjoyed the actresses who play the two main characters, and I will definitely be watching it again.

2.) Sense and Sensibility 1995

This is the classic movie that most people think of when they think of Sense and Sensibility, and the beginning of it is absolutely amazing. I liked the portrayals of Elinor and Marianne, especially Kate Winslet’s Marianne. The plot was pretty much faithful to the book, but struggled to convey the beauty of Austen’s internal dialogues, particularly where Elinor’s relationship with Lucy Steele was concerned. I did appreciate that they kept Margaret, who I love having in the story.

However, the whole movie felt a little too glossy, and I felt like it did a better job with the plot than with Austen’s social commentary.

3.) From Prada to Nada 2011

You can find this for free online, and while it isn’t great, it is a more interesting version than the ones below. Set in Los Angeles in a Mexican family, I liked that they kept a lot of the plot, and that there were fun social justice mentions as well as some cultural aspects.

The relationship between the sisters is fabulous, and they are fully realized, if a bit stereotypical. The Mexican aunties are the absolute best part of the film, and I really had a great time watching this and was invested in it ending the “right” way!

However, my biggest gripe was with the ending because while it was satisfying, without spoilers, I mean WHO DOES THAT (and WHO says YES?)?!?!

4.) Sense and Sensibility 1981

I found this pretty run of the mill, and they cut out Margaret, which is a huge issue! In general, similar to the 1980 version of Pride and Prejudice, on paper it was fine and very true to text, but there wasn’t a huge amount of chemistry between any of the characters.

One thing that was good was that I really liked Marianne, and she was actually young enough to be believable.

5.) Kandukondain Kandukondain (I Have Found It)

This is the Bollywood version, starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and while it wasn’t my favorite, and there are not great quality versions online, it was relatively entertaining, and the music was pretty fun.

6.) Scents and Sensibility 2011

Just don’t. This was pure crap, and not worth anyone’s time. With the exception of the names and some plot points, there was very little that even touched on the original book, and everything was underbaked, poorly acted and pretty terrible.

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The next book I will be reading is Mansfield Park, which is the story of Fanny Price, and arguably one of the most morally interesting books as it deals with adultery and other interesting topics.