I adore Jane Austen: one of my favorite books (of all-time!) is Pride and Prejudice. I read her first in Women's Literature my junior year of high school, and have admired her writing ever since, but I've loved Austen as a historical figure and inspiration for a much longer time.
So, it's embarrassing to admit that I have never read Sense and Sensibility before this year. Yeah, I know, I'm sorry! [insert sheepish grin here] It's been sitting on my bookshelf and my (endless!) "To Read" list for years; I finally got around to it this year, determinedly working through the chapters on my commute to and from Manhattan, and in the midst of classes, and rehearsals, and homework.
It was totally worth it. Though that's probably obvious. :)
As with Pride and Prejudice, the satire in this novel is amazing. Austen brilliantly writes caricatures of people she either knew, or that society told her she should know. She gives us the hysterical, hopeless romantic younger sister (hi, Marianne!) and the intellectual, reserved elder (how ya doin', Elinor?), completed with a never-seen youngest sister and a semi-ditzy, romance-obsessed mother. We follow them as they traverse the fields of romance and get their hearts broken; it's that old archetype, but, this time, it's a nineteenth-century novel laced with hilarious humor as the two deal with idiots, scoundrels, and well-meaning-but-totally-out-of-it family members. Regardless of what you usually read, Austen will make you laugh and philosophize, I promise. If you already like the language of the classics, you're all set! Even if you don't, though, you'll get used to it quickly, and so attached to the characters that you won't want to put it down. I swear.
There's a reason Jane Austen is a literary hero in her own right, and still an inspiration today. She was ahead of her time, smart with a biting wit, and unafraid to tackle humor and poignancy all at once. If you get a chance, read her. You won't regret it!
Also, I promise that, though my copy of the book may look like a Twilight novel, it's not; I've had many people ask me about that when I've pulled it out. :D
To keep you in the loop, as of right now, I'm currently reading and enjoying The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson. I'll update on that when I've finished!
As always, thanks for reading, and have a lovely day!
~Rhiannon~
