First of all let me apologize for it taking so long to write this responce to Sense and Sensibility. I finished the book on Sunday but just haven't had the ability or the time to get on and type out my thoughts.
Upon finishing the book it became clear to me that there is a distinction between fans of the Jane Austen books and fans of the Jane Austen movies. I think I am more partial to the movies. I loved Pride and Prejudice but really didn't care for Sense and Sensibility at all. The beginning was interesting enough but the middle just moved so slowly. There was one part were the Dashwood sisters attend yet another party where Austen actually writes; "The events of this evening were not very remarkable."
It was right about that point in the book when it actually started to take me about three hours just to read twenty pages.
Having a decent beginning and an interminable middle could easily be redeemed by a passionate ending, however unfortunatly the ending just felt incomplete.
The one thing I did enjoy about Sense and Sensibility was the humor that was mostlly found in the characters of Mrs. Jenning's and the Palmers. I felt that they were the more entertaining figures in the book and loved their scenes. There were some times where Marianne begins to be cruel towards them and those moments made me not really care for her at all.
In fact I found Marianne to be quiet selfish in this story. She only cared about the dramas and emotions in her own life. She hardly ever took the time to look around her at whom she might be hurting by her actions. The book talks about her going against the common styles of courting for that time, she refuses to keep herself composed and enjoys flaunting her feelings for Willoughby. It never occured to her how those actions might effect her family. But in that time your reputation was a large part effects by the actions of your entire family. Look at Pride and Prejudice, one of the incriminating traits that Mr. Darcy sees towards Jane and Elizabeth is the behavior of their family. Would not the same be true from Marianne's actions reflecting poorly on Elinor or Margaret?
Now in the movie (and I am refferring to the Emma Thompson version) this side of Marianne is shown, but it some how comes across in a slightly kinder manner. While reading about it in black and white the actions seem more abrasive and harsh, at least to me.
I related to Elinor. When "courting" I am much more likely to hide my true feelings, never willing to risk too much. I admire the girls who can just walk up to the guy they are interested in and take charge, make the first move, but that is so not me. I also admired Elinor's ability to put the feelings of others before her own. To take care of the people around her before tending to herself. The book left me wondering why Colonel Brandon didn't go for her instead of Marianne. I mean sure Marianne reminded him of what he had once lost, but is that really love? Having seen the movie first, watching Alan Rickman dote so heavily on Kate Winslet, the way he looks at her, worries about her, the scene where he is waiting outside her room while she is sick feeling like he is going to go mad if he doesn't have a way of helping, or the scene where he is reading to her in the end...all of those things combined will help me to never doubt that Colonel Brandon truly loved Marianne. But in the book, most of those moments aren't portrayed or at least not to the degree that really shows his liking for her beyond attraction. While on the other hand you have Elinor who has been attentive and loyal to him.
Then you have Edward, who when you reallly break it down, is hardly in the book. I mean he is talked about a great deal, but if you were to take the book apart and only look at the scenes where he is actually there, you would barely have a handful. I am convinced that Elinor loved Edward, however again, how much did he really love her? I got the impression from the movie that he really didn't communicate with Lucy that much, however in the book, he stays at her home for a while and writes to her constantly. He even wears the ring she gave him when he is staying with the Dashwood's, I mean I am sorry but what the hell is up with that?
But what really made me mad was the ending to their story. Edward comes over, drops the bombshell that Lucy has married Robert, and then when Elinor leaves the room crying he just walks out. And after all the buildup all Austen writes about their engagment is; "...in what manner he expressed himself, and how he was received, need not be particularly told. This only need be said;--that when they all sat down to table at four o'clock, about three hours after his arrival, he had secured his lady..." THAT'S IT!!! In Pride and Prejudice we have lines like "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." But in Sense and Sensibility he just "secured his lady". How upsetting!
Another character that I did like was Mrs. Dashwood, the mother. But only because she reminded me of Kate! In the way that for her own reasons she wants her girls to be happily married and for love. So much that even when those guys do things that on the surface seem to say they have no feelings for the Elinor or Marianne, she is right there ready to justify their actions. She can think up a million excusing for their behavior that all lead back to the idea that in the end he does still care for them. Kate is very much like that, and God bless her for it!
The other thing that this book made me think about were the main themes of the Austen books. All most in a way, Jane Austen's own rules to live by.
1. When courting always remain proper and composed. I know that in the Austen books I have read it tends to be the girl who goes against the society's rules towards courting that in the end get taught the lesson. You can reference Marianne and Kitty for that one. But then at the same time you have characters like Jane Bennet and Elinor Dashwood who are interested, even love, the guys in their stories, however Mr. Bingly and Edward are easily convinced that they feel only friendship for them. I probably have that same problem in my life no doubt.
2- Although there may be many reasons to decline getting married, there should only ever be one reason for actually getting married; love. When you look at characters like Willoughby and even Edward, you can see that Austen believed in this rule. Willoughby marries for money, but he will never fully be happy. And Edward was stuck in his engagment to Lucy but you always knew that he was to be pitied because he didn't really love her either.
and 3. Love is an act of sanity. Or at least true love should be. For this last one I am picturing Emma and then Marianne. Both girls were cruel and selfish, but they when they found love, it calmed them. Marianne thought she loved Willoughby, and maybe in a way she did, but she behaved so recklessly, so thoughtlessly. I do believe that true love strengthens us. It makes us want to be kinder and selfless. The better verisons of ourselves. Like Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets.
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I'm about half way through Sense and Sensibility, and I just don't care if I finish it. I'll do my best though.
