There will be (some) spoilers, most of which require a pre-existing knowledge of the storyline to understand.

I don’t recommend trying to complete Sense and Sensibility in a single weekend, as I did. It is a much longer book than I realized. But it is a story I thoroughly enjoyed.

An entertaining cast

In most Austen novels, the characters drive the plot. This is especially true in Sense and Sensibility. The story revolves around the hopes, dreams, and misadventures in love of very different but beloved sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood.

Eldest sister Elinor is polite, calm, rational, and level-headed. She feels things deeply but keeps these feelings to herself. Marianne, in contrast, is excitable, romantic, dramatic, and outspoken. At seventeen, she has already formed strong opinions on love, relationships, and marriage from which she is convinced nothing will sway her.

Their mother, Mrs. Dashwood, is as dramatic and excitable as Marianne, but sometimes allows her oldest daughter’s calm judgment to temper her more outspoken and emotional ideas. She does show hints of the wisdom gained with age.

The two sisters are surrounded by a cast of side characters diverse in personality, if less so in other ways.

Mrs. Jennings is a friendly, talkative companion and guardian. I wish Marianne and Elinor had been more fond of her from the beginning, but they at least learn to appreciate the woman over time.

The ladies’ half-brother John Dashwood means well… kind of… most of the time. He could probably be a much better person if not for the selfish influence of his ill-tempered wife Fanny.

Sir John and Lady Middleton have as well-established characters as the rest of the cast — an unskilled, unaccomplished, but agreeable gentleman, and his disinterested wife, who cares only for her children — but felt the most like plot devices rather than people. They facilitate an abundance of dinners, parties, balls, and conversations that quickly tire both their guests and readers.

The Steele sisters, Mrs. Jennings’ cousins, are poorly educated and lacking in manners. I did wonder in several passages if Elinor thought too harshly of them. My opinion aligned more with hers as the story progressed and their true character was displayed. I think Elinor’s first impressions will be less immediately understood to modern readers than to Austen’s original audience, who were of course more familiar with the nuances and expectations of that society.

I loved the Palmers, especially Mrs. Palmer. Her insistence on finding everything entertaining and positive, and declaring every rude thing her husband occasionally says as “droll,” I found endearing, even if Elinor believes she laughs too much.

The existence of youngest sister Margaret Dashwood amused me in that she is rarely mentioned and seems to barely exist. Every time she was referenced, I had to pause and wonder, “Who’s Margaret?” before recalling that there are three Dashwood sisters.

An abundance of suitors

Part of what I love about this story is its unpredictability. Granted, I knew less about this book before reading than some of Austen’s others, but I think plot twists — established not through confusion, but nuance, detail, and complex relationships — featured as a writing strength.

Our first suitor is shy, quiet Edward Ferrars. The Dashwood ladies meet Edward because he is their half-brother’s wife’s brother. Elinor forms a strong attachment to the man, which seems to be clearly reciprocated, but they are separated by her newly-impoverished family’s move to a cottage.

Next comes John Willoughby. Like a hero from a paperback 80s romance novel, Mr. Willoughby rescues Marianne, who has sprained her ankle, and carries her home. They establish a fast and strong bond — so strong that Elinor worries about their impropriety, but her mother insists it will all be well. It does seem their mother is right, and an engagement imminent, when Mr. Willoughby suddenly leaves on business with no explanation and no idea of when he will return.

Further into the narrative, we meet Colonel Brandon. He is a grave, quiet, serious man. From the moment they meet, his interest in Marianne is clear to everyone but her. She still has eyes only for Mr. Willoughby, despite his absence. Colonel Brandon suffers in silence but maintains a growing friendship with both Dashwood sisters and their circles.

A fourth gentleman turned out not to be a Dashwood suitor, but was introduced with enough detail that I suspected (rightly) that he would be equally important. Robert Ferrars, Edward’s younger brother, is a self-important and fussy man — not conniving or villainous, but not likable, either.

A delightful read for this shipper’s heart

If a story centered completely on love triangles, courtship gossip, engagements, and marriage is not your cup of tea… skip this book. As someone who watches seasons of terrible shows just to make sure her favorite couple gets together, I loved it.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t a fan of Edward… for most of the book, anyway. He’s barely introduced before the sisters are whisked away from his presence. I don’t like forming opinions of characters or relationships just from the other characters’ discussions. Elinor clearly loved Edward from the start, but that wasn’t enough for me to decide whether or not I shipped them.

I did enjoy Willoughby and Marianne’s romance. The one thing I knew about this book before reading is that at least one suitor is removed from play unexpectedly, to never return. While Marianne remained hopeful and excited, I suspected Willoughby of being the drop-out from the start. I didn’t get too attached.

Colonel Brandon immediately became my favorite. I can’t say what first drew me to him, but I adored him. (My partner suggested that I like “the Darcy types.” I told him Colonel Brandon is much more sociable and polite than Mr. Darcy, but yes, their quiet and serious manners do have similarities.) Other fans of this story may be surprised to hear that I spent most of the book desperately hoping for a match between Elinor and Colonel Brandon. I wasn’t the only one to see why it could have worked, if circumstances had been different, but it wasn’t meant to be.

The ending genuinely surprised me. I, like the Dashwoods, never expected Edward to come back like he did. I certainly didn’t expect — and did not like — Mr. Willoughby’s drunken late-night visit to explain his behavior. No apology or remorse can make up for his behavior to Colonel Brandon’s ward Eliza, even if the sisters forgave him for his treatment of Marianne (which I also did not forgive). But the sisters found happiness, and Colonel Brandon was happily married, and that was enough to please me.

Other general thoughts

This story felt more engaging than other Austen books I’ve read so far. The characters were more likable and fleshed out, to me, than those in Northanger Abbey. The plot was more compelling than that of Pride and Prejudice. (Though the plot of Pride and Prejudice is so well-known in the culture that this is probably not a fair comparison.) While I still believe Persuasion is a more talented and artistically accomplished example of Austen’s writing, I think the story of Sense and Sensibility will have a broader appeal to a general audience.

If you are looking for your first — or next — Austen novel, this one’s my recommendation. It’s a light, romantic story with plenty of comedy and unexpected twists. It’s fairly easy to understand without a pre-existing knowledge base of the regency era or society.

Don’t be daunted by the length. The book was published in three smaller volumes that, if you don’t act like me and squish it into two days, can be easily digested in a week.

P.S. that Mrs. Jennings misunderstanding, though

There’s a conversation in volume three between Elinor and Mrs. Jennings, in which Elinor is talking about a living (house and income) that Colonel Brandon has offered for a disadvantaged friend. Mrs. Jennings thinks they’re talking about Elinor and Colonel Brandon being engaged. This lasts the entire conversation. It is hysterical. I died laughing, then re-read the whole passage out loud to my partner. It was beautiful.