Jane Austen's Sense & Sensibility

Followers of The GoneReading Blog know that I've been reading a lot of Jane Austen to help promote our new line of Jane Austen merchandise.  There I've blogged about my experiences reading Pride & Prejudice, and below will continue the narrative with my thoughts on the just-completed Sense & Sensibility.

A more subtle novel than Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility still weaves an enjoyable narrative, with great character development.  To me the true villains provide all of the depth to the story.  Mrs. Ferrars' conceit and complete disavowal of her own son, for nothing more than marrying the wrong woman, is almost unimaginable.  Willoughby's evil is obvious, as is that of Lucy as it reveals itself in the final pages.

It's interesting to me that a society so caught up in civility and manners also expresses such openness when it comes to exact income figures of virtually everyone that lives within it.  Everyone knows exactly how much everyone else has, and/or stands to earn through inheritance, virtually without exception.

I suppose that isn't surprising for a society also obsessed with a complete fear of work or employment.  It's universally inconceivable within the world of Austen that anyone should have to earn a living.  You must have intimate knowledge of everyone's wealth, or lack thereof, in order to navigate society and avoid the "poverty" of having to work for a living.

Most interesting was the critical introduction of the book (although in the Penguin edition, included at the end of the book).  Wow, there was a lot going on in this story that I never even noticed!

The critic puts much emphasis on the secrecy within the story, how much deception plays a critical role.  He's right, as Elinore, Lucy, Willoughby, Colonel Brandon and others carry secrets of real importance.  

Even more interesting was his discussion of the sickness of Marianne, which he contends begins at the very beginning of the story.  Her "sickness" begins with a mental malady, her distorted view of society and insistence on always telling everyone exactly how she feels, not wanting to fully join society (evidenced, as an example, by her unwillingness to play cards with everyone else).  Her sickness manifests itself physically after she learns of Willoughby's deception, bringing her to the brink of death.  Marianne only becomes well once she decided to adopt the conventions of society.

Sense & Sensibility emphasizes a contrasting approach to life and society in the age of Austen.  Elinore chooses to largely adopt the conventions of society, being forcibly nice when necessary, and smoothing over the rough edges of impropriety.  Conversely, Marianne disavows the conventions of society, speaks whatever enters her mind and refuses to conform.  Elinore's tendency to smooth over the landscape is cheekily echoed in her skill in painting actual landscapes, a fact I completely missed until I read the commentary.

Sense was written early in Austen's tenure, later edited and adapted prior to its release.  I've only read the two books so far, but perhaps this accounts for the less-rich (less sensational?) narrative as compared to Pride.  

Looking forward to the next Austen novel...