Sense and Sensibility (Penguin English Library)

I am thrilled to tell you that I've received a very beautiful and rare collectible edition. I was super excited and this time amazon satisfied me 99% (one % not because the packaging was not good and also the bookmark was not there).So this is michael o mara classic collection. A hardcover book with white good quality pages, clothbound cover and a black ribbon book mark(maybe that's why they didn't provided book mark).I'm in love with this edition and waited very long to buy this one.There's chinese style painting of tree on the cover as well as inside.

The story of the three Dashwood sisters and their mother who are obliged to leave their old home Norland Park on the death of their father to move to a cottage, Barton Cottage on the estate of John Middleton. Marianne [16 and a half]falls in love with dashing Mr Willoughby who appears to be in love with her but who abandons her for the fortune of a Miss Sophia Grey. Being very romantic Marianne suffers horribly when left, so much so that she almost dies of grief.Colonel Brandon, considered far too old by Marianne,- he's thirty five, saves the day.Marion in Hailey Oxfordshie

I haven’t yet read this book, but the story is no doubt going to be wonderful. My issue is the quality of the book and it’s cover...I spent a great deal of time searching through the different collections of Jane Austen, as I want to get a number of her stories in matching covers/styles, so when I saw this one, I thought the covers looked lovely. Sense and Sensibility was the first one I have ordered, and I’m very disappointed with the cover and finish. It looks like someone just printed out an image file of the cover, printed it out on a bit of flimsy card, then stuck it to the book. As you can see from the photos attached, the book is matte due to the lack of laminated card used, the edges look a little rough as if someone just sliced the cover from a guillotine found in a school classroom. You can’t even read the title or author on the spine of the book!Considering this is supposed to be part of the English Library Penguin edition, I was expecting more than this. There also appears to be a grease smudge on the front cover as well, which wouldn’t have been noticeable if it was a laminate/glossy card used.Very disappointed in the finish. Half considering returning it and putting my money towards a better copy which will actually look nice/readable on my shelf.

This is the first Jane Austen book that I have read. I must say that it took a while to get used to the language used but I got the gist of it. I don’t usually read historical type romance or period drama etc. I reading enjoyed it. The setting is described well and the story really draws you in. The characters are also well written and you get a feel for The main heroine Elinor, also her sister Marianne and their mother Mrs Dashwood. It seems strange reading a story written so long ago with so much drama. The way marriages are formed more for financial gain and status rather than love or romance. Some of the characters are so deceitful and jealous and will go to great lengths to get ahead. I will definitely read more from Jane Austen.

I loved the characters, from the manipulative Fanny Dashwood to the handsome stranger in Willoughby and the boring yet kind Colonel Brandon. Marianne had extreme emotions, from falling in love immediately to almost dying of a broken heart. Elinor was the more sensible of the sisters, I felt she depicted Jane Austen in this novel.There were several aspects of this novel which really represented the time it was written in; marriage and life expectancy. Otherwise this is a timeless story, filled with witty observations and characters you may recognise from your own life.Marriage was a huge pre-occupation for women in Austen times, it determined everything about their lives. It wasn't just about who they married, it affected what their lifestyle would be, who they would socialise with, who their children could marry. Marrying for money was preferred (mostly by the brides) but everyone else involved didn't think it mattered, much better to marry someone rich who you could grow to tolerate than marry for love and be poor.Life expectancy also changes everything. At several points in the novel references were made to how long someone could expect to live. Mrs Dashwood (40) was only expected to live another 7 years or so, Colonel Brandon was thought extremely old at 35 to be looking for love, Marianne at 17 was already hoping she wouldn't end up as the maiden aunt. The average life expectancy in 1811 was 36, this includes the working class (80% of the population) so I would expect the middle and upper classes to last a little longer. So the pressure was on to marry and have children as early as possible with a hope of seeing your grandchildren before you're 40.If you're new to Jane Austen or are intimidated by older novels, my advice is just to dive in. If you like romantic stories, you'll love this. Don't focus too much on the language, you will get used to it as you go through. Focus on the characters and the emotions, they are truly timeless.I loved this book, it's a great introduction to the Austen world and I can't wait to read 'Pride and Prejudice' next month.