A Modern Day Sense and Sensibility

by Kaitlin Saunders

Take a fresh look at the romantic Jane Austen classic in Kaitlin Saunders's heartwarming new novel, A Modern Day Sense and Sensibility. After A Modern Day Persuasion proved a hit, this latest installment in Saunders's successful series of Austen retellings will have readers swooning at the comical misunderstandings and classic romances that are newly envisioned for modern times. After their father's untimely death, Ellie and Marianne Dashwood must suffer the loss of both their beloved parent and their fortune when, together with their mother and younger sister, they find themselves at the mercy of their half brother and his greedy wife, Francil. Ellie temporarily finds solace in a new friendship with Francil's brother, Edward. But as their connection deepens and Edward fails to make the next move, Ellie becomes increasingly confused. Eventually Francil's manipulations become unbearable and the Dashwood ladies are forced to relocate to a dingy apartment building in Portland, Oregon, owned by their quirky cousin and his busybody mother-in-law, Mrs. Jennings. Slowly, the women begin adapting to their newfound meager lifestyle. While cutting coupons and watching their budget, the Dashwoods welcome the chance to make new acquaintances in their new town. One such acquaintance is Mrs. Jennings's friend Brandon, a wealthy thirty-something hotel entrepreneur who is immediately infatuated with Marianne. Turned off by their relatively large age gap, Marianne turns her attention to the suspiciously perfect Jim Willoughby. But just as things start heating up between them, she learns that the situation may not be exactly as it seems. As the sisters struggle through secrets, illness, and broken promises, Ellie and Marianne must find the answer: Does love really conquer all? Find out in Saunders's romantic rendition of a beloved classic.

310 pages, Paperback

First published December 23, 2013

Reviews

[Kate Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s sometimes hard to imagine a Jane Austen story today given the change in social dynamics. Sense and Sensibility could perhaps be on the harder Austen books to modernize, next to Mansfield Park and Northanger Abby perhaps. Older men who marry significantly younger women may have been necessity in Austen’s time, but it is not such a socially accepted norm today. Marrying a person you don’t love is kind of an archaic thought now, but I guess if you had Donald Trump assets and wanted your child to marry into even more money that it could happen this day in age. While we can all relate to the theme of money and the reality of having to downsize to a lifestyle that is within our means, it is harder to imagine that one’s own family could be cruel enough to deprive them based on a mere technicality of not having drafted an updated will. But then is it really so hard to imagine? People are just as unwilling to confront the possibility of their own death now as they were back then.



In Kaitlin Saunders modern adaption of Sense and Sensibility, Mr. Dashwood did not leave a will which would have provided for his second wife Diane and their children, Elinor (Ellie for short), Marianne or Margaret. That lack of foresight to provide for his family will cost them dearly. While he may have been the CEO of a successful company and able to provide for his second family and his son, John Dashwood, from his previous marriage, his lack of planning meant only John would inherit. While John was willing to provide for his step-mother and half-sisters, his money hungry wife Francil is not so desirous in sharing their newfound wealth. Using her female attributes she persuades John that his father’s dying words on his death bed only implied that he should give his step-mother and half-sisters a small lump sum payment of money and the rest was to be for them and their son Harry. I never much cared for John’s wife in Austen’s original novel, but Miss Saunders has really made me detest her.



Diane Dashwood’s pain at the unexpected death of Mr. Dashwood leapt of the pages. I found my heart strings pulled and my emotions well up at what can only be unimaginable pain and then to find out that your husband had never revised his will has to be truly devastating. The unfeeling nature of Francil increases the emotional turmoil of a reader. Diane and her daughters not only have to deal with the stages of grief at the unexpected death of Mr. Dashwood, but they have to contend with being forced out of the only home they have ever known. In all of Francil’s greediness and making them feel like guests in their own home, I almost expected Francil to demand to look through the boxes they had packed so she could make sure that they were not taking anything that she deemed hers. She didn’t go that far, but she was navigating that way.



When Diane, Ellie, Marianne and Margaret are finally able to leave it almost comes as a relief to the reader. The relief is overshadowed by how much their life has changed. Arriving at their new home in Oregon is perhaps the most depressing realization that they are not in Kansas anymore. They have gone from a beautiful arced estate to a tiny apartment. Yet with surprising resilience they come to accept and love their new home.



One of the many challenges of this adaption would be the romance of Marianne and Brandon. These days it’s a lot harder to justify an older man marrying a significantly younger woman. Miss Saunders handles this situation perfectly by not really focusing on the age difference. It is almost as if by not acknowledging it that it develops into something unimportant when the age difference is brought up. This is no easy feat as today’s readers have an entirely different idea of social acceptability than what was acceptable back in Austen’s time.



The dislike Brandon has of Willoughby remains in a slightly updated version of the story. Yet, with Willoughby we retain a certain sympathy for his plight when he gets the chance to explain himself to Ellie when Marianne is ill. In Austen’s original I cannot say one ever feels remotely connected enough to Willoughby to give him the chance of sympathy. Although, in Saunders version of the Marianne/Willoughby romance one feels a sense of distrust for a stranger who shows up out of nowhere to conveniently rescue the injured Marianne, which I do not feel we were fully privy to in Austen’s original. It’s as if updating the story makes you more aware of a stranger who is so charming from the start, although being a modern retelling I feel as if we are able to get justification for Willoughby’s actions more readily. Saunders handling of this was perfect to the point that the satisfaction of Marianne and Brandon finally coming together was even greater than anticipated.



Ellie and Edward are always my favorite couple of the story. I have just always identified with Elinor more so than Marianne only because I see myself in Elinor. In this adaption, Edward is a freelance photographer and Ellie is an accountant. I think the way Saunders tells the tale of Ellie and Edward’s romance does significant justice to them. As readers of the original, we have always known Elinor to be the reserved one, but it’s so poignant in the way Saunders writes Elinor that her reserved nature practically jumps off the page to the point that you want to be able to reach through the pages and shake her. In addition, you can feel the absolute fatigue that Ellie feels at having to be the emotional pillar for not only Marianne, but her mother too. I don’t think I ever really felt that way when reading Austen’s original. I felt the love and need to support one another, but I never had the sense that Elinor was tired or frustrated in being that emotional pillar for her sister and mother.



This adaption is a great modern retelling of Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. The elements of Austen’s work remain the same, but Saunders is able to seamlessly modernize the story. It makes for an exciting read. I was most curious to how she would create the scene when Marianne spots Willoughby with the mysterious Miss Grey and I was not disappointed. Behind the backdrop of a modern company party Marianne’s world comes crashing down. I felt pain and sympathy at the final undoing of Marianne’s heartbreak and I can’t say I have always sympathized with Marianne.



Miss Saunders is able to achieve something that not all authors can. She achieves the desire of making readers want to read more. This is what keeps readers coming back time and time again. She is able to create stories where the reader feels as if she is right there with the characters. I felt this to be a delightful adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. I cannot wait to read more from Kaitlin Saunders. I am hoping her next modern adaptation may involve Northanger Abbey.

[Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following her 2011 release of A Modern Day Persuasion, author Kaitlin Saunders once again picks up her pen to modernize one of Jane Austen’s beloved novels. In her faithful adaptation, A Modern Day Sense and Sensibility, we encounter a grieving Dashwood family as they attempt to pick up the pieces of their lives after losing, not only a father and husband they adored, but their comfortable and cherished home.

A round of applause to Kaitlin Saunders for stepping up to the challenge of modernizing Sense and Sensibility, which in my opinion, is one of the most daunting of Jane Austen’s novels to modernize! So many of the situations and conflicts in this novel do not have the same significance or consequences in our contemporary world as they did in Jane Austen’s. Engaged to a girl you are no longer in love with? (break up with her, it won’t cause a scandal!) About to be disinherited by your wealthy aunt? (get a job, stop being lazy!) I commend Kaitlin Saunders for taking on such a challenging feat!

My favorite scenes in this adaptation, and where I felt Ms. Saunders’ talents truly shine, were the scenes that illustrate the close bond the Dashwood women have with each other. How Mrs. Dashwood lets Ellie know she is there for her (when she sees that Ellie still hasn’t heard from Edward), how Ellie always shows Marianne such care and consideration (even though she can be pretty exasperating), how Ellie mourns the loss their closeness when Willoughby starts to create a rift in their relationship – all made this novel heartfelt and uplifting. In addition, it was inspiring to witness how these four women were able to start their lives anew, overcome their obstacles, and heal from their grief together.

A Modern Day Sense and Sensibility is a very straightforward adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, Kaitlin Saunders meticulously adheres to the original plot and characters – you won’t find too many surprising twists here! Part of me thought it was very respectful of Kaitlin Saunders to write such an accurate and faithful update, but at the same time, another part of me wished for some new scenes, clever recreations, and creative insights. One scene I was hoping to see updated and (dare I say it?) improved from Jane Austen’s novel was a scene where Brandon declares himself and proposes to Marianne (which we don’t see happen in Jane Austen’s novel!). But alas, we again don’t see it happen! In fact, we go right from Edward and Ellie getting engaged to the double wedding…it definitely felt like there was a scene missing.

One aspect of this novel that didn’t sit right with me was the fact that Marianne was eighteen. I’m not sure if it was because Brandon was in his thirties, or because everyone seemed to be perfectly fine with the idea of Marianne becoming engaged and married at such a young age, or both…I know Marianne is only sixteen in Jane Austen’s novel, I know that it isn’t unheard of for people to get engaged and married at the age of eighteen, and that the age differences of ten plus years isn’t too shocking…but I guess when you put it all together Marianne’s situation felt a little too far removed and atypical.

Despite my quibbles, I’m so happy to have read this lovely adaptation by Kaitlin Saunders. I enjoyed my time with her lovely characters and her authentic renderings. Looking forward to reading her first release, A Modern Day Persuasion (2011) next!

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Austen, I suspect, would secretly be very pleased with this modern-day adaption of her classic novel, Sense and Sensibility. Author Kaitlin Saunders (who has previously written a modern-day adaption of Persuasion,) seamlessly moves the characters and settings from the classic novel to the United States and makes quite convincing arguments for the set up of the story--including most importantly how the Dashwood sisters lose their inheritance to their half brother and his conniving wife, who has been renamed Fancil in order to fit in with the novel's contemporary setting. Sanders cleverly follows the plot of Sense and Sensibility throughout the novel, while adapting it to present day America--in this narrative for example the Dashwood sisters find themselves living in a substandard apartment building in Oregon. Elinor, or Ellie, remains the sensible sister, Marianne remains fanciful. Love interests Edward, along with the caddish Willoughby remain in keeping with the original characters, while Colonel Brandon is now Brandon, a wealthy thirty-something hotel owner.

Overall this one is a lot of fun and real treat for Austen fans who want to see a contemporary spin on their favourite tale. Recommended.

PS Shout out to author Kaitlin Saunders for sending me a review copy of her work.

This review also appears on my blog, Kathryn's Inbox

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this modern version of S & S! It followed the original pretty well with some enjoyable modernization. A quick read, but fun.