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Sense and Sensibility
With a foreword by Hannah Grace, author of Icebreaker and Wildfire
Left destitute after their father’s death, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood must navigate love, marriage and societal expectations to ensure their security and happiness. But romance isn’t easy, and soon Elinor finds her good sense tested by her charming brother-in-law, while Marianne’s romantic sensibility brings her nothing but heartbreak.
To find happiness, both sisters will have to learn to balance sense and sensibility.
Fall head over heels for First Impressions, Penguin's boldly designed new Jane Austen collection for young-adult readers featuring the complete and unabridged texts. Full of meet-cutes, missed connections and drama, this eye-catching six-book series is an open invitation to embrace your inner romantic
Left destitute after their father’s death, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood must navigate love, marriage and societal expectations to ensure their security and happiness. But romance isn’t easy, and soon Elinor finds her good sense tested by her charming brother-in-law, while Marianne’s romantic sensibility brings her nothing but heartbreak.
To find happiness, both sisters will have to learn to balance sense and sensibility.
Fall head over heels for First Impressions, Penguin's boldly designed new Jane Austen collection for young-adult readers featuring the complete and unabridged texts. Full of meet-cutes, missed connections and drama, this eye-catching six-book series is an open invitation to embrace your inner romantic
560 pages, Paperback
Published September 17, 2026
About the author
Jane Austen
4,461 books78.2k followersJane Austen was an English novelist known primarily for her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment upon the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage for the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security. Her works are an implicit critique of the novels of sensibility of the second half of the 18th century and are part of the transition to 19th-century literary realism. Her deft use of social commentary, realism and biting irony have earned her acclaim among critics and scholars.
The anonymously published Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1816), were a modest success but brought her little fame in her lifetime. She wrote two other novels—Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1817—and began another, eventually titled Sanditon, but died before its completion. She also left behind three volumes of juvenile writings in manuscript, the short epistolary novel Lady Susan, and the unfinished novel The Watsons.
Since her death Austen's novels have rarely been out of print. A significant transition in her reputation occurred in 1833, when they were republished in Richard Bentley's Standard Novels series (illustrated by Ferdinand Pickering and sold as a set). They gradually gained wide acclaim and popular readership. In 1869, fifty-two years after her death, her nephew's publication of A Memoir of Jane Austen introduced a compelling version of her writing career and supposedly uneventful life to an eager audience. Her work has inspired a large number of critical essays and has been included in many literary anthologies. Her novels have also inspired many films, including 1940's Pride and Prejudice, 1995's Sense and Sensibility and 2016's Love & Friendship.
The anonymously published Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1816), were a modest success but brought her little fame in her lifetime. She wrote two other novels—Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1817—and began another, eventually titled Sanditon, but died before its completion. She also left behind three volumes of juvenile writings in manuscript, the short epistolary novel Lady Susan, and the unfinished novel The Watsons.
Since her death Austen's novels have rarely been out of print. A significant transition in her reputation occurred in 1833, when they were republished in Richard Bentley's Standard Novels series (illustrated by Ferdinand Pickering and sold as a set). They gradually gained wide acclaim and popular readership. In 1869, fifty-two years after her death, her nephew's publication of A Memoir of Jane Austen introduced a compelling version of her writing career and supposedly uneventful life to an eager audience. Her work has inspired a large number of critical essays and has been included in many literary anthologies. Her novels have also inspired many films, including 1940's Pride and Prejudice, 1995's Sense and Sensibility and 2016's Love & Friendship.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 28, 2026
This is my fifth time reading this book and now more than ever I am struck by how, despite the world’s tendency to regard Jane Austen’s novels as swoon-worthy romances, what with their iconic grand gestures and professions of love (“He has loved her, my Elinor, ever since the first moment of seeing her.”), they are most of all grounded in real, constant, practical, loyal love. Perhaps, living in a time when the sociopolitics of marriage made finding love an impossible endeavour, the task that Jane Austen saw for herself as a writer was not to create idealistic, fairy tale romances that her reader can dream about but to show that real, ordinary love can possibly exist in an impossible world.
It makes sense that the antidote to marriages formed as economic transactions is not a whirlwind, fevered romance but love that has been steadfastly built on shared values, loyalty, and good sense. One cannot combat a ridiculous but stubbornly institutionalised social custom (marriages as business transactions) with an equally ridiculous but short-lived alternative (impractical, infatuation-fuelled dalliances). And so, in Sense and Sensibility as in Jane Austen’s other books, when the reader is given a happily ever after, it is accompanied with the sensible, practical logistics of the lovers’ life ahead.
It’s no wonder that the men in Sense and Sensibility are, as my friend Chili wisely observed, “not obviously swoonable.” The seemingly perfect men like Willoughby and Wickham do not get the girl. The reader is invited to resist the temptations of infatuation and to instead give the unassuming, seemingly ordinary, unpalatable men like Colonel Brandon and Mr. Darcy a chance. They, after all, turn out to be the men that the heroine can rely on in times of trouble, are capable of giving her a good life, and are unwavering in their devotion. I think Jane Austen does this not to lower the reader’s expectations and standards about love nor to remove its magic, but to show how love can possibly exist in the real world.
As Jane Austen builds the love story, she at the same time astutely critiques a society that has turned marriages and family relationships into economic transactions favouring the patriarchy, and pokes fun at the people who fanatically uphold this society. In Sense and Sensibility, society’s ridiculousness and evils are shown to be so hard at work that when goodness and love (in its various forms: romantic, sisterly, parental, friendship) finally succeed in the end, the reader is just as ecstatic as the lovers. I celebrate with them and marvel at their masterful orchestration of the miracle that is a marriage with love.
When I first read Jane Austen at 17 (an aside: incidentally, my first Jane Austen book was actually Sense and Sensibility, a birthday gift from my brother), I loved it for its love story. I imagined its author a hopeless romantic. Now that I’m much older, I see this book (and Jane Austen’s other books) as a story of humanity’s triumph against a society that tries to dictate what it can and cannot have. Jane Austen, the woman that you are.♥️
It makes sense that the antidote to marriages formed as economic transactions is not a whirlwind, fevered romance but love that has been steadfastly built on shared values, loyalty, and good sense. One cannot combat a ridiculous but stubbornly institutionalised social custom (marriages as business transactions) with an equally ridiculous but short-lived alternative (impractical, infatuation-fuelled dalliances). And so, in Sense and Sensibility as in Jane Austen’s other books, when the reader is given a happily ever after, it is accompanied with the sensible, practical logistics of the lovers’ life ahead.
It’s no wonder that the men in Sense and Sensibility are, as my friend Chili wisely observed, “not obviously swoonable.” The seemingly perfect men like Willoughby and Wickham do not get the girl. The reader is invited to resist the temptations of infatuation and to instead give the unassuming, seemingly ordinary, unpalatable men like Colonel Brandon and Mr. Darcy a chance. They, after all, turn out to be the men that the heroine can rely on in times of trouble, are capable of giving her a good life, and are unwavering in their devotion. I think Jane Austen does this not to lower the reader’s expectations and standards about love nor to remove its magic, but to show how love can possibly exist in the real world.
As Jane Austen builds the love story, she at the same time astutely critiques a society that has turned marriages and family relationships into economic transactions favouring the patriarchy, and pokes fun at the people who fanatically uphold this society. In Sense and Sensibility, society’s ridiculousness and evils are shown to be so hard at work that when goodness and love (in its various forms: romantic, sisterly, parental, friendship) finally succeed in the end, the reader is just as ecstatic as the lovers. I celebrate with them and marvel at their masterful orchestration of the miracle that is a marriage with love.
When I first read Jane Austen at 17 (an aside: incidentally, my first Jane Austen book was actually Sense and Sensibility, a birthday gift from my brother), I loved it for its love story. I imagined its author a hopeless romantic. Now that I’m much older, I see this book (and Jane Austen’s other books) as a story of humanity’s triumph against a society that tries to dictate what it can and cannot have. Jane Austen, the woman that you are.♥️
June 17, 2026
Thank you, Sarah, for sharing this book with me 😍I relish the witty conversations and the jam-packed plot of Pride & Prejudice, and I soak up the romance of Persuasion. I found it difficult to enjoy Sense & Sensibilty as much, as it has little of either. I’m glad I read it, but it won’t be a book I return to. I’m looking forward to seeing the new film adaptation though.
August 30, 2026
Poor queens kept getting friend zoned
August 28, 2025
I enjoy the CONCEPT of Jane Austen, in that every movie I have seen of her novels I adore, but reading her is an entirely different sphere. I could barely make sense of what was going on tbh, but what I could make sense of had beautiful writing and emotion in it (which is why I'm being nice and giving it 2 stars). It just felt like big word after big word and filler after filler that felt like deciphering the Riddler's puzzles from "The Batman"
September 26, 2026
Box Hill Books has put together a pretty edition of Sense and Sensibility with lots of little extras. I especially like the spot illustration at the beginning of the chapters, and the script used to differentiate the letters within the body of the book. It's simple - a basic paperback, no foil/embossing or anything like that, but they used a premium weight of paper that feels nice in the hand and the cover isn't matte but also isn't excessively glossy. The gutters could be a smidge wider, but that's really the only possible complaint I could make, and it doesn't have a significantly impact on readability.
As a homeschool teacher, I think this edition would be very accessible for high school students: the formatting is clean, they picked a good font with reasonable kerning and line spacing to make it physically easy to read, and the supplemental material at the end includes some great quick-reference guides for the various characters, the timeline and major events, certain social elements that readers of Austen's day would've understood innately which really help the modern reader catch more nuance to the story. The glossary will also be helpful to those who aren't as comfortable with the vocabulary of the classics. All definitely things that could be helpful with understanding and being able to discuss the book as well as write about it.
The discussion questions are pretty straightforward; I would certainly use them in discussing the book with my teens or other adult readers. I'm very happy with this edition!
As a homeschool teacher, I think this edition would be very accessible for high school students: the formatting is clean, they picked a good font with reasonable kerning and line spacing to make it physically easy to read, and the supplemental material at the end includes some great quick-reference guides for the various characters, the timeline and major events, certain social elements that readers of Austen's day would've understood innately which really help the modern reader catch more nuance to the story. The glossary will also be helpful to those who aren't as comfortable with the vocabulary of the classics. All definitely things that could be helpful with understanding and being able to discuss the book as well as write about it.
The discussion questions are pretty straightforward; I would certainly use them in discussing the book with my teens or other adult readers. I'm very happy with this edition!
August 27, 2026
This gorgeous edition of the classic Jane Austin novel makes a perfect gift for young readers. Young readers who have never read novels by Jane Austin will be inspired to read this edition because of the beautiful cover that is designed to attract readers.
Puffin in Bloom with cover artist Anna Bond has created the floral pattern for the cover. This edition of the classic novel is one of several in the Puffin in Bloom collection for young readers.
ISBN 979-8-217-32054-7
Puffin in Bloom with cover artist Anna Bond has created the floral pattern for the cover. This edition of the classic novel is one of several in the Puffin in Bloom collection for young readers.
ISBN 979-8-217-32054-7
March 1, 2026
Obviously, it's a great story but it was just a big tricky to read. Perhaps, also, the fantastic 1995 movie has spooled me for the book somewhat.
August 7, 2026
what a satisfying ending!
January 5, 2026
Eu li em português. só que não achei exato esse em português aq no app.
MT BOM ESSE LIVRO. É infanto juvenil. MAS É BOMMM
MT BOM ESSE LIVRO. É infanto juvenil. MAS É BOMMM
January 17, 2014
A reworking of a classic story that focuses on the plight of two sisters after the untimely death of their father and protector, Cerise DeLand manages to maintain the integrity of the original novel as she expands and brings us a far more steamy version of the original.
No, Austen didn’t have the story wrong for her time: her characters of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are completely of their time, yet surprisingly created with traits that are ‘less favorable’ for the era in which they live. Highly intelligent, imaginative and resourceful, these young ladies dream of being swept off their feet by a man who will both provide for them, and love them as they are. DeLand takes these flirtations into the realm of the scandalous as these two women, in their own way, explore their more sensual and sexual sides.
Elinor is the eldest, far more flamboyant and outspoken in her real life, her fantasies all surround the quiet and respectful Edward. She longs to experience some of the heart-flutteringly sensations that Marianne is on about in her relationship with John Willoughby, yet Edward remains, true to the time, unstintingly reserved.
Marianne is a bit more flighty, and takes to the unabashed flirtations and advances from Willoughby as a duck would to water. Tired of her sister’s extolling the virtues of a man she sees as solid and boring, Marianne is not interested in the quiet and constant interest from Colonel Brandon, but is she destined for heartbreak or ruin with her profligate ways?
There is difficulty in comparing the two stories, without taking from the obvious talent and cleverness of DeLand’s writing and plotting. In what would have been shamefully scandalous behavior from either of these women in their own time, the cleverness of the character’s curiosity and openness in their discussions, and the readily apparent enjoyment in the steamier scenes brings a solidity to these characters that keeps this version separate from, yet wholly informed by the original.
Diehard fans of the original Austen, my second favorite by that author, will not find great lapses in character, in fact, this retelling of their story with additional more modern elements is an interesting read that adds new perspective and modernizes the original for new readers.
I received an eBook copy from the publisher for purpose of honest review for the Jeep Diva. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
No, Austen didn’t have the story wrong for her time: her characters of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are completely of their time, yet surprisingly created with traits that are ‘less favorable’ for the era in which they live. Highly intelligent, imaginative and resourceful, these young ladies dream of being swept off their feet by a man who will both provide for them, and love them as they are. DeLand takes these flirtations into the realm of the scandalous as these two women, in their own way, explore their more sensual and sexual sides.
Elinor is the eldest, far more flamboyant and outspoken in her real life, her fantasies all surround the quiet and respectful Edward. She longs to experience some of the heart-flutteringly sensations that Marianne is on about in her relationship with John Willoughby, yet Edward remains, true to the time, unstintingly reserved.
Marianne is a bit more flighty, and takes to the unabashed flirtations and advances from Willoughby as a duck would to water. Tired of her sister’s extolling the virtues of a man she sees as solid and boring, Marianne is not interested in the quiet and constant interest from Colonel Brandon, but is she destined for heartbreak or ruin with her profligate ways?
There is difficulty in comparing the two stories, without taking from the obvious talent and cleverness of DeLand’s writing and plotting. In what would have been shamefully scandalous behavior from either of these women in their own time, the cleverness of the character’s curiosity and openness in their discussions, and the readily apparent enjoyment in the steamier scenes brings a solidity to these characters that keeps this version separate from, yet wholly informed by the original.
Diehard fans of the original Austen, my second favorite by that author, will not find great lapses in character, in fact, this retelling of their story with additional more modern elements is an interesting read that adds new perspective and modernizes the original for new readers.
I received an eBook copy from the publisher for purpose of honest review for the Jeep Diva. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
September 5, 2012
An audio cd of S&S read by Cherry Gilchrist
w/ Level 3 paperback adaptation of JA's original edited by Andy Hopkins & Jocelyn Potter.
Illustrated w/ sketches throughout and including activities, discussion questions and word list for level 3 readers considered pre-intermediate.
A good introduction to younger readers/listeners gives the story in understandable language and clearly enunciated dialogue on the audio.
A bit too many changes eg - finding Marianne crying when Mrs Dashwood and daughters return from a 'visit' when in fact it had been preplanned by Willoughby who had come to call on Marianne for an important meeting whilst they would be attending church, etc
Not the accuracy and story I anticipated for my purpose of participation in Austen in August 2012. Yet perfectly suited for it's intended audience I'm sure.
w/ Level 3 paperback adaptation of JA's original edited by Andy Hopkins & Jocelyn Potter.
Illustrated w/ sketches throughout and including activities, discussion questions and word list for level 3 readers considered pre-intermediate.
A good introduction to younger readers/listeners gives the story in understandable language and clearly enunciated dialogue on the audio.
A bit too many changes eg - finding Marianne crying when Mrs Dashwood and daughters return from a 'visit' when in fact it had been preplanned by Willoughby who had come to call on Marianne for an important meeting whilst they would be attending church, etc
Not the accuracy and story I anticipated for my purpose of participation in Austen in August 2012. Yet perfectly suited for it's intended audience I'm sure.
June 30, 2025
Worst Austen novel.
November 17, 2025
Short summary. if you don't want to read the full book, you can try it. Not satisfying, as it doesn't delve deeper.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews