Hello all! For the past two days, I have been rereading this beauty:
While it’s not my first time reading Sense & Sensibility, it is my first time reading this edition (Chiltern edition). I was attracted to the gorgeous cover and though I already have a copy of the novel, I wanted this one as well! I have to say, though, I’m not a fan of the glossy pages inside – it feels a little strange compared to the regular paper. I hope it means that this book won’t yellow; it’s got a mark from the bookmark but if that’s it I’ll be happy with this copy.
As I’m writing this, I’ve finished 32 chapters of the book and am still enjoying it! I hope to finish it by tomorrow because I would like to finish The Bullet That Missed (the only book I am not rereading) by Saturday and return it.
Anyway, what caught my attention this time around was a passage early on in the novel, where Marianne (the sister known for her ‘sensibility’) makes the following remarks:
“A woman of seven and twenty,” said Marianne, after pausing a moment, “can never hope to feel or inspire affection again, and if her home be uncomfortable, or her fortune small, I can suppose that she might bring herself to submit to the offices of a nurse, for the sake of the provision and security of a wife.”
Oh Marianne! What a youthful thing to say! I was immediately reminded of Anne in Persuasion, who was either 26 or 27 years old when the novel began – I wonder if Austen ever thought of Marianne’s words when she was writing Anne’s story?
I did google how old Austen was when she wrote this (apparently Sense & Sensibility is her first published novel) and she might have either been 19 or 21 when she wrote the first draft. That said, she was 35 when the novel was published and I’m not sure when the line was added – was it written in the earnestness of youth or with an ironic tone of an adult?
By the way, I think Austen does a great job of making her teenage girls… teenagers, for lack of a better word. Marianne sounds exhausting to be around, in a very natural sort of way. Elinor also reminds me of someone who wants to be rational that she can be a little irrational about it. Both of them are wonderfully teenage characters and they feel very real to me.
Haha! That quote is great! I suspect Austen meant it ironically, but I imagine it probably echoed what a lot of society thought at the time. In 1926, L. M. Montgomery was still able to write in The Blue Castle that 29-year-old Valancy was an old maid who was never going to get married! I’m sure 27 was on the upper end of the age range for brides in Austen’s time and for sure a teenager would that positively ancient lol.
That’s true – even today, kids seem to think that anyone a couple of years older than them is ancient. At least, that’s my experience teaching young teens!
I had a similar thought as Krysta when reading the quote you shared. From what I’ve read about Austen and that time period, she probably did mean it ironically, but it seemed to be a common opinion of the time.
I listened to the audiobook this past year and had the same impression about Elinor and Marianne. Marianne really was exhausting. Haha.
Yes! I’m sure Marianne grows up to be a lovely person but I’m not sure if I would be able to host her for as long as Mrs Jennings did!
I would also but this edition immediately if I see it in good price. I still haven’t read any other Austen books but they are on my wish list for long time now. I’m definitely getting them as soon as I can. Amazing review!
There are lots of lovely editions of her books out there, I hope you can find a few beautiful ones soon!