I've been considering getting one of Jane Austen book for a few
years now but I never did so far. Yes I am honestly saying to you
that I have never read one of her book before. When I had the
opportunity of reviewing a new edition of Sense and Sensibility, I
thought it was the perfect opportunity of revising this lack in my
bookworm life.
So as many of you probably know, this is the story of two sisters
and their love ones. So I won't expand on the story per say for
this review since this is apparently a classic in English
literature. Being French Canadian, I had not gotten to know Jane
Austen in the past. But I am now and I am glad to have read one of
her book. But I must be honest to say that at times, I was having
trouble to understand the old English style of writing and reading.
For example, when talking about the age of someone, they would say
of me one and forty instead of forty-one. So I figure that part
pretty easily. But other terminology and words were harder to
understand.
Well the insight edition will bring various notes throughout the
reading of the book to help clarify what the reader comes upon.
There are historical and cultural details and definitions from
England in the early 1800s. I really like these as it helped me to
picture and situate the culture of that time. There are also facts
and tidbits from Austen's life that parallel or illuminate the
novel. This information was interesting but I suspect that die-hard
fans of Austen would really enjoy them. The reader will also have
access of references to Sense and Sensibility to today's culture,
unscientific ranking of the novel's most frustrating characters,
themes of faith drawn from the novel or Austen's life as well as
comments and asides on the book's characters and plot.
As I said previously, I am having some issues with the way it is
written - old English style- but I also believe that a person shall
make the effort of reading something out of her comfort zone once
in a while. And this novel is definitively out of my own comfort
zone. The story is a classic brought many times on TV and movie.
The author is well known around the world. It is my duty as a woman
who loves to read to get exposed to this kind of writing to expand
my knowledge and my taste. So I pursue the reading every night and
I discover a little bit more about the Dashwood sisters and their
life in the 1800s in England. I find it interesting.
Another thing that I particularly appreciate in this book is the
fact that the reader will find a series of questions that are
perfect of a book club.
This review was possible because I received a copy of Sense and
Sensibility from Bethany House.