Sense and Sensibility, Rev. ed. by Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility, Rev. ed.by Anonymous

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July 21, 2008: So you want to read Sense and Sensibility. Great choice! Jane Austen?s first published novel (1811) can get lost in the limelight of her other `darling child?, Pride and Prejudice, but is well worth the effort. There are many editions available in print today, and the text can stand on its own, but for those seeking a `friendlier? version with notes and appendixes, the question arises of how much supplemental material do you need, and is it helpful? One option is the Oxford World?s Classics new revised edition of Sense and Sensibility that presents an interesting array of additional material that comfortably falls somewhere between just the text, and supplemental overload. This volume offers what I feel a good edition should be, an expansive introduction and detailed notes supporting the text in a clear, concise and friendly manner that the average reader can understand and enjoy. The material opens with a one paragraph biography of the life of Jane Austen which seemed rather slim to this Austen enthusiast?s sensibility, and most certainly too short for a neophyte. The introduction quickly made up for it in both size and content at a whopping 33 pages! Wow, author Margaret Anne Doody does not disappoint, and it is easy to understand why after eighteen years publishers continue to use her excellent essay in subsequent editions. Amazingly, the introduction is not at all dated. The material covered is accessible to any era of reader, touching upon the novels publishing history, plot line, character analysis, and historical context. Doody thoughtfully presents the reader with an analysis of the major themes in the novel such as the dichotomy of sense and sensibility as it relates to the two heroines Elinor and Marianne, the portrayal of negligent mothers, men represented as the ultimate hunter, secrecy, deceit and concealment, and the crippling impact of the inheritance laws and primogeniture on women during the Regency era. Interlaced with Doody?s interpretations are her astute observations of Austen?s writing style with references to pages in the novel and outside sources. The entire essay is well researched, populated with footnotes, and an enjoyable complement to the text. The notes on the text explain the editorial trail since the novel?s first publication in 1811, whose subtle changes and their significance I will defer to my more learned colleague Prof. Moody. The select bibliography is indeed select, and includes many editions that deserve recognition as the best of what is available in print on Jane Austen?s life, works and critical analysis. One of my favorites listed is Jane Austen: A Family Record (1913) by William Austen-Leigh and Richard Arthur Austen-Leigh, revised and enlarged by Deirdre Le Faye (1989). I was also pleasantly surprised to see a category including film versions and commentaries which is often overlooked by other publishers. The chronology of Jane Austen?s life lists both significant events and what transpired historically in matching columns. The choices are relevant and interesting with the exception of two events that this writer found humorous - 1795 Jane Austen flirts with Tom Lefroy, and in 1815 Humphry Davy invents miner?s safety lamp. I have yet to be convinced that Austen?s flirtation with Tom Lefroy had a significant impact on her life, nor am I clear how a clergyman?s daughter living in southern England would be directly affected by the invention of a miner?s safety lamp....