Sense and Sensibility (Barnes & Noble Signature Editions)

By Jane Austen and Jennifer C. Garlen

Marianne Dashwood can’t understand her sister. How could the attractive, witty, and charming Elinor fall for the quiet, self-effacing, and rather dull Edward Ferrars? And, if the two are in love, why don’t they shout it to the world? Meanwhile, Elinor worries that Marianne’s all-out, heart-first approach to life will hurt her, especially when it comes to the dashing, passionate John Willoughby. Ever since Willoughby carried Marianne home after she was injured in a fall, he has become a fixture in the small cottage Elinor and Marianne have recently moved into with their mother and younger sister.

     The two sisters spar good-naturedly over the merits of full-blown emotionalism versus reticence and self-discipline in matters of the heart. Fond as they are of each other, each is certain that hers is the only true path to love. Meanwhile, both Edward and Willoughby harbor secrets that will force these women to doubt their philosophies, their judgment, and their chances for happiness.

     With Sense and Sensibility, her first published novel, Jane Austen served notice that a new and important author had arrived—one whose style, wit, and piercing sense of satire supported a compelling story peopled with finely drawn characters and punctuated with remarkable insights into the human condition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble
• Release date: Nov 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781435141261

Jane Austen

Jane Austen was born in 1775 in rural Hampshire, the daughter of an affluent village rector who encouraged her in her artistic pursuits. In novels such as Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma she developed her subtle analysis of contemporary life through depictions of the middle-classes in small towns. Her sharp wit and incisive portraits of ordinary people have given her novels enduring popularity. She died in 1817.