Sense & Sensibility: A Novel

Many books have been written to continue the stories of the characters that Jane Austen created, including sequels, prequels, continuations, and diaries. Most of these books have been written about the most popular of her novels, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, while ignoring some of her other different, but equally well-written and beautiful novels–SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, NORTHANGER ABBEY, EMMA, MANSFIELD PARK, and PERSUASION. Now for the first time, all six of Jane Austen’s books have been re-imagined and set in the 21st century. The Austen Project has started their new series with an update of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY by Joanna Trollope—a version filled with unique problems and surprises from today’s world, while still holding true to some of the qualities in Jane Austen’s original novel that makes Sense and Sensibility a timeless tale of sisterhood and second chances.

Invariably, as with all modern re-tellings, things were left out or changed that were in Jane Austen’s original. While the basic plot stays the same, Joanna Trollope’s SENSE AND SENSIBILITY has some minor differences in characters and culture—an understandable change because of the different time setting. The updated characters include: Colonel (Bill) Brandon–who converted Delaford into a rehab for drug and alcohol addicts, Edward Ferrars–the philanthropic black sheep of his family, Elinor–the practical student of architecture who has to financially (and emotionally) support her two sisters and mother, Belle Dashwood–Elinor and Marianne’s free-spirited and sentimental mother, Margaret–the moody teenager who is addicted to Facebook, Twitter, and her IPod, Marianne–the guitar-playing romantic who suffers from severe asthma attacks, and John (Wills) Willoughby–the very hot and seemingly rich playboy.

I enjoyed seeing all the characters from the original from a modern perspective. Joanna Trollope had to answer some uniquely modern questions in her novel. How to keep Regency titles and hierarchy in the setting of present-day England? The Dashwood women had to work to support themselves (unlike upper class Regency women)—which one of them would be the one to keep everyone afloat, pay bills, and get a job? How to account for the lack of contact (and dramatic suspense) between love interests in an age of texting, cell phones, cars, and email? All the characters had to “transition” from the Regency world to the modern world, and for the most part, Joanna Trollope did a great job.

Alas, some things from the Regency world just do not translate well into the present day. In trying to update certain parts of the plot some important aspects were lost, especially the view of proper behavior between men and women—namely, Jane Austen’s view of marriage. In this version of Sense and Sensibility, Marianne and Willoughby sleep together, Mrs. Dashwood was never married to Henry Dashwood (she ran away with him while he was still married), and Elinor comments that sex is completely normal in short-term relationships. (Somehow I can’t picture Jane Austen’s Elinor saying this!) Robert Ferrars is gay and marries Lucy for a cover, and once or twice in the novel sex is casually discussed. Willoughby, unlike the original, doesn’t get Colonel Brandon’s ward pregnant; he sells her drugs and she becomes an addict (like her mother before her). It was jarring to discover these things in this book, especially since, despite being a contemporary version, is still at its core Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. The other Jane-Austen-meets-modern-world shock I received was when I read the modern interpretation of the scene where Willoughby talks to Elinor during Marianne’s sickness:

‘Do—do you still think I’m a s***?’

Elinor sighed.‘I think you’re a car crash. A destructive car crash.’

‘I’ll take that as one degree more approving than a complete s***.’ – page 316

Something I absolutely loved about this SENSE AND SENSIBILITY was the depth at which the other characters were portrayed. They all came to life, sparkling and realistic—Mrs. Jennings, Mr. Palmer and Mrs. Palmer (now two of my all time favorite characters), Colonel Brandon, Mr. and Mrs. Middleton, Margaret, Edward—even Fanny Dashwood and Mrs. Ferrars! Joanna Trollope’s rendition of all of these characters was surprising. Every character, no matter how evil or irritating in the original, was multi-dimensional. Mr. Palmer wasn’t just a grouch, Mrs. Palmer was loving and kind, and Fanny was evil for a reason. Thanks to this Sense and Sensibility, I understood the actions and motives of all of the characters so much better, especially Colonel Brandon and Edward Ferrars.

Elinor and Marianne however, seemed flat. The closest I felt to Elinor was when she had two or three pages scattered throughout the book of just her thoughts. The rest of the time she seemed unapproachable and cold. Marianne changed towards the end a little bit, but throughout seemed weak and overly passionate—with no strong, understandable sisterly bond between them. They seemed to stay as they appeared at the beginning—without any major changes over the course of the book.

I enjoyed seeing how SENSE AND SENSIBILITY translated into 2013. Some things were lost and some things were gained—I loved the well-developed minor characters as well as the addition of most all of the characters getting together at the end for a picnic. Elinor, Mrs. Ferrars, and Lucy Steele—oh my! I did miss some major pieces of the original SENSE AND SENSIBILITY—the proper romance, bewitching Regency period, and beautiful language of Jane Austen. But Joanna Trollope’s re-imagining IS a good piece to lead in to reading the original. Maybe that’s how it should be—no matter how good the author, Jane Austen can never be truly replaced in the telling of her own tales.

Review originally published on Austenprose by Katie P.

John Dashwood promised his dying father that he would take care of his half sisters. But his wife, Fanny, has no desire to share their newly inherited estate with Belle Dashwood's daughters. When she descends upon Norland Park with her Romanian nanny and her mood boards, the three Dashwood girls-Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret-are suddenly faced with the cruelties of life without their father, their home, or their money.

As they come to terms with life without the status of their country house, the protection of the family name, or the comfort of an inheritance, Elinor and Marianne are confronted by the cold hard reality of a world where people's attitudes can change as drastically as their circumstances.

With her sparkling wit, Joanna Trollope casts a clever, satirical eye on the tales of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Reimagining Sense and Sensibility in a fresh, modern new light, she spins the novel's romance, bonnets, and betrothals into a wonderfully witty coming-of-age story about the stuff that really makes the world go around. For when it comes to money, some things never change. . .

I think this book translated well into the modern era, or Trollope did a pretty good job! I have to admit I haven't read Sense & Sensibility yet (I know, go ahead and barrage me now!) but I have seen the play and movies, so I tend to think I might know a teeny tiny bit. So I enjoyed the translastion into modern times.

It did make me laugh to think Austen would probably cringe, facebook with her characters? Ugh.. but the money part doesn't change does it? Enjoy it, I hope you will as much as I did!!

Run, Bill Brandon - run and don't turn back!!

I admire Joanna Trollope's style and her characterizations, but the story just didn't translate into modern times. It's difficult to admire characters who are leeches, even nice ones. They were all so very clueless, living in a world where a job is an eccentricity, bills are like alien visitors, and the expectation is that housing will be bestowed - and people will be ecstatic to have you as a semi-permanent house guest.

It's difficult to see why Bill would be besotted with Marianne, or why anyone would think this was a good match. Initially she just considers him old and stiff and a figure of fun. She might eventually recognize his saintly qualities, but that isn't the same as enthusiasm. And he really should notice that they've never had an actual conversation. But yes, she's so gosh-darned pretty. (I give it a year, tops.) As for Elinor and Ed... Elinor is used to weaklings even though she managed to promote his lack of initiative into a virtue.

The author did an adequate job trying to force a current day plot around the bones of the Jane Austen novel, like a too-tight corset. In the end, though, this is a novelty book.

First things first, let me get this confession out of the way...brace yourselves now: I've never, in my 27 years of breathing, read a Jane Austen book. *runs far away and covers face in shameful, shameful, shame..sigh*

With that said, I went into this modern retelling of Sense & Sensibility with absolutely zero expectations. I didn't have the original characters alive in my mind, begging to be compared-I held no knowledge of what the story line should have panned out like. I enjoyed this book, for the most part. I was slightly thrown off by the writing style, which I think would have happened any way you spun it. In staying true to Austen's overall feel, the book was a modern retelling, yes, but the writing style and terms had me constantly stopping to remind myself that it was taking place in the 21st century. It wasn't until the word "iPod" or "laptop" was dropped that I snapped back into reality. Again, I suppose this small qualm could have easily been avoided had I read the original book beforehand. I would have been able to appreciate just how true Joanna Trollope stayed to Austen's famous work.

Marianne and Elinor captured my heart. I saw myself in both of them at once, and then separately, when the moment permitted. I adored Marianne's dreamlike approach to life, and applauded Elinor's firm grasp on organization and logic. I agree with a lot of the reviews that state that Margaret (the youngest), seemed like the only breath of modern air in the book. She was your typical 21st century pre-teen: all gadgets and social media. I felt like that aspect needed to be pushed a little more to the forefront. Even with Elinor's training in graphic design, Trollope's writing made it so that I couldn't help but picture her with a pencil and paper, instead of in front of a computer.

However, angst, heartache, and reputation were three things that were definitely present, and from what I gather, what the original plot line revolved around. Sadly, many of the situations were not successfully translated into our modern times. Belle and her 3 daughters have moved into a new home, and are living off of old money. Elinor was forced to drop out of school, but why? In this day and age, a transfer is as easy as clicking a button, and UPS-ing some transcripts. The dramatics were a bit over-the-top, and in some cases, completely unnecessary. I understood that Trollope was trying to stay as true to the original Sense & Sensibility as much as possible, but for a "modern retelling," this book still felt extremely dated to me.

I enjoyed the story line of this book for what it was, and was definitely eager to find out the fate of each girl. I think Sense & Sensibility deserves a re-read once I go back and read the original first.

In this contemporary retelling of Jane Austen's classic novel of love, money, and sisters, Sense & Sensibility opens upon a scene of disappointment and loss.

After living at Norland Park for years, the Dashwoods are being evicted. By Belle Dashwood's own half-brother, John, whose demanding wife Fanny wants the house for herself.

Soon Belle and her three daughters, Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret, have moved to Barton Cottage near Exeter, and with no family money, Elinor begins working to support them all.

Fortunately, they are invited to lots of parties and taken under the wing of some of the well-known families. And love affairs ensue. There are some poor matches along the way to happily-ever-after.

There was a lot of emphasis placed on marrying one's own kind. A snooty ambience seemed prevalent amongst those who took the Dashwoods under their wings. I enjoyed the drama and the witty take on the family life of "poor relatives." What I didn't like: the melodrama of teenagers Marianne and Margaret, and I truly only liked Elinor.

In the end, the younger girls grew up a bit, after experiencing some hardships...and they grew on me, as well.

A story for those who love retellings...and for all who adore a bit of romance set in England amongst wealthy society members who love patronizing those beneath them. Four stars.

I have never minded re-tellings, imagined sequels, or even parodies of Austen masterpieces unlike some Jane Austen lovers. I definitely enjoyed the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies parody. I even like Joanna Trollope’s other works, but it is definitely sad that I find this first novel in the Austen product as starting off with a whimper instead of a bang. Out of all Austen’s novels the central themes of Sense and Sensibility are very modern, there are still a lot of greed, inequality, and seductive con-men in the modern world and that would make for a powerful re-telling is written correctly. I do not know if Trollope was blocked by very strict guidelines on how to write the modernization of Sense and Sensibility, but I wish she would have fought harder against those imposed guidelines in order to write a better novel, instead we have an interpretation that is superficial and mostly unbelievable. Elinor, Edward, and Col. Brandon are at least still quite likable however my favorite character Margaret Dashwood has been changed from a charming child to a detached brat. Willoughby who was an interesting villain is in the novel so fast and so out of character that he is barely noticeable. I have always found Marianne, irritating but here she is definitely detestable.
The circumstances of the loss of their home, the amount of their inheritance are misinterpreted in this novel; it makes most of the Dashwoods look like spoiled, useless females who could not be able to survive without the privileged lifestyle. Marianne’s asthma is even exaggerated to create drama that was not necessary.
There are a lot of missed opportunities in this first novel of the Austen project and I hope that the leaders of this project change the guidelines enough that the next novel modernizations are not written like a modernized hot mess.

Trollope’s unenviable task is to transport Austen’s characters and plots into the modern era. And it’s an uphill battle. The cultural differences between Regency era people and ourselves are strikingly difficult to overcome. In Trollope’s version they naturally Tweet and Text and upload compromising images on You Tube. Everything in our world happens so fast. No one lingers in agony or expectation waiting for news - except for Marianne whose naivety and emotional excesses don’t quite ring true for a modern woman. Ditto with the expectations that they should all get married as quickly as possible and that marriages are best when caste and class are the primary determinants. Also, In the original, it’s somehow less weird that the mother of an 18 year-old school leaver encourages her inexperienced, unstable daughter to marry a middle-aged man. Today, that relationship strikes one as a tad pervy.

Then there are all the experiences we have of the original text jumbled up with the powerful screen images of these characters. Whenever Colonel Brandon appears Alan Rickman pops into my mind’s eye pleading to be given something to do. Hugh Grant’s baby face also floats around the pages but doesn’t quite fit with Trollope’s version of his character. Her renditions of the Steele girls, Fanny, and old Mrs Ferrars, however, are wonderful.

In the first half of the novel, Trollope seemed to be hamstrung by the demands of Austen’s characters and plot points, as though they were something that had to be laid down before she could let her own creation take flight. As it eventually does.

I love the classics. I’ve read all the novels that female English Literature students are supposed to have read – Gaskell, Bronte, Austen. And Bridget Jones. And now Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trollope. And although it may not go down in history as its predecessor has, it’s a whole lot of nostalgic fun.

The plot sticks to the original like honey to toast. It deliciously captures Elinor, Marianne and the whole original cast perfectly as their modern counterparts, complete with mobiles, iPads and a desire for an occupation. Yet they are necessarily old fashioned in their family values and belief in the need for true love. The complex love triangles and broken hearts remain the same and it’s delightful to see the poisonous Fanny and charming Willoughby translated into the 21st century.

Trollope has excelled in modernising Austen’s biting wit, strong female leads and satiristic look at a hypocritical monied society. My one gripe was the way she used ‘young people’s language’ which totes made me cringe, innit? You get my meaning.

Even if you haven’t read the previous Sense and Sensibility, I’m sure you’ll love this book: it’s just too gorgeous not to. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll be hooked. And I bet you’ll be reaching for the Austen version as soon as you’ve finished.

***SPOILER ALERT***:If you've read Sense and Sensibility before, no need for a spoiler warning here. But if not, you might just want to go into this one cold, and just try it. While I have problems with this kind of book, there are certainly worse books of this type around. Skip my review below though!

3.5 stars I am a big fan of Jane Austen. Generally, I am not a fan of sequels or prequels written by someone other than the original author, nor do I go in for fanfiction. I read Longbourn earlier this year (one of my favorite books of the year), and also one of my most highly anticipated reads of the year as well. I had heard about the Harper Collins Austen Project, and when I saw this on Vine, i decided to take a chance. I have never read anything else by Trollope, so I was taking a chance, since I don't think her fiction is in line with my normal reading habits.

I re-read an Austen every year, and coincidentally, Sense and Sensibility was this year's. So the original was fresh in my mind. The reluctance on Trollope's part to deviate from the original story was disconcerting. I read Margot Livesey's The Flight of Gemma Hardy last year, a riff on Jane Eyre, and while the story was most certainly reflective of Jane Eyre, Livesey manages to make it very much her own story, as well as Gemma's. Trollope sticks very closely to Austen's plot and characters, which for me, with the contemporary setting, was a problem for me.

The plot is identical to Austen's: the Dashwood family (mother and three daughters) are forced out of their comfortable home by Isabel's (te Dashwood girls mother) stepson and his wife. Isabel is not only as sensitive as her daughter Marianne, she is a full fledged, perimenopausal hippie, and she and Mr Dashwood were not actually legally married, making matters more precarious for her children. So we do see some more actual character development in her than we do in the original novel. Same situation with Margaret, she is a tad more developed than in the original novel. Marianne and Elinor are practically the same as in the original, which results in Elinor's martyrdom, and Marianne's ninnydom. Because the innocence and sweetness of the Austen characters doesn't carry over, and instead, Elinor seems long suffering and Marianne, with her romantic ideals and artistic sensibilities just translates as annoying and narcissistic, unfortunately.

Trollope uses Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, cell phones, computers and cars liberally to bring her characters into the 21st century. Even Mr. Middleton's business is high tech and world wide. Yet that just seems heavy handed. I would have preferred Trollope had let the girls be old fashioned letter writers: keeping their same personalities and using these devices to "update" them seems forced and dull. This is where the story needs to deviate from the original, especially along the lines of the family's money problems, and the highly important talk of marrying for money. There's a name for people who marry for money, and I believe it translates on both sides of the pond: gold digger. And while these girls are not necessarily gold diggers, all the talk of money and marriage makes me cringe. It is just completely anachronistic. And while it is a major theme in Austen's books, that is because it is a fact of life of her time. Women had to worry about who they'd marry and how much cash they'd have, because women couldn't work. Yet here in the year 2013, women CAN work and do. Two able bodied women cannot work in this story. Granted, Marianne's constitution is delicate, but even that illness (asthma, which also killed their father?) seems anachronistic and bizarre in this day and age, with so many medicines to control these kind of conditions. It just didn't work for me.

This was not the worst thing I've read this year. I think anticipating what was going to happen next (and knowing exactly what that would be), made this book a bit of a slog for me, especially after reading it this summer and enjoying very much: I have two daughters who are close in age, and while they are both serious musicians, I think of them as very much an Elinor and a Marianne (although the older one is our Marianne!). I might be convinced to try another of these rewrites of Austen, but if I was making a suggestion for a friend who loves Austen, I'd tell them to read Longbourn by Jo Baker: the writing is far superior with original characters and plot blending in seamlessly with that of the Bennett family, as well as some re-imaginings of what really goes on behind closed doors there. It was brilliant while this book is just so-so.

Not long ago, I read a book by Francesca Segal titled "The Innocents". It was a modern-day resetting of Edith Wharton's "The Age Of Innocence", and I truly enjoyed that fine old story set in modern-day London. It was as though it was a new story.

So, when I saw that Joanna Trollope, one of my long-time favorite authors, had brought Jane Austen's "Sense And Sensibility" to a modern-day setting, I thought it would be fun and interesting to read. Forget it. Basically the same characters, but in jeans instead of empire-style dresses, driving cars instead of phaetons and broughams, listening to iPods and playing guitar instead of string quartets and pianoforte. It was the old-England issues uncomfortably and unsuccessfully set in the here and now. The storylines were much the same, the names were much the same (although "Eddie" or "Ed" for Edward Ferrars, or "Wills" for Mr. Willoughby just seemed like trying too hard to be the same but different), but it was as though they were wearing clothes that didn't fit properly. The widowed mother of Marianne, Elinor and Margaret ("Mags"??) became the never-was-married-to-him paramour of their father. It was just frustrating to read, as I kept hoping to find the redeeming character in the project. Having gotten most of the way through before giving up, I have no idea why Ms. Trollope even bothered. I certainly hope that she'll never try this again.

Note: I am assuming that anyone reading this review has already read Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. If you have not done so, there are spoilers in this review.

I enjoy Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility but, from my perspective as a 21st century reader, frequently want to shake some sense into the characters. That feeling was magnified when reading this 21st century re-telling of the story. Joanna did a clever job of bringing the story into the modern world while still keeping the essential elements of the story intact.

Ms. Trollope really brought some of the characters alive into the 21st century -- in particular Sir John, Mrs. Jennings, Fanny, and the Steele sisters were the perfect modern counterparts to the original characters.

To bring the story into the modern world, Joanna Trollope had to change around some parts of the story that were purely historical. Norland Park didn't go to John Dashwood because of entailment to male heirs but because Henry Dashwood didn't own it and the rich uncle who did own it left it and all the money to John with only a life estate to Henry. And Marianne doesn't work in part because she's too much of a dreamer but also in part because she has severe asthma. (There isn't anything to explain why Belle doesn't get a job after Henry dies, or why Willoughby and Edward are financially dependent on their families.)

But behavior that I understood as being part of the times with the original book is much harder to excuse in today's economy.

Characters have cell phones and iPods and Marianne's London encounter with Willoughby ends up going viral on YouTube. But in a world where women work and go to school, I found it frustrating when Belle and Marianne didn't think to get jobs and let Elinor support them. And while Edward is for me the least likeable "hero" in Austen's books, he seemed even more feckless in the modern age when he did nothing to reduce his reliance on his mother for money. In the modern context, his unwillingness to break off his secret engagement with Lucy Steele makes him seem weak and indecisive, not noble. And finally, Marianne's decision to accept Colonel Brandon's courtship doesn't make any sense in the modern world because she has options the original character may not have had.

Even with the parts of the book that didn't translate well to the modern age, i found this book to be clever and enjoyable. If you are a fan of Jane Austen's works, you should read this book.

Although Joanna Trollope has written numerous books, she is a new-to-me author. I couldn't resist reading a modern-day adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. It's been a long time since I've read Austen's version, but from what I can remember, Trollope's version did Austen's justice. Trollope did a fantastic job with adapting this novel into modern times. Especially since times are so different than when Austen wrote her S&S.
With any Austen inspired book I feel a bit of trepidation before reading it, but Trollope quickly put my fears to rest. Her story sucked me in from the first page. The characters are kept true to the original, and the story follows closely behind.
The three sisters, especially Elinor and Marianne, are endearing. Elinor is practical while Marianne is a free spirit. Both girls are searching for love, but their circumstances hold them back. I love the relationship between the entire family. The three girls and their mother interact great together. Who wouldn't want to be apart of this family? They disagree often but support each other no matter what.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found it hard to put down. Even if you're not a fan of Austen, I'd still recommend this book. I'll definitely be checking out more books by Trollope!

Sense & Sensibility by Joanna Trollope is a “modern retelling” of Jane Austen’s classic novel. It is part of the Austen Project, which pairs six contemporary authors with Jane Austen’s six complete works. Val McDermid reworked Northanger Abbey and Alexander McCall Smith Emma.

I read Emma first and was intrigued enough to read Sense & Sensibility. I liked reading it less than I did Emma. It felt much more modern. The author didn’t retain the decorous tone of Jane Austen’s language, and the technological touches felt much more intrusive.

This reworking did follow the book’s plot closely (although one character is gay in the reworking who is not in the original, which caused an odd hiccup in the plot). I mostly kept going because of my affection for the original. I probably would have been better off dropping the reworking and re-reading the original. This book is definitely not for the Austen purist.

Reading Joanna Trollope’s version did cause me to re-watch the Emma Thompson movie version, which is never a bad thing.

I was skeptical, but too intrigued not to try this. Austen retellings are a touchy business, and some of the plot elements in S&S in particular seem like tough ones to apply in our time. There were a few less believable moments on the latter count, but in general, I was charmed by this wittily written reboot.

It's the characters - with their specific, yet universal, strengths and failings - that are transposed so well here. Character is what the original story is about, so this adaptation wins in the most important category. It also wins in dialogue; most of that is snappy, natural, and adapts Austen's remarkably well.

Unfortunately, the updating of the plot revolves heavily around social media. Including social media would have been fine (even essential), but relying on it to move the plot along (and sometimes including for no apparent reason) feels forced, and worse, it feels dated. (2013 is already dated? When you're talking about social media, yes.)

Teenage slang is another problem in the same vein: if I read this book again in five years, I am going to positively wince every time someone says "totes." I will say that Trollope keeps this in hand better than McDermid in the Northanger Abbey adaptation that is part of this same series; only one of her characters is consistently slangy, and that's to the illustration of what kind of character that person is.

Joanna Trollope's novel is part of the Austen Project, an attempt to update all six of Jane Austen's novels to the modern era, with six different authors participating. I am not sure why this was considered necessary, as within the last twenty years Jane Austen has become a "fan favorite," which also includes fan fiction. There are many, many sequels to every Austen novel in print, and, as indicated, many fans of Austen write their own sequels and post them to Internet blogs.

Trollope, in my opinion, got the short end of the straw when it came to the selection of "Sense and Sensibility" as her Austen offering. And that is not because I don't like the original, because in fact it is one of my favorites of Austen's books. I just don't believe that the way Trollope approached the work works (as in "make it work"). There is almost too much of a homage to Austen and the early 19th century in a 21st century world. Two hundred years ago, Edward dumping the odious Lucy Steele would indeed make him a cad, which is simply no longer the case. We of the 21st century believe that the choice of a marriage partner involves more than just a promise made years ago, so in 2013 we just don't buy the situation in which Edward found himself. And marriage is no longer something vital for the economic survival of women, as many women now are making far more than men of the same age or class. The characters are superficial and have none of the liveliness of the originals. And there are twists that make little sense, such as Mrs Dashwood having a Czech nanny for Margaret, who is a teenager (14 years old)....which is about as believable as Mrs Dashwood not really being a "Mrs" Dashwood but rather passed over because of a "little thing" like the absence of a marriage certificate. Also, the amount the Dashwoods have to live on is not a tiny sum either, so they are hardly at the door of the closest shelter.

Most of the book is dialog, with very little description, which is the opposite of Austen, who had more of a balance between the two. None of the characters are very introspective, and it seems more like a romance novel (minus the explicit sex) than a literary effort to appeal to devoted readers of the original. I hope the other five modern versions are better thought out than this one.

In a modern retelling of a classic romance novel, Sense & Sensibility describes the world of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, where they experience love, romance, heartbreak, and ultimately their purpose in life.

This is a rewrite of the first book in the Jane Austen series of romantic stories. Austen’s books involved educated young women and their efforts in finding suitable husbands, while advocating mutual respect and affection between wife and husband. Austen’s horse-drawn coaches became luxury sports cars, and her communications technology of letters and messengers became mobiles, texting, and socials media such as Facebook. The author of this remake, Joanna Trollope, did a magnificent job at following the original plot and retaining all of the most important scenes.

Well suited to the job of recreating a classic, Trollope has been writing fiction for several decades. Among her honors include being named an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her literary accomplishments. She was the author of 1983 Britannia's Daughters: Women of the British Empire, 1994 Rector's Wife, and 2012 The Soldier's Wife.

This book was beautifully written with authentic modern dialogue. However, I had to on many occasions re-read passages several times to determine who was speaking which dialogues. Further, this remake falls short of Austen’s version in that women have come a long way in the past two hundred years. For example, women today have better job opportunities and no longer have to view marriage as the best career choice. Nevertheless, women today have the same concerns in that they still yearn for love and relationships of equals.

Sense & Sensibility is a well written remake of a classic romance with the same characters and the same themes. Reading the original book, set in the early nineteenth century, is a better choice.

I have a weakness for re tellings, or reimaginings inspired by Jane Austen novels. I really can't resist them. They're just so fun. Bridget jones diary, Hank Green's, Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Austenland, The Rude Awakening of a Jane Austen Addict, to name a few. I especially like when a contemporary girl has some sort of mishap or visits a fortune teller and somehow wakes up in regency England, or some other time travel plot. I draw the line at adding Zombies or sea monsters to Austen's worlds 'though. That's just weird.
Given all that I should have enjoyed this book. Joanna Trollope is a great writer, I've enjoyed many of her previous books. But this book, and this "Austen Project" I don't see the point of. It's not reimagined it's just rewritten pretty much verbatim with some of the original detail modernized. Modern technology such as SUVs and iPods are mentioned. Fish and chips are eaten, someone says "bollocks", but essentially it's a translation job. IMO an unnecessary one. Austen's work doesn't need any help remaining relevant in our current age.
Give this a miss, read the original instead.

If you are a Jane Austen addict (guilty) and a sequel, prequel, update addict as well (also guilty), then you will certainly want to read Trollope's update Sense and Sensibility. The good news is that this is very well written; the changes makes sense, the characters personalities remain unchanged in a different century. It's an easy, quick read. While not as funny as Bridget Jones, it is much more faithful to the original. The only bad news is that Sense and Sensibility is not necessarily the best of Austen's novels, in my opinion. I'd love to see what Trollope could do with Emma or Persuasion. Still, you will not be disappointed. I applaud Trollope for finding clever ways to translate some of the most outdated conventions around class, women's roles and social conventions into modern terms and realistic situations. You'll still hate Fanny, laugh at Sir John, and root for Elinor.

I enjoyed Sense and Sensibility in high school, and my wife certainly likes the movie. The book had a good story that made a good point: you can't really know if your sense (your feelings of what you ought to do) is a better guide than your sensibility (your logic about what you ought to do). Just about every other story of the like I have ever read always goes with "sense", as that's romantic. I appreciated the reality of this book on matters of the hearts as only a teenager can. It's so unsatisfying!

So I picked this one to read, hoping for an interesting remix on the concept. Oh wow. The context of the classic book, where being from a blended family or uncertain lineage or middling class were big problems, is repeated as though they are as relevant today. Which serves *only* to remind the reader that this isn't an original story, but is rather a project artificially imposed on an original story.

By making the mundane critical, some of the characters are forced into over-reacting and come across as nuts who need to investigate de-caf. You see a lot of complaining about a life that doesn't seem bad at all, and a lot of obvious solutions are ignored because the story requires it. Instead of the story flowing from the choices and development of the characters, the characters are stunted to follow the rails the story has them on. That may be unavoidable for the project this book is attempting, but I believe it could have been done better with more artistic license.

May I note that Wills in particular is the most oddly behaved character that is impossible to relate to.

The story strictly goes through the motions of Sense and Sensibility without really focusing on the aspects of the classic that I loved the most. That seems odd given the trouble gone through to follow the story, but I really felt like it passed through parts that it could have really spent more detail on (it's a bit difficult to explain as I do not spoil stories when I review them).

The gimmicks of internet communication made the book difficult to read, but I guess I'm not going to fault an attempt at creativity when that is what the project seems to have lacked the most.

My advice is to read the classic again instead of picking this one up.

My daughters and I love Jane Austen and have read and watched the different film versions again and again. (Actually my husband and sons do too!) I have tried many "sequels" or modern-day takes on Austen works, so far the best one being Death Comes to Pemberley (Vintage). I just finished this contemporary version of the famous tale of the very-different sisters, and it was very enjoyable. I find it very challenging to bring such a classic work into the world of iPods and text messages, but Trollope does with with master-fullness. Their ailments and car brands are brought up to date, and other interesting equivalents ensue. If you are a Jane Austen fan like us, you may have fun with this Elinor and this Marianne!

Having loved the original by Jane Austen…I wanted to love this re-invention of the story. It was ok, and there’s nothing overly wrong with this book. It just didn’t sing or soar or make me deliriously happy. Perhaps I’m a book addict looking for the latest fix all the time..no I wouldn’t even say perhaps…that is entirely true of who I am as a reader. The hit I was looking for never came. The writing is ok. The new rendition is ok. But no hit.

This is not a new storyline. It’s not even the old one reset in the new era. It’s the exact story adapted to now times. For someone that doesn’t enjoy Jane Austen’s writing or can’t get into it..this may be a way to expose yourself to what Austen was/is all about. But for those that love Austen…this is just a facsimile at best.

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

A "modern" re-telling of the classic that sort of fell flat for me. First, let me say that I must admit that I have not read the original, but am a fan of Austen and mostly enjoy her work, so I went into this with high hopes that I would enjoy a modernization.

For me it fell flat when parts of it felt very modern with Twitter, Facebook and cars, but then at the same moment there were parts that were stuck in the past - i.e. women fretting about living without a man and income and feeling unable to survive without a man and his income. The cast of characters was huge and I was having a hard time connecting with any of them and becoming engaged with the central few.

It's difficult to revisit a masterpiece and it's particularly tough to take on a Jane Austen novel.

If we step away from comparing Joanna Trollope's Sense and Sensibility to Jane Austen's and instead consider it as a work "inspired by" the original, then it's easier to appreciate the writing, how she creates and depicts these historic estates and the sort of present day characters that might occupy them and also alter them. While I found the complaints and moping of the younger Dashwood sisters and their mother frustrating and tiresome, Elinor's personality shone through and kept me engaged throughout.

Trollope's Sense and Sensibility is a fun read in its own right.

Modern retellings of classic novels so often tend to lose the heart and soul of the original: the names are the same but the story only has basic plot similarities. Especially with Austen, so much of the wit and pathos of the novel can be lost at the hands of authors of lesser talent.

Not so with Joanna Trollope's very modern but also very layered retelling of Sense and Sensibility. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book with depth and interest, well written and with quite a few very astute observations on her characters, especially in their translation to a modern milieu.

Trollope keeps most of the story intact but through careful selection of social situations, jobs, social media, and the modern trappings of a 21st century England, the transition is smooth and the character not only remain intact but also fully fleshed and interesting. Rest assured, the novel is very well written, the author has more than just read the books, she's analyzed them and brought in her own thoughts on the characters as well. E.g., one of my favorite lines from the book is a succinct observation on Willoughby through his car, a fancy Aston: "he likes a fantasy of a good thing......I mean, that it's probably leased. No many people can buy a car like that."

There are many more observations about the characters and their motivations. Edward comes out feeling even more like a sad sack while, in contrast, Bill Brandon is much more appealing and given more attention in this book than the Austen. As well, the girls' mother Belle, third sister Margaret, and the supporting characters are more fleshed out here and definitely feel very real and modern, despite keeping the heir/nobility/wealth trappings of Regency England.

In all, this was a thoughtful read but definitely not cumbersome or overly literate. In fact, I felt more like I was watching a movie than reading a book - the characters especially from the Ang Lee movie were in my head throughout. Sort of a Notting Hill meets Sense and Sensibility movies - in a good way.

For once, it was a pleasure to read a retelling of an Austen classic. Kudos to author Trollope for really understanding the characters and thinking through clearly their translation to a modern world.

I'm a fan of Jane Austen and Joanna Trollope, but this didn't work very well for me. Part of the reason that Sense and Sensibility was a good novel is because of the restrictions of the time period. When you set the story in a modern day time period, those societal restrictions are not there. This basically pulls out the interesting aspects of the story. There is no reason to be obsessed with marriage when in modern times several people decide not to get married, divorce is common, and there is no particular reason that a young girl has to get married. More women are completely able to take care of themselves now than ever before.

"Sense & Sensibility" is my favorite Austen book after P&P, so I thought I'd take a stab at this. I only wish I'd actually stabbed the thing, because once I'd read it all I could think was that the horrible zombie version was like Tolstoy next to this! Really, really dreadful at every turn. I shudder at the thought of what they'll do to the rest of the canon.

I know writers need money, but this project takes prostituting your "talent" to a new and icky level. I'd actually read and enjoyed a couple of Trollope's earlier books, but from now on I shall run from them as from the plague!

This is the worst book I have ever read. What was Joanna Trollope thinking of? She has read the original and literally reduced it to this: a paraphrase with a few references to facebook and texts. What arrogance did she have to ever take on Marianne Dashwood, a very tricky anti-heroine that Austen works hard to create some sympathy for? In this version, I was willing Wills to leave her in the rain without her inhaler. She had a nervous breakdown in the original - it was piteous, compelling and excrutiating to read! Here, she has asthma!!! And Margaret? Do such ungrateful and over priviledged girls really exist anymore?? Elinor should have left this pair plus their mother to eek an income alone, now that would have been a much better adaptation for Trollope to write. I am a big fan of Trollope but she has not made an effort at all here. I can't quite believe she is the author. This may be a hoax...

Warning: I have never read any of Jane Austen's books or even seen the movies made from her books. I have always believed that they would be a bad fit for me simply because I am not a romantic at heart. So keep this in mind when you are reading this review....Remember that scene in "An Officer and a Gentleman" where the male lead walks into the factory where the female lead works and sweeps her into his arms and carries away? All her co-workers are cheering. The women in the movie theater are alternately crying and cheering. I say to my boyfriend (later husband) "She's going to lose her job. You can't just walk into a place of business and carry the worker out". Craig chuckled.

I have to admit, Joanna Trollope's version of "Sense & Sensibility" does not a lot of sense to me. It might be that I don't understand the importance of money or class in a relationship in the twenty first century. In Jane Austen's day, I can see where that sort of thing might be much more important (maybe - I'm an American so I don't really "get" it). But if you know M's Austen's book, you know this story.
Elinor (the practical) and Marianne (the free spirit) are turned out of the house (with the youngest daughter and the mom) that they grew up in. Despite John's (the older half brother) assurances he will take care of the "illegitimate family", he won't stand up to his wife and so the four females must go. The story is mostly about Elinor and Marianne's romances.
Elinor falls in love with her sister-in-law's brother. Edward seems practical and "good" but somehow he manages to promise to marry Elinor as well as Lucy Steele. Lucy and Edward announce their engagement to the family and automatically, Edward is disinherited and all the other things parents with money can do to their adult children.
Marianne falls in love with the hot "Wills" (John Willoughby). Please note Wills is "hot". Or not because Marianne will constantly remind you of how hot Wills is. Of course, he promises the moon, the stars and a fancy sports car to Marianne in exchange for....I presume it's love, seems more like sex to me. Of course, he gets cut off from his inheritance because the relationship with Marianne didn't lead to marriage for Marianne. He marries a Greek heiress instead, of course for the money. But he still loves Marianne and will until......
Dorothy Parker said it best when she said something along the lines "Constant Reader threw up". The whole money and inheritances, the hysterics and the class issue just made me want to grab a character and use that character to beat another character. The whole "sorrow in the heart" stuff doesn't work for me. The way things neatly wrap themselves up and everything is just sunshine and lollipops is too much for this old cynical woman.
I have no idea whether the Austen fans will love it or not. I will add that it is well written because M's Trollope made me care enough about the characters that I wanted to set them right. So my advice is if you like Joanna Trollope's writing and Jane Austen's stories, this will be a good book for you. If you are jaded as I am, I suggest you avoid this book.

Even when the characters of Sense and Sensibility check Facebook, email and tweet, they seem just like the original characters from the 1800's - just as self centered and self pitying, just as self important and self satisfied. And yet, I found this version just as readable, just as enjoyable, as the original. Maybe it's because both writers had the facility to transcend the characters' faults, and let us walk with them in the world they have created for just a little while.

Austen stood the test of time, but only time will tell if Trollope can do the same.

No, it isn't Jane Austen. It's the story, with all the major scenes of it, modernised. I was amazed at how well, this was done. Obviously, Joanna Trollope is a very good writer. What's incredible is how neatly she was able to take the truly old-fashioned elements of the original - such as Marianne falling deathly ill after a walk in the rain - and have them make sense in the 21st century. I did still take sides among the sisters and find their mother highly exasperating, just like in the original. You can never read Sense and Sensibility for the first time again but it is so much fun to find something that has all the beauty and love that lives in this story and make it feel simultaneously so familiar and so new. Delightful.

Apparently there is a project to "re-imagine" all six of Jane Austen's complete novels, set them in modern times and have them scribed by some of today's well regarded authors. Joanna Trollope's version of Austen's first novel SENSE AND SENSIBILITY is the initial title to be released in this series and in my opinion is barely an "OK" attempt. In this retelling the sisters and their mother lose their lovely house to their half brother and his obnoxious wife because their dad never got around to actually marrying their mother. Other changes to force the story in to the 21st century make Elinor an architecture student (who improbably is forced to quit right before finishing her program because of the changes in her family fortunes) Marianne plays the guitar rather than the pianoforte and is afflicted with asthma while middle school age Margaret is upset because she has to change schools. Modern versions of Edward Ferrars, Willoughby and Colonel Brandon are on hand as well as contemporary variants of the original novel's supporting cast.

Though the personalities of Austen's characters and their relationships with each other translate well enough from early 19th century England to 21st century Britain so many social customs, norms and attitudes have changed that much of the original plot does not seem plausible even with Trollope's adjustments for today's times. Trollope is a more than decent author of the "chick lit" vein but this attempt to update a beloved British classic seems a waste of her talents and the readers' time.

If your are a diehard fan of Jane Austen then don't open the book. HOWEVER if you love Jane Austen stories but sometimes get weighed down in all the period drama and CAN approach this book with a tongue in cheek attitude then just open the first page and feel yourself being swept along with Elinor Dashwood and her two sisters as this familiar story unfolds in a modern , refreshing setting that is coupled with Jane Austen type themes , but done in the entertaining Joanna Trollope style.

Sense & Sensibility is not my favorite Jane Austen novel. I've always thought it particularly dreary. However, I love Austen retellings so I thought I would give this one a chance. I'm so glad I did. Trollope presents the Dashwoods in a modern setting, but retains some of the formalness that one finds in an Austen novel. It worked perfectly together.

Trollope is true to the original characters which slipping in modern conveniences like cars and cel phones. Somehow it all works together to make a refreshing, wonderful read.

I have read Joanna Trollope for years and she never disappoints.. I suspect she was commissioned by the Austin foundation to write an updated version of this classic . it's worthy of the original and it is nice to see that she has brought this book to a new generation. perhaps she will do this with other Jane Austen novels.

I am usually all about adaptations of classic literature, so I jumped at the chance to read Joanna Trollope's modernization of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. I was so intrigued by the idea—how would Trollope transport the Dashwood family to modern-day England? Unfortunately, the idea was better than the execution. Sense & Sensibility is almost a straight retelling of the Austen classic. Yes, there are changes to make the plot more modern (the girls' mother was not ever married to their father, Willoughby "Wills" is not only a philanderer but also a drug dealer, Elinor has a career), but so often the aspects that serve to remind the reader that the story takes place today—mentions of Twitter, Facebook, Hummers, etc.—seem completely out of place and do nothing to advance the plot. While Elinor does get a job (and feels most like a "modern" character), the rest of the women seem firmly stuck in the past, bemoaning their man troubles and utterly incapable of taking care of themselves. Really, only the minor details are modernized while most of the plot and characters remain the same as in the original, making for an odd mishmash of a book.

This book is the first volume in a series of Jane Austen novels that are being re-written in a modern style. Having never read the original classic (shame on me!), I had nothing to compare this book to while reading it. It was well-written, and as far as I could tell, all of the original characters were accounted for.

Sense & Sensibility tells the tale of three sisters who have a habit of being slightly bratty, a half-brother who wants to protect his half-sisters from the cruel world, and the half-brother's wife who wants nothing to do with her husband's family or inherited living quarters. I thought that the author did a brilliant job of keeping the feel of Jane Austen in the book, but replacing old fashioned things with modern, and putting enough of a twist on things that someone reading both the original book, and this new one, would be entertained for the entirety of both novels.

[...]

I'll start by saying that, yes, the book is well-written, which is why it got 2 stars rather than 1. But that's the only good thing I can say about it. The further I got into this book, the more incredulous I became, wondering where Jane Austen's loving, loveable (if flawed) characters had disappeared to. Trollope, in setting Sense and Sensibility in the modern era, has managed to strip the story of everything meaningful that made it a classic. It's no longer a commentary on society, but a strange book about a handful of hopeless, irritating characters who can't seem to get it in their heads that most people have to WORK for a living. In Austen's original, the plight of the Dashwood family was compelling because as women, they truly had very few options available to them when they lost their home. Today, Marianne's moaning, Margaret's teen angst and "Belle" (Mrs. Dashwood)'s complete lack of understanding about bills that need to be paid is simply pathetic.

I love all of Jane Austen's books. This book was recommended to me, so I decided to read it.
I simply do not get why this author felt that it was necessary to tell a version of the story, with the only difference being modern gadgetry was included in the book.

I believe this book would be enjoyable even if one hadn't read Jane Austen's original, but it's a lot more fun if one has! The author did a wonderful job of creating an entertaining read while staying true to the plot and characters of JA's classic. I liked that Trollope did not follow the plot slavishly but played around with it a little. I had never heard of Joanna Trollope before but will be looking into her other books.

Joanna Trollope is a great white writer on her own account. I love and own quite a few of her books.

However I can’t quite see an updated sense and sensibility actually working in today’s environment. Yet if anybody was going to be able to do an update and make it viable it would be Joanna Trollope.

Just because I personally do not like updates does not render this book unreadable for many people.

Read at your own risk.

Great adaptation of one of my less favorite Austen novels. (I ADORE Austen, but truly S&S cannot compare in any way to P&P or Persuasion; it's an excellent book, but suffers in comparison.) I do love this adaption quite a lot, though. It retains all of Austen's spunk and quiet wit. I do hope that readers unacquainted with the original will seek it out.

This modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility is neither great nor terrible, but falls somewhere in the middle. Why? Well, I think it must be tricky to transport a book very much of its time into a modern setting. Some of the characters are utterly obnoxious in the original, but their actions were somewhat understandable due to the time period. In a modern setting, these characters are simply unbearable. Marianne, for instance, is flighty and overdramatic in the original, but in this retelling you want her to swallow some Prozac and move on with her life. Also, it wasn’t uncommon for an older man to court a teenager during the Regency period. Nowadays, that’s kind of creepy.

In any reimagining of a classic, it’s important to keep plot points combined with a certain amount of creative retelling, but that balance felt off in this story. The book is entertaining at times. I guess I just expected more.

The reviews online indicated that I would hate this - but perhaps that helped. While it's nowhere near the kind of masterpiece Jane Austen created, it is a very pretty piece of writing in its own right, and had a very nice impact emotionally. Additionally, it was fun seeing the various versions of characters, whether from fandom, film or TV version, or otherwise, poke their heads in every now and then.

I give this review with a caveat: I don't like Jane Austen. There was a time (in 7th grade, I believe) when I was enamored of "Pride and Prejudice" but by end of high school, I was sick of her. Years later, I discovered that Mark Twain had despised Austen's work as well and he pretty much sums up my dislike.

I share that because I picked up Joanna Trollope's "Sense and Sensibility" knowing full well that it was 'updated' version of Austen's. I thought to try it because (1) Sense is one of Austen's lesser annoying works to me and (2) I liked "Clueless" so maybe I'd like another updated version of an Austen.

But no, it wasn't to be. While set in an updated setting, it is still pretty much Austen in its bones and I struggled through it. I felt like I may as well have read the original instead.

Sense and Sensibility, by Joanna Trollope, is a modern day version of Jane Austen's novel with the same name. I was so disappointed. From the first page, Trollope's writing was uncharacteristically stilted and strained and absurd. Trollope is one of my favorite authors of great British novels to which I can relate and in which I love to get lost, but I could neither relate to, nor feel enveloped by this one. The characters and their homes retained their original names, (yes, The British name their homes) and the settings were those of the original, but it was just too bizarre to have these characters using iphones, driving SUV's, using the internet, etc. and then acting like jilted, clingy maidens from 1792. The story was simply too dated for this modern world.

If you can forget you live in the modern age while simultaneously reading a book that literally hits you over the head with elements of it...facebook! texts! etc., then you will probably enjoy this book. Joanna Trollope is a good writer and manages to stylistically present a good updated version of Sense and Sensibility.

However, it fails on many levels because the actual plot of the former relied on its place in history to justify why choices would be hard, promises serious business, etc. Our emotions are able to be more important now than future position, situation, or past hopes and dreams. We have more choices and this retelling can't reflect that and remain true to the original plot. It chooses the latter and losses a lot in translation.

Trollope takes the bare bones of Austen's story and creates her own characters, and story lines, and has a heck of a fun time doing it. My strongest recommendation to forget how you feel about Jane Austen and her characters and just enjoy Trollope's story because she tells a corker of a story.

I love Jane Austen and I've enjoyed Joanna Trollope's earlier books. I hadn't read her for a while when I saw this and picked it up out of curiosity. It doesn't work at all. We don't have the rigidity and fine nuance in our societal structure that made the original so compelling and this modern day retelling feels forced at best, ridiculous at worst.

I have enjoyed the recent surge of retelling classical literature to fit a modern theme. This book literally got on my nerves to the point I put it down and did not finish it. The only emotions these girls could show were deep depression, not so deep depression, some sadness, then back to depression. Granted the original story had some depression and sadness but at least the original characters had some character.

If you are a Jane Austen fan, and enjoy modern spins on the classic plots made famous by Aunt Jane, you will probably enjoy this book (at least somewhat). An amusing read, if not the best of the modern Austen-style plotlines.

Sadly there are no new Jane Austen novels fo rus to anticipate so Joanna Trollope is the next best thing. What do you do when jane Austen is one of your favorite fiction writers-- it's simple you turn to joanna Trollope and others like her.

As an Austen fan i loved this book, (sure it has some shortcomings) and I think it would be equally enjoyable for someone who has never read or had to read Jane Austen. This was a delightful respite - try it and i think you will be hooked,

I love this author but this book was a big disapointment. I finished it just to make my money worth. Making this novel a novel of the 21st century added nothing, it actually all felt out of place and the presence of FB twitter and other was so little it just did not fit with the spirit of the story.