Sense and Sensibility: An Annotated Edition

Sense and Sensibility (1811) marked the auspicious debut of a novelist identified only as A Lady. Jane Austens name has since become as familiar as Shakespeares, and her tale of two sisters has lost none of its power to delight. Patricia Meyer Spacks guides readers to a deeper appreciation of the richness of Austens delineation of her heroines, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, as they experience love, romance, and heartbreak. On display again in the editors running commentary are the wit and light touch that delighted readers of Spackss Pride and Prejudice: An Annotated Edition.

In her notes, Spacks elucidates language and allusions that have become obscure (What are Nabobs? When is rent day?), draws comparisons to Austens other work and to that of her precursors, and gives an idea of how other critics have seen the novel. In her introduction and annotations, she explores Austens sympathy with both Elinor and Marianne, the degree to which the sisters share sense and sensibility, and how they must learn from each other. Both manage to achieve security and a degree of happiness by the novels end. Austens romance, however, reveals darker overtones, and Spacks does not leave unexamined the issue of the social and psychological restrictions of women in Austens era.

As with other volumes in Harvards series of Austen novels, Sense and Sensibility: An Annotated Edition comes handsomely illustrated with numerous color reproductions that vividly recreate Austens world. This will be an especially welcome addition to the library of any Janeite.