Sense and Sensibility

The story of the Dashwood sisters, who were robbed of their home and social status when, after their father’s death, their stepbrother and his domineering wife deprived them of their inheritance. Elinor, Marianne, and their mother are thus forced to leave the comfort of their beloved mansion and move to a cold country cottage. Here they must start their lives anew, seemingly without much prospect. The two sisters are very different in character and similarly different in their maturation and tribulations, which ultimately lead them from the tranquillity of the countryside to the whirlwind of London’s ball season. Elinor believes in moderation and common sense, while Marianne is romantically passionate and emotional – but in a time when love is ruled by money, both will have to learn to combine reason with emotion in order to find happiness. A rich mosaic of relationships and destinies against the backdrop of two love stories paints a portrait of a society in which sham, hypocrisy, and selfishness are as common as sincere emotion and mutual understanding. This renowned novel, full of humour and emotion from “good old England,” has been adapted many times for film, theatre, and television.