Every page made me yearn for a sister in the most delightful way! 😂 At its core, Sense and Sensibility is less about romantic entanglements and more about the profound bond between Elinor and Marianne. The love stories, while present, feel almost secondary to the exploration of their sisterhood.

That said, their characters seem almost too precisely drawn—Elinor as the personification of Sense, and Marianne of Sensibility. Austen appears to have anchored them so firmly in these traits that it sacrifices some of the subtlety and depth we might expect from such central figures. It’s difficult not to draw comparisons to Pride and Prejudice’s Elizabeth Bennet, whose cleverness and complexity elevate her far beyond a single archetype. I couldn’t help but wish Elinor had been given just a touch of Lizzy’s wit—it would have enriched the narrative and given the story an extra dimension.

Amidst all this, Mrs. Jennings absolutely stole the show. Her vivacity and unpretentious humor inject a much-needed lightness, providing a perfect counterbalance to the more restrained Dashwood sisters 😂💖  I’m not going to lie, Mrs. Jennings annoyed me at first! Her constant gossiping felt intrusive, and I found her meddling with sisters' lives a bit overbearing. But as the story progressed, she really grew on me. I realized that beneath all the chatter, she’s a deeply caring motherly figure who genuinely wants the best for the Dashwood sisters. Her flaw—being a little too fond of gossip—is something you just have to set aside to see her true heart. She’s the kind of character who sneaks up on you in the best way and I love this type of character!

I would’ve given this book a higher rating if the sisters’ personalities weren’t so rigidly aligned with the qualities they were meant to embody. If Elinor and Marianne had more nuance—if they had been allowed to exist beyond the confines of Sense and Sensibility—I think the narrative would have been richer for it. Their traits felt too one-dimensional at times, too neatly defined, and that lack of complexity kept me from fully connecting with them. If their characters had been a bit more multifaceted, this book could’ve easily earned a higher rating from me, and perhaps be on my pedestal together with Lizzy.

I genuinely enjoyed my time with this one, and while the endings weren’t exactly what I’d hoped for, I can fully appreciate why they are the most rational conclusions for the sisters’ journeys. Austen may not have indulged in the outcomes I might have wished for, but the resolutions feel true to the characters and their growth. Despite any reservations, Sense and Sensibility offered a compelling, thoughtful exploration of relationships—more familial than romantic—and I can’t help but admire how grounded it all feels in the end.