📖 Sense and Sensibility

Interest Level: UG AR Quiz No: 12795 Recommended By: Peishi Yu In Jane Austen's debut novel, two sisters move from their family estate into a remote cottage, while experiencing much heartbreak along the way. Elinor Dashwood represents sense, while her little sister Marianne represents sensibility. Elinor's sense puts her at a more rational and observant stance, while Marianne's sensibility sees her look past red flags if her emotions tell her that something is right. When Elinor's father Henry dies, he makes his son John provide for the rest of the family, consisting of his stepmother and the three sisters (Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret). However, John's wife Fanny convinces him to stop providing money, and the rest of the family is forced to move out of their house and into the countryside. First, Fanny's brother Edward visits the family and starts to grow attracted to Elinor, but Fanny reminds him about his greater plans. Then, while getting lunch, Colonel Brandon, a family friend, is attracted to Marianne, but she rejects him due to their age gap. Later, while out walking, Marianne sprains her ankle. John Willoughby (not to be confused with Henry's son) takes her home. Soon, he starts visiting more frequently, and Marianne turns a blind eye to the dangers. However, John has to leave due to business in London, leaving Marianne very upset. Edward, while visiting Elinor's new home, also bumps into the owner of the house, Sir John. Sir John's mother-in-law's cousin Lucy is actually engaged with Edward, which she tells Elinor while staying at Barton Park. Later on, Marianne meets John Willoughby again, but this time with another lady. It turns out that he was married this whole time. Colonel Brandon also reveals that John had seduced his teenage ward Eliza, and that was the reason he'd been disinherited and needed to remarry. Throughout the entire book, Elinor and Marianne grapple with the various men around them, all with their own personalities. How will their sense or sensibility fare in the end? I heavily recommend this book because it's an all-time classic. Jane Austen weaves Elinor and Marianne's characters into their paths masterfully, and has everything from humor to poignancy to sorrow. The balance between sense and sensibility is also expressed very well, and each character adds to the story in their own unique way.

本书是简·奥斯汀的处女作。小说讲述了两姐妹从家族庄园搬到一处偏远小屋生活,并在途中经历许多心碎与考验的故事。埃莉诺·达什伍德代表"理性"(sense),而她的妹妹玛丽安代表"感性"(sensibility)。埃莉诺的理性使她更加冷静、理智且善于观察;而玛丽安的感性则让她在情感认定某件事是对的时候,往往忽视明显的危险信号。 当埃莉诺的父亲亨利去世后,他嘱托儿子约翰照顾继母和三个女儿(埃莉诺、玛丽安和玛格丽特)。然而,约翰的妻子范妮说服他停止资助家人,于是她们被迫搬离原来的家,前往乡间生活。起初,范妮的哥哥爱德华来探访,并逐渐对埃莉诺产生好感,但范妮提醒他要顾及自己更宏大的前途计划。随后,在一次午餐时,家庭朋友布兰登上校被玛丽安吸引,但由于年龄差距,玛丽安拒绝了他。 玛丽安在散步时扭伤了脚踝。约翰·威洛比(不要与亨利的儿子约翰混淆)将她送回家。不久后,他频繁来访,而玛丽安对潜在的危险视而不见。由于伦敦事务,威洛比不得不离开,这让玛丽安十分伤心。与此同时,爱德华在拜访埃莉诺新家时,结识了房主约翰爵士。约翰爵士岳母的表亲露西其实已经与爱德华订婚,而她在巴顿庄园居住期间,将这一事实告诉了埃莉诺。 此后,玛丽安再次见到约翰·威洛比,但这一次他身边已有另一位女士。事实证明,他早已结婚。布兰登上校还揭露,威洛比曾诱骗他年少的监护人伊丽莎,这也是他被剥夺继承权、不得不另娶他人的原因。整本书中,埃莉诺和玛丽安都在面对性格各异的男性时不断挣扎与成长。那么,她们的"理性"与"感性"最终将走向何方呢? 我非常推荐这本书,因为它是一部永恒的经典。简·奥斯汀巧妙地将埃莉诺与玛丽安的性格融入她们各自的人生轨迹中,作品既幽默又感人,同时也充满忧伤。书中对"理性"与"感性"之间平衡的描绘十分出色,每个角色都以自己独特的方式为故事增添了色彩。