Sense and Sensibility (Bicentennial) | 
"From this moment her mind was never quiet; the expectation of seeing him every hour of the day, made her unfit for any thing."
#Pemberlittens Chapters 27/28 Marianne the Drama Queen Dashwood and her letter writing. ??♀️
#JaneAustenThenAndNow
Chapters 23-26
Lucy Steele is determined to stake her claim on Edward. Elinor is convinced that Edward cannot possibly be in love with her, but she somehow is not upset with HIM for leading both of them on.
Marianne and Elinor then go to London with Mrs. Jennings (suddenly less intolerable to Marianne when she can be used to track down Willoughby...). Marianne sends him a note (so forward!) but the visitor at their door is Col Brandon instead.
Ch. 25/26: Mrs. J invites the Dashwoods to stay with her in London and for some reason Marianne is...into it? But immediately upon arrival, M's motives become clear - she sends a note to Willoughby, and Elinor is like, "Engagement confirmed!" Why else would Marianne be so bold as to *gasp* write a letter? A knock on the door makes Marianne jump but when she finds Brandon on the other end, not W, she flees the room immediately. A little tact, girl!
Ch. 23/24: Elinor tries to come to terms with Edward's engagement to Lucy in the most exasperatingly Elinor way possible- by feeling worse for him than she feels for herself and by pretending that absolutely nothing is wrong. When she's next able to get Lucy alone, she gently pushes for intel, and eventually concludes that Edward could not possibly love his fiancee. I mean, who could?! I think the tweet pictured here speaks for all of us, amirite?
Chapters 20-22
No sooner have the Palmers left (her very silly, him very dour), then the Misses Steele come to visit Barton. They get into Lady Middleton's good graces by indulging and cosseting her already spoiled children. Elinor has quite a sassy line in response to Lucy Steele's "horror" at quiet, well-behaved children:
"I confess that while I am at Barton Park, I never think of tame and quiet children with any abhorrence."
Chapters 17-19
Edward comes to visit, and Elinor has hope of the renewal of their quiet affection. But mostly Edward mopes about and is distant. There is a particularly vexing speech about how he wanted to do something useful with his life, but nobody presented him with the exact right thing, so now he is idle and useless. Woe is Edward!
#JaneAustenThenandNow
#Pemberlittens
@Crinoline_Laphroaig
Playing a little catch up on my #Pemberlittens #JaneAustenThenAndNow reread over coffee & a breakfast sandwich. Then I have some catch-up for #LitsyLove & maybe some journaling. It was a long week & Saturday is for errands & self-care.
I keep getting sidetracked by news & images of the fires in Los Angeles. So far my friends & my nephew & his girlfriend who live there are all okay. Hope any Littens & your families are too. Such a tragedy. 💔
#Pemberlittens "After sitting with them a few minutes, the Miss Steeles returned to the Park, and Elinor was then at liberty to think and be wretched."
I am not wretched. I have tea and wonderful view of snow from my bed.
???❄️? #JaneAustenThenAndNow
I'm revisiting Elinor and Marianne while enjoying the peace and quiet of my #happyplace 🌲❄️
#JaneAustenThenAndNow
#Pemberlittens a bit of #JaneAustenThenAndNow from yesterday's reading of Chapter 19 - Then. I had forgotten the circumstances when this was said and whi said it. Wise words from Mrs Dashwood? That's not something I associate with her.
And the 'Now' ⬇️......
Chapters 19/20: Using an old meme today but what better image to capture Edward's "plight"? OK, I feel for him, what with his harridan of a mom, but get some real problems, man. You're so rich that you can swan about being "dashing and expensive" and you're still gonna be a drag? I know, I'm hard on dear Edward but his Sad Boy schtick is wearing- on both me and Elinor! Luckily he fucks off to somewhere else, just in time for the Palmers to arrive.
Chapters 9-16 (catch-up)
Marianne takes a tumble down a hill and sprains her ankle, but is rescued most dashingly by a handsome young man. They are soon fully enamored of one another (and annoying with their carelessness for others, propriety or, indeed, reality, not to mention their insistence on being snotty about everyone).
Willoughby leaves with no official relationship status and an uncertain return, occasioning a great deal of wallowing.
Chapters 17/18: Edward spends the first part of his visit moping around like a saddo. He rallies a little after being generously welcomed by Mrs. D but "he was still not in spirits". He loosens up as time passes, teasing M about how to describe the picturesque countryside, and even ribbing her about Willoughby. But I can take no joy in it because in this chapter we're introduced to Edward's disgusting hair ring, which grosses me right tf out. ?
My first read. I am catching up, read Chapters 1-8.
Marianne is So Much - all about the Depths of Every Feeling and Moderation is akin to Death! Marianne is Victorian Capitalization and many exclamation points. She both reminds me of myself as a teenager and would drive me absolutely bonkers in real life.
Not much to say yet about the more practical, grew up too soon Elinor. But I suspect I will like her very much.
Chapters 15/16: These chapters back to back give us a pretty terrible look at the men the Dashwood women are dealing with. First Willoughby blows town with absolutely no explanation, leaving Marianne in throes of (semi)performative agony and Elinor and Mrs. D puzzling for days. Then it seems like there might be a silver lining- Edward arrives! But he's dour, withdrawn, and cold. Marianne is pissed and Elinor is vexed and I'm right there with them!
Chapters 13/14: Stuff happens today, but honestly? I'm mentally stuck on the second line. Elinor anticipates a miserable time during a day trip to Whitwell, expecting to end up "wet through, fatigued, and frightened". Its been rainy, so the first point tracks, and it would be a long day so the second point checks out, too- but why 'frightened'? Why, why?? Is she afraid of sailing? Of open carriages? Of a picnic lunch?? Ya'll, help me out here! ?
Chapters 11/12: A season of revelry begins (cards! Dancing! Parties on the water!) and Willoughby is right next to Marianne for all of it. They are loud and indiscreet and Elinor hates it. The worst comes when W tried to gift M a horse that the family can't afford and then takes a lock of her hair (gasp!). In the midst of the drama, E and Brandon have a great talk about second attachments - making me want to buy the pictured shirt immediately.
Chapters 9/10: Marianne and Margaret take a walk when - oh no!- it starts to rain! Marianne slips and hurts her ankle when - oh yes!- dashing Willoughby comes to her rescue. When he calls on them in the coming days Marianne is charmed but Elinor only sees "a propensity of saying too much what he thought on every occasion, without attention to persons or circumstances...sacrificing general politeness to the enjoyment of undivided attention.” ???
Chapters 7/8: a dinner at Barton Park with jocular Sir John and my queen, Mrs. Jennings, really gets things going, especially when we meet the oldest man who has ever existed, 35 year old Colonel Brandon. Marianne's views on the "infirm" Colonel are exasperating, ridiculous, and perfectly in line with every teenager you know, and the article pictured here (link in comments) is pretty much today's version of the conversations in chapter 8. Enjoy!
Catching up! Chapters 3 and 4 tell us that Elinor is smitten with shy, awkward Edward and Marianne cannot stand it. I mean, he's not even into music, and when he read out loud, it was boring as HELL. Marianne needs spirit! and fire! and someone who likes *exactly* the same art that she does! And when I read this passage, I may as well be reading my own teenage diaries because damn if Jane Austen didn't have my ass absolutely clocked.
"The family of Dashwood had long been settled in Sussex." Hello, old friend...! #PemberLittens #JaneAustenThenAndNow #Jane250
SO excited to kick off a year of Austen with the #PemberLittens! I'm spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing a copy to dig into, but I believe this time it's gonna be the beautiful Cranford Collection edition. I'm so ready for what Jane has to show me in these next 12 months, starting with the story that's in many ways the most dear to me- my first ever Austen, which has lived in my heart for decades now. #JaneAustenThenAndNow
I read the first two chapters tonight to kick off #JaneAustenThenAndNow . So excited to spend a year in the world of Jane Austen! #PemberLittens
Starting this beauty today for #Pemberlittens #JaneAustenThenandNow 💜
It‘s been such a long time since I read it, so I‘m really looking forward to reacquainting myself with the characters!
#Pemberlittens It's time! I have several editions I will visit but this will be my main one. Gorgeous and has a ribbon bookmark. S & S has 50 Chapters so 2 Chapters a Day, if that's your preferred reading. I'll probably aim for that but may get to a spot and want to finish. How about you? ? #JaneAustenThenAndNow
"The family of Dashwood had long been settled in Sussex."
Here is my first #bookspin list of 2025! I did this one a little differently. There‘s space for mood reads and also for reading books that will end up in our daughter, Ellie‘s, nursery library once she arrives in May! And, of course, plenty of fantasy reads 🐉
Thanks for hosting this challenge, @TheAromaofBooks 😊
Today in 1775 Jane Austen was born. I celebrated with Twinings English breakfast tea, raspberries and creme scone, and an Austen movie marathon in the order of the books publications. The teapot lid has the beginning of Pride and Prejudice on the pages. Made by Carters of Suffolk.
Very similar to Pride & Prejudice. Enjoying it so far! It's like the 1800s version of Sex and the City but more pretentious. Spill that tea, Jane 😅
Had some great options but I am feeling a need to break free from the murder mysteries for a few days. Up next, Austen's first novel (1811) preceding Pride&Prej by just two years. Jane was 35 years old when she published her first book.
The bed and breakfast next door to me holds Jane Austin weekends. This weekend was ‘special‘. It was a Sense and Sensibility gathering. Our town was having its annual parade and celebration today and folks attending the B&B event intermingled with the rest of us. Men in top hats and women in bonnets. Sadly I only remembered to take a photo as they walked back to participate in parlor games.
https://onehundredmain.com/events/jane-austen-weekends/
I am *in love* with this vintage Folio set of Austen's compete works- a gift from my thoughtful husband. Kicking off a full re-read with Sense and Sensibility, my sentimental favorite forever. #PemberLittens #CurrentlyReading
pickI connect to, and fall in love with, something different in each of Jane‘s books, but this is one of the few where I connect to the leading women in a way that I actually see whispers of myself in them and their actions. I know I always say I‘ve just read my favorite, but I actually think it may be true this time 😂 I‘m slowly rereading all her works so eventually I‘ll get back to you also on my favorite at 41.
I‘m so fickle. I think whichever Austen I‘m reading at the moment always becomes my favorite Austen all over again, until I pick up another 😂
May 1st 2020 - When #PemberLittens began our first Chapter a Day Readalong. You were a bright spot throughout the Pandemic. Wonderfully supportive after my house fire. I think of you every time I look at my shelf of Jane Austen books you sent me. 💙💙💙💙💙
pickSense And Sensibility is definitely the cattiest of Austen‘s novels. Elinor in particular is a straight-up hater. She might put on a polite front for other characters, but Austen reveals as narrator that she is absolutely murdering everyone around her in her mind. You‘ve got to admire a girl who can filter like that! Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/sense-and-sensibility-jane-austen/
pickI loved this book, but dang! The bar is low here for men to be forgiven for their awful behavior! When those bad actions involve women, the women are blamed much more harshly. I liked Eleanor, but she forgave much too easily. I don‘t understand the point of the third Dashwood daughter, Margaret. I kept forgetting about her. #audiowalk
I disliked Mrs. Jennings when I first met her. She talks too much, and she‘s an awful gossip. Now I think she‘s pretty funny and has a good heart. I don‘t understand Eleanor‘s attitude toward Edward at all. He‘s not an innocent in the way he treated her. Marianne is growing on me; she‘s got a lot of faults, but she says what she thinks. I almost needed a sweater today. #audiowalk
My! John and Fanny Dashwood are pieces of work!
pick
pickRead in January. 1995 movie watched today.
I wasn‘t sure I would enjoy this one as much as P&P or Persuasion, but I did. I read in print but also listened to Rosalyn Landor‘s lovely narration. I laughed out loud at some of the character‘s comments and behaviors,mainly the unsavory characters. #aam #authoramonth
pick#AuthorAMonth @Soubvihille Two sisters who are complete opposites in character spend most of their time trying to understand one another as they struggle with their world and finding happiness and husbands. Both undergo changes and learn to meet each other halfway as they grow closer together. Austen's wit and savage commentary about the social norms of the day are evident here as in her other books. I adored Elinor and Marianne. Next, the movie!
S&S is the first Austen book I fell in love with, and the one I've returned to the most throughout my life. My relationship with the characters has changed so much as I've aged, and it makes me deeply appreciate Jane's staggering skill. To see myself in a work at 14, at 26, at 35, and at 40, and to laugh and cringe and think back fondly is such a gift. On top of that, to continually take away new discoveries is a rare thing. #PemberLittens
pickJust as wonderful as I remember! No one does annoying neighbors and greedy family members better than Austen. I blew through this, listening while walking, working out, cooking, and painting. I haven‘t done a paint by number in over a year and I forgot how calming it was. Especially while listening to Austen :) #BookspinBingo #Authoramonth @TheAromaofBooks @Soubhiville
