The annotations are okay, but not as good as in the annotated Persuasion in the same publisher's series ( )

I discovered this beautifully annotated edition at the library today and now I must read it. Sigh.

On rereading Sense and Sensibility slowly and with immense pleasure, as befits this beautiful Belknap Press annotated edition edited by Patricia Meyer Spacks, I am awestruck by Austen’s maturity and delicacy in this her first published novel. The opening two chapters which set the scene with the death of Henry Dashwood and then set the plot ticking with the magnanimous ungenerosity of the sole heir, John Dashwood, toward his step-mother and his three step-sisters are so finely polished that you might imagine Austen writing and rewriting them for years on end. Indeed, much of the first volume is near this level of concentrated effort. The second volume, less so, and the third more sprawling still. But by then the reader hardly notices being so caught up in the all too real lives of Elinor and her sister, Marianne. And the horridness of John Dashwood and his wife is equalled, or possibly surpassed, by the self-serving self-love of the faithless Willoughby.

Apart from the mixed characters of Elinor and Marianne, who partake of both sense and sensibility in different measures, the reader is struck by how generous Austen is with the less than perfect men, Edward and Colonel Brandon. These are specimens not on a par with Mr. Knightley from Emma, though clearly gentlemen. They are sad men, stunted in some ways. And it isn’t until their happiness is realized at the end of the novel that the possibility of their being more than they seem can even be considered. Or take a character like Mrs Jennings, who is comic in many respects yet in Austen’s hands becomes the very essence of generosity, kindness, and fellow feeling. These are characters who are determined to think well of and do well by others. If only the same could be said of all of us.

The lengthy opening essay in this edition by Patricia Meyer Spacks is wonderful. After an entire career teaching and writing on Austen and related authors, Meyer Spacks still writes with verve and economy and real interest. Proof, if any could be given, that Austen’s novels have enduring charm and bear repeated readings. By all means, if you are planning to reread Sense and Sensibility, do consider this lovely edition. ( )

I have been insanely stressed out by life and work lately and for an antidote to stress I always turn to the comfort of Jane Austen. I chose to reread Sense and Sensibility: An Annotated Edition for this comfort read. Recently, I purchased all five of the published Harvard/Belknap Press editions of annotated Austen works (the completist in me NEEDS them to also published [Mansfield Park]!!). These are beautiful collectors items. They are large and heavy - definitely not portable - but I highly recommend them to any Austen lover. The annotation was excellent. There were notes on cultural and societal trends of the time, but also, and more interesting to me, analysis of the text throughout and an excellent forward. The annotations are printed down the sides of each large page and there are many beautiful pictures included.

Sense and Sensibility is not my favorite Austen novel. For me, it suffers from weak male characters who I don't really see as great matches for either heroine, though I suppose that was the point. But it leads to interesting thoughts about character and balance in personality and, as all her novels do, gives a lot of insight into the options available to women in Austen's class living in the early 1800s. Money, or the lack thereof, is pervasive in this book which also brings it down to earth a little more than some of the other novels. There isn't the fairy tale ending of finding both love and money as in [Pride and Prejudice].

I'm looking forward to reading the other annotated editions that I have on the shelf. They have different annotators, so I'll be curious to see if they all measure up to Spacks. ( )

Sense and Sensibility: An Annotated Edition, edited by Patricia Meyer Spacks, is an oversized coffee table book that will not fit in your bag to take along on the train. It is a lush edition with moire endpapers and lots of coloured illustrations. It has far fewer annotations than the same editors edition of P&P, and also fewer than the Shapard annotated S&S. Of the annotations, many are simple definitions, but occasionally there is commentary on the novel. This is where the gold is found. Some of these notes refer to academic criticism of the novel. Most insightful and interesting.

In comparison to the annotated S&S that is edited by Shapard, this edition is lush and gorgeous, if lacking a little in detailed notes. It would make a fabulous gift for the Austen lover in your life.