By Jane Austen
“The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!”
– Marianne Dashwood
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Book Summary
Genre:
Classic Literature, Fiction, Novel, Romance
Themes:
Family, Love, Marriage and Romance, Trust, Discernment, Emotions
Ages:
13 years +
Storyline:
When the patriarch of the Dashwood family passes away, his wife and three daughters’ lives are turned upside down. They are forced to move from their regal family home in Sussex to a small cottage in the country; far away from anything they are accustomed to. Mrs. Dashwood’s daughter, Elinor, leaves behind her only love interest, Edward Ferrars, and wonders if he will ever come to pay them a visit or propose marriage. She wonders about this all internally, however, as she does not like to be the center of attention and prefers to keep her feelings to herself.
Elinor’s sister, Marianne, does not share Elinor’s modest demeanor and is content to express her emotions to the world. So when a young, attractive, eligible bachelor (Mr. Willoughby) comes to town and takes an interest in Marianne, there is no question of her great affection toward him. This is unfortunate for Colonel Brandon, a newly-acquainted family friend of the Dashwoods. The Colonel desires to marry Marianne himself, but can clearly see that her love is only for another.
This book is about the pursuit of romantic love, without allowing emotion to blind sound judgment and reasoning. It teaches us that we truly can never judge a book by its cover.
Content Warning:
A young (minor) character becomes pregnant out of wedlock. Marianne Dashwood is only 16 years old when she is pursued by Colonel Brandon (an older man of 35 years). While this is unacceptable in our current culture, during this time period it was culturally acceptable.
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