Review “A fizzy, pop-fiction Jane Austen update....Trollope’s comic romp is a satisfying tribute….When Sir John arrives to invite the displaced family to live at Barton Cottage, he gets his laptop out and plays a slideshow of the house. ‘It’s a charmer,’ he tells them. Likewise Trollope’s book.” (Boston Globe)“Trollope is a gifted chronicler of modern life and mores; she also clearly knows and appreciates Austen’s world. Her update retains the essence of the characters Austen created...with a true Janeite’s dry sense of humor and the occasional sly reference to the original.” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)“Even though you may know Austen’s novels well enough to predict exactly what will happen next, you’ll care about finding your way to the happy ending of Trollope’s version…Is the new S&S worth reading? The answer is unequivocally yes...The Austen Project is a breathtaking tribute to Jane Austen.” (Washington Post)“By updating Austen’s first published novel to reflect modern slang, dress, and conveniences, Trollope brings an accessibility to this romantic comedy of manners that may appeal to the Bridget Jones crowd.” (Booklist)“Jane Austen’s story and Joanna Trollope’s voice make the perfect marriage. I loved every page. It’s witty and fresh, whilst completely respecting the original, timeless story. What a delight!” (Sophie Kinsella)“Trollope has clearly had enormous fun with her updating, and part of the delight for the reader is wondering what she’s going to do next.” (The Observer)“You don’t have to have read the original Sense & Sensibility to enjoy this breezy new take on Austen’s 1811 debut….Wittily, stylishly and sensitively written with lots of delicious upmarket detail. A must for Trollope and Austen fans alike.” (Daily Mail (London))“Trollope has kept the framework of Austen’s novel but modernised the surfaces….Trollope adds verbal fizz. It’s a faster, zestier read than the original....A fun exercise and one that provokes serious thought.” (The Times (London))“Jane Austen’s bestie sisters ditch the corsets (but keep the Downton-style estate) in a 2013 take on Sense & Sensibility.” (Cosmopolitan)“In many ways, Trollope and Austen are a natural marriage….The moments in which she moves away from the original are satisfying, and well chosen….The fidelity of the retelling has clever consequences.” (The Guardian) Read more From the Back Cover Elinor Dashwood, an architecture student, values patience and reliability. Her impulsive sister, Marianne, is fiery and creative, filling the house with her dramas and guitar playing while dreaming of going to art school. But when their father, Henry Dashwood, dies suddenly, his whole family finds itself forced out of Norland Park, their beloved home for twenty years. Without the comfort of status, they discover that their values are severely put to the test.With her wit and eye for social nuance, Joanna Trollope casts Jane Austen's Sense & Sensibility in a fresh new light to retell a wonderful coming-of-age story about young love and heartbreak, and how, especially when it comes to money, some things never change. . . . Read more See all Editorial Reviews
B**A
Almost Exactly Like the Original... in all the best ways
If you loved the original writings of Jane Austen, you'll love Trollope's update! One thing that drove my crazy about Austen's novel is that you never really get to know Edward Ferrars. He's pretty much a hidden character through most of the novel and isn't well fleshed out. Trollope fixes that and gives the readers more access into Mr. Ferrars.Elinor is still the star--the practical older sister, who has get a job to help her family pay the bills and ensure young Margaret still goes to school instead of playing truant. Marianne is an asthmatic, to help explain how a little cold could lead her to the brink of death (after all, there is no bloodletting in the 21st century to weaken her). Lucy is an annoying social climber, Brandon an military vet who has dedicated his life to helping those suffering from addictions.Even with all the modern updates, Trollope stays very true to the Austen original, and there are moments where you might almost forget that you aren't reading Austen herself.
B**3
doesn't translate to 21st century!
I was excited to hear about the "Austen Project" where Jane Austen's six books will be re-imagined by selected authors, each bringing the story to the 21st century. Frankly, I loved Austen's SENSE AND SENSIBILITY(both the book and the movie) and had great hopes for this re-telling.I like most of Trollope's ther books....and thought she was a good choice to write this. Unfortunately, the story just does not translate well to current times in spite of her efforts.Some parts just seemed awkward when made "current." For example, Edward comes off as odd and weak instead of sensitive. The very idea that he plans to keep a promise to marry Lucy (the promise made in secret when they were younger) when he does not love her, much less LIKE her falls flat in today's world.With the characters using Facebook, email, and texting, communication issues don't make a lot of sense, as they did in the 19th century. And picturing Marianne playing the guitar instead of the piano, was odd. Perhaps a cello would have been better or a violin?I finished the book with a feeling of a let-down. I couldn't think of ways to make it better and I wonder how the Austen project will handle PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Instead of this book, I'd advise folks to go back and read the original.
C**A
I highly recommend that anyone who has trouble with the classics
Without Trollope's rendition of this classic, I would have given up on Austin's novel. I got to page 100 and really was probably only understanding 10% of the plot. There were way too many characters, and way too much gibberish that distracted me from following along with the plot.That was until I picked up Trollope's version of Sense and Sensibility. I began reading the books simultaneously. A chapter of Trollope's, a chapter of Austen's. Together, I found that I wanted to put neither book down! Where Austen skipped over some character development, Trollope filled it in beautifully, making Fanny such a detestable character, I couldn't even stand it!I highly recommend that anyone who has trouble with the classics, try reading along side Trollope's work. It truly helps!
S**R
Modernized Version Is Not My Taste
Who doesn't LOVE Jane Austen?! That's why I have collected almost every possible version of her works. It's my fault that I didn't realize that this is a modernized version of Sense & Sensibility. I started listening to this on Audible, and thought "What the heck is this???!!!" A modernized version of a Jane Austen classic just isn't my taste - which is not the fault of the author.
C**J
Very unsuccessful
I didn't realize when I bought this that the authors of the "Austen Project" were going to literally RE-TELL the stories, just set in a modern context. That simply doesn't work with a story like this, which relies in the original on the marriage politics, restricted opportunities for women, and sexual restraint of the early 19th century. Just one example of how ridiculous this makes the story: why on earth would Edward feel so obligated to a girl like Lucy, to the point where he'd sacrifice himself in a loveless marriage, in our modern times? It makes sense two hundred years ago in Regency England, but it doesn't make sense today.I guess I had hoped that rather than just be retold, the stories would be re-imagined. It would be really interesting to read a book that successfully imagined how the timeless "types" of Elinor and Marianne would navigate the sorts of situations we actually do encounter, and the type of attitudes you actually find, in the modern world.
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