Sense and Sensibility

I never told you I finished Sense and Sensibility! I did, quite a while ago. And only one big thing struck me at the end and stuck with me: Austen’s ideas about love. I don’t have too much to say about it, so this will be short, but in Sense and Sensibility at least, Austen paints and beautiful and true picture of the kind of love that marriage should be built on. Indeed, every relationship should be built of this love, but of course we’re discussing Austen, so marriage must be the theme of the day.

I was particularly struck by this in the final chapters of the book through Marianne’s story. Marianne has loved two men by the end of the book (do not read further if you don’t want any spoilers):