Gemma Parker from Leicester Ladies Bookworms shares her thoughts on the latest Austen Adaptation with us:
I know the story of Sense and Sensibility very well so it’s a little disconcerting to read a version of it that’s so similar in some ways and yet so different in others. Despite this, once I got into the style of writing, I really enjoyed the modern twists to the original tale.
It’s difficult to transport a story that relies on the fact that females can’t inherit through to the present day but this issue is fairly neatly navigated at the beginning of the novel. After this the plot stays fairly faithful to the original with a few exceptions to compensate for the modern setting; horses become fast cars, letters become texts and telegrams become phone calls. Marianne still doesn’t get to see Wills (Willoughby) in London and we’re given reasons as to why she is unable to contact him using modern tools such as Facebook or her phone. Her delicate constitution is also explained by asthma, a medical term which seems more in keeping with the modern twist of the plot than simply describing her as frail.
Joanna Trollope has stayed extremely close to the original story which I’m sure will please many Austen fans, however I would have liked to have seen the modern elements of the novel explored further. Ellie is a great heroine despite her reserved nature and I would have liked to have followed her in her job a little more. Considering how much she claims to love architecture, getting a job in the industry seemed more of a plot device than a chance to let her shine as a fuller characters.
There have been many different versions and interpretations of Jane Austen’s work. This is an interesting take on an established story which I enjoyed reading. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
