The Originals: Sense And Sensibility - Om Books

"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! Sense And Sensibility (1811) was the first novel by Jane Austen, anonymously published as a novel ‘By A Lady’. It garnered positive reviews and turned out to be a success for the author. The novel is an insightful study of the social customs of early nineteenth century, The two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, are embodiments of sense and sensibility, respectively. A parallel is drawn between their experiences of love—while the elder sister, Elinor, is prudent and stoic as she deals with heartache, Marianne wears her heart on her sleeve and falls in love with the dubious Willoughby. Over time, however, Marianne realises that for true love to exist, sentimentality and rationality must co-exist. Sense And Sensibility has been adapted on various platforms—film, television and stage. It remains one of Austen’s most cherished works."


Born on 16 December 1775 in Steventon, Hampshire, Jane Austen was one of eight children of George Austen, a clergyman, who assisted as the rector of the Anglican parishes. Jane began writing as a teenager. In 1783, along with her sister Cassandra, she was sent to Oxford where she was taught by Mrs Ann Cawley. When the sisters caught typhus, both were sent home and Jane attended boarding school in Reading from early 1785. Since the Austen family couldn’t afford the school fees, Jane returned home in 1786. In 1796, Jane began writing First Impressions and completed the first draft in August 1797, (later published as Pride and Prejudice). During this time, her father tried publishing one of his daughter’s novels. In her early years, Jane had unrestricted access to her father’s library and her father too would provide her expensive stationery to encourage her. In 1797, George Austen wrote to Thomas Cadell, a famous publisher in London, asking if First Impressions could be considered. Meanwhile, during mid-1798, Jane began working on Susan (later published as Northanger Abbey). Again, the manuscript was offered to a London publisher who paid 10 pounds for the copyright. The book remained unpublished for a long time and eventually, Jane had to repurchase the copyright from the publisher in 1816. Northanger Abbey was published posthumously in 1818. In 1816, Jane’s health deteriorated due to Addison’s disease, and she went to Winchester for treatment. She died there on 18 July 1817. As a writer, Jane achieved critical acclaim only after her death. Her body of works include Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. In 1833, her works were republished in Richard Bentley’s Standard Novels series, and illustrated by Ferdinand Pickering. These became immensely popular and almost 52 years after her death, in 1869, her nephew published A Memoir of Jane Austen, reintroducing the writer to her readers.