Sense and Sensibility

Elinor Dashwood keeps both feelings and tongue in check; whereas, her dear younger sister, Marianne, is impulsive, spontaneous and emotional. The talented Julie Christie does a fine job with this abridgment of Austen's classic. Her portrayals of men are respectable although her female characterizations contain more variations and distinctions. Elinor's quiet determination contrasts nicely with Marianne's more passionate speech. Christie also captures the effusive Mrs. Jennings; the nervous, bubbly, yet insincere, Miss Steel; and the cold, haughty Mrs. John Dashwood. In spite of Christie's voice fading at sentence endings from time to time, her consistent performance successfully renders the characters' sensibilities and the sensible era in which they lived. J.H.B. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine


This classic Jane Austen novel tells of two sisters with different views of romance. One is sensible, one is wildly romantic. The two sisters find that it's difficult to be always one or the other, and by the end they have flip-flopped their personalities when it comes time to choose their husbands. Kate Winslet reads with an impressive repertoire of voices, from the high nasal voice of Fanny, to the old regal voice of Mrs. Dashwood. But her narrative voice is inconsistent and tends to take on characteristics of the voice she has just portrayed. She's tries too hard with her voices, and the effort takes away from the story. J.F.M. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine