Sense and Sensibility

This story of Elinor Dashwood, who represents sense, wit, and self-control, and her younger sister, Marianne, who believes exquisite feelings are the highest virtue, is probably the most beloved of Austen's novels after PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. When the laws of primogeniture allow John Dashwood to turn his stepmother and three half-sisters out of their home, they must seek both love and financial security in marriage, always a parlous business. Austen has a field day here with the selfish, the snobbish, and the vulgar, as well as with the kind and noble. Donada Peters's (aka Wanda McCaddon) performance of this romantic and funny little masterpiece is nothing short of delicious. B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2002, 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