Author of 17 bestselling contemporary novels Joanna Trollope has used her skills of astute yet sensitive observation of the ‘human condition’ to reboot Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility from the 18th to 21st Centuries. It’s a fresh, witty and very contemporary story of love in the age of social media yet is totally respectful of the original - what’s not to like.
In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for Sense & Sensibility a small number of Lovereading members were lucky enough to be invited to review this title - 'A truly wonderful re-telling. A perfect indulgent, engaging read.' – Edel Waugh. Scroll down to read more reviews.
Joanna Trollope's much-anticipated contemporary reworking of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility launches The Austen Project and is already one of the most talked about books of the year.
Two sisters could hardly be more different. Elinor Dashwood, an architecture student, values discretion above all. Her impulsive sister Marianne displays her creativity everywhere as she dreams of going to art school. But when the family finds itself forced out of Norland Park, their beloved home for twenty years, their values are severely put to the test. Can Elinor remain stoic knowing that the man she likes has been ensnared by another girl? Will Marianne's faith in love be shaken by meeting the hottest boy in the county? And when social media is the controlling force at play, can love ever triumph over conventions and disapproval? Joanna Trollope casts Sense & Sensibility in a fresh new light, re-telling a coming-of-age story about young love and heartbreak, and how when it comes to money especially, some things never change...
We have asked a select number of members and browsers to review Sense & Sensibility. You can read their reviews below.
Josie Barton - 'This is light and easy to read retelling of a classic romance, which, with wit, humour and sensitivity has been made contemporary for the twenty-first century.' Click here to read the full review.
Barbara Goldie - 'This is a delightful rework of a classic novel. Sense and Sensibility, by one of the best loved novelists of all time Jane Austen, has been updated by one of the best loved novelists of today.' Click here to read the full review.
Jodie Robson - 'Joanna Trollope has written an entertaining and plausible novel in fine Austen tradition.' Click here to read the full review.
Berwyn Peet - 'The perfect mix - a favourite Jane Austen story reinvented by Joanna Trollope. A complete delight!' Click here to read the full review.
Magda North - 'The writing is accomplished and it's enjoyable to see how she's woven in tweeting, YouTube, drug addiction and an hilarious gay twist.' Click here to read the full review.
Linda Hill - 'An enjoyable and entertaining reworking of the lives of the Dashwood sisters...a good read for Austen lovers and modern fiction readers alike and I would recommend it.' Click here to read the full review.
Suzanne Marsh - 'It really does not matter if any reader has not read the original Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen because I am sure you all with love Joanna Trollopes new updated version.' Click here to read the full review.
Maggie Crane - 'Joanna Trollope has achieved an updating of the story, albeit without the beauty of language which one expects of Austen novels, producing a pleasant book in the process.' Click here to read the full review.
Natasha Radford - 'Joanna Trollop's modernisation of Austen's classic doesn't fail to hit the mark...it is a beautiful tribute as well as a beautiful novel in its own right.' Click here to read the full review.
Julie Bertschin - 'A modern day spin on a classic - the Dashwood family's saga of loss, love, heart-break and redemption is a thoroughly good read.' Click here to read the full review.
Sarah Musk - 'I enjoyed it and I liked the funky cover of the book but I didn't love it like I loved the original.' Click here to read the full review.
Phyl Smithson’s - 'I enjoyed the modern-day Sense and Sensibility...Her excellent observation of the differences of human life was one of the key attractions for me.' Click here to read the full review.
Jane Pepler - 'This is a brilliantly detailed reworking of Sense and Sensibility by one of the most loved authors of our time. Joanna Trollope has brought Austen's world into the twenty first century.' Click here to read the full review.
Zarina de Ruiter - 'The writing is beautiful and lush and very reminiscent of a Austen novel so I am positive that the fans of the original stories will be very pleased with the modern retelling of the classic tale.' Click here to read the full review.
Ruth Paterson - 'Sense and Sensibility is a delightful story, well reworked in a contemporary setting, by Trollope. It is beautifully written, easy to read and enjoy.' Click here to read the full review.
Carolyn Huckfield - 'I thought Trollope would have been too constrained to develop a believable story around the original but I was wrong-this a totally modern family story told with humour and deference to Jane Austen.' Click here to read the full review.
Fiona Maclean - 'An easy to read, contemporary reworking of Jane Austen's famous novel. Nothing too challenging, Joanna Trollope pulls off a convincing updated version of the original.' Click here to read the full review.
Victoria Sharman - 'A truly good read for anyone – quick, easy and quirky and will be a winner for all Joanna Trollope fans out there. It is really the romance we all dream of.' Click here to read the full review.
Helen Gough - 'Joanna has written a lovely, romantic novel but it is unlikely to stand the test of time like Austen...A brave attempt but I prefer Joanne’s own novels and the original Jane Austen!' Click here to read the full review.
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Praise for Sense & Sensibility:
'...wittily, stylishly and sensitively written with lots of delicious upmarket detail. A must for Trollope and Austen fans alike' Daily Mail
'Trollope is an expert in her craft...it's a faster, zestier, read than the original' The Times
'A bloody good read. I was so charmed, I missed my tube stop. Such is the power of Austen' Stylist
**** 'A fun and light-hearted read Sunday Times
'Trollope and Austen are a natural marriage' Guardian
'Austen's characters translate remarkably smoothly into the present day... enjoyable modern satire' Daily Telegraph
'Plays out the siblings' different romantic survival strategies to great effect' Marie Claire
'Is the new Sense & Sensibility worth reading? The answer is unequivocally yes' Washington Post
'Told with insight and ingenuity' i Paper
'It shouldn't work, but it does brilliantly! Sun on Sunday, Fabulous Magazine
'Jane Austen's story and Joanna Trollope's voice make the perfect marriage. What a delight! Sophie Kinsella
'Filled with spry twists ... far more than a contemporary reworking YOU Magazine
'This will more than satisfy Trollope fans as well as most Austen devotees; a sprightly mix of the old and new' Library Journal
Author
About Joanna Trollope
Joanna Trollope was our Guest Editor in February 2012 - click here - to see the books that inspired her writing.
Joanna Trollope OBE has written numerous highly-acclaimed contemporary novels including: The Choir, A Village Affair, A Passionate Man, The Rector’s Wife, The Men and the Girls, A Spanish Lover, The Best of Friends, Next of Kin, Other People’s Children, Marrying the Mistress, Girl from the South, Brother and Sister, Second Honeymoon, Friday Night, The Other Family, Daughters-in-Law andThe Soldier's Wife. Under the name of Caroline Harvey she writes romantic historical novels. She has also written a study of women in the British Empire, Britannia’s Daughters.
Joanna Trollope was appointed OBE in the 1996 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to literature and was the Chair of Judges for the Orange Prize form Fiction 2012.
