Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen...and Spaceships?

Shout out time!

I have no read this adaptation yet, but I can promise you that I will be at some time in the future and a review will be popping up.

In the late 21st century, humanity is about to embark on its greatest endeavor. The New London, a colossal space station, rests at the edge of our solar system, poised to bring about the greatest scientific, architectural, and cultural advances in history. 

Not everyone wishes to see it succeed. 

Back on Earth, the esteemed Mr. Henry Dashwood of Norland Park dies, leaving behind his three beautiful daughters and their rapidly-diminishing fortune. 

Caught in the middle of these intersecting dilemmas is Colonel James Brandon, the New London's newly-appointed Chief of Security. Along with a sharp-tongued bachelorette, a gregarious socialite, and an enigmatic Russian engineer, Colonel Brandon sets out to discover the truth behind the station's supposed sabotage. But will the stoic Colonel be able to save the station while winning the heart of the lovely Marianne Dashwood from half a solar system away? 

The mores of courtship and heart-pounding sci-fi action meet in this vibrant retelling of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility!

Sense and Sensibility - Colonel Brandon, You are a Darling!

Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman

As I have mentioned before, one of the reasons that I am not too fond of Sense and Sensibility is because of the lack of ‘screen presence’ of my favourite couple, Marianne and Colonel Brandon. So maybe my saying that Col B is one of my favourite characters from Jane Austen’s work is a little bit unfair as I have reached this decision mainly from the way that his character has been handled in the different screen adaptations.

But I will say it anyway.

The dude is a hero! He is a soldier, a gentleman and a sweetheart.

David Morrissey and Charity Wakefield 

I WANT ONE.

*clears throat*

Moving on.

In all seriousness Col Brandon really is a love.

He has feelings for Marianne and yet when he sees her being happy with another he pushes his own feelings aside.

When he learns for sure about Willoughby’s less than savoury character he makes sure that those who will be most affected by this information know – unlike Mr Darcy who keeps Wickham’s characters all to himself. Brandon knows that the welfare of others depends on what he knows and he acts accordingly.

My favourite scene from all of the adaptation has got to be in the 2008 TV adaptation where Marianne is ignored by Willoughby at the ball and she nearly faint. What does Brandon do? He catches her, and if that is not enough to make you swoon he also gives Willoughby the evil eye and next thing we know they are fighting a duel – true hero material there I think.

**I do not own any of the pictures used!**

Sense and Sensibility - The Secrets of Love by Rosie Rushton

The Walker sisters have always lived a privileged life in their beloved Holly House in Sussex. Even though their father, Max Walker, has left the family to live with his new macrobiotic-food-obsessed trophy wife, Pandora, he has always doted on his girls. But then one day, reality crashes down around them when Max has a heart attack and passes away, uncovering the truth that he was knee deep in debt. The Walkers discover that their home is actually in Pandora's name and she decides she wants it back. So the family has to uproot their lives and move to the seaside town of Norfolk in an old cottage. What happens then…?

*Sigh*

Oh dear, I am afraid that I did not like this modernisation of Sense and Sensibility one little it *ducks and hides*.

For a start let us begin with Marianne (Abby). In this novel she struck me as being purely selfish, wilful and immature. In the original novel it is pretty clear that her heart and love are the driving force behind her actions and it is pretty clear that is her motivation. I did not get this from ‘Secrets’ at all. She struck me as being just stupid and selfish.

I did enjoy the relationship between all three of the sisters. It was not perfect. They were close and all loved each other but still had issues and thinks that they hated about one another.

The father.  All I can say is that he was  a selfish idiot who divorced his wife for a younger woman. And then there is the whole “Yes, I am broke and have no money, but her! Let’s just keep buying things”

And then we have the mother. “Yes I am getting final demand notices for my credit card bills, let’s just stick them in a drawer and forget all about it”

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, what planet do these people come from.

Needless to say, our Elinor (Ellie) character is left to try and get her mother’s backside into gear when the dad dies leaving them nothing – see being in debt above.

An interesting re-telling, but as someone coming to this novel who does not like the original a great deal I can tell you it does nothing to make me like it much more.

Sense and Sensibility - Edward Ferrars You are a Cad in Sheep's Clothing

*This is only MY opinion guys :)*

As you can no doubt tell from the title of this post poor Edward does not fair too well in my estimations. In fact, I find him to be a bit of a drip. Not only that but he commits a cardinal sin my leading on one of our Austen girls.

I mean really. At the end of the day what makes his actions any different from Willoughby’s? 

Elinor - I have no doubt you will agree - is not a flighty girl, she is grounded and sticks to what is considered proper and yet she allowed her heart to become attached to this man who was paying her more than the usual amount of attention. What else was she to think than that he too had feeling for her.

Which he DID.

And then what does she find out. In the most round-about and hurtful way that he is already engaged to a young woman and yet paid court to her at the same time. Agh! It makes me so made.

Edward Ferrars you are a CAD!

Any hero’s from Jane Austen’s works that you think didn’t live up to being ‘all that’?

Sense and Sensibility - I want to be Marianne

Charity Wakefield as Marianne Dashwood
from the 2008 adaptation

Kate Winslet as Marianne Dashwood 
from the 1995 adaptation

 So, I will be talking about who I think I am in the scheme of Jane Austen, but right now I am going to talk about who I wish I was like - I think that this actually turned out to be a bit harder than deciding who I am.

But, after some thought (that really hurt my head by the way) I think that I have finally landed on it.

I would like to be like Marianne. What I love about her is that she wasn’t ashamed or afraid of her feelings. Although her actions and behaviour were frowned upon during that time I still cannot help but admire her for it. I wish I had the courage (or perhaps the conviction) to wear my heart so much upon my sleeve for all to see.

It is true that she is a pretty selfish individual, but at the same time it could be argued that she is not acting from selfishness but from stubbornness born from following her heart instead of her head.

So who do you wish you were out of all Jane Austen’s heroines or heroes?

My Jumbled Thoughts on - Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Welcome to 7 Weeks of Jane Austen Ladies and Gentlemen.

To begin this weeks festivities based around all things Sense and Sensibility lets talk about the original novel.

'The more I know of the world, the more am I convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!'

Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby she ignores her sister Elinor's warning that her impulsive behaviour leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Meanwhile Elinor, always sensitive to social convention, is struggling to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. Through their parallel experience of love—and its threatened loss—the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love.


In all honesty Sense and Sensibility isn't my favourite Jane Austen novel, which probably made it a really bad choice to kick start 7 Week of Austen. But hey, ho.


I find it to be filled with some of the most annoying but then some of the most nice characters of Austen's literature but then on the other side of the spectrum (OK I admit it, the shallower side) I don't like it because not enough focus is given to my favourite pairing in the novel.


I am a Brandon/Marianne fan girl. And there is hardly any time given to them. It is very much one of those relationships that goes on behind the scenes. All of the on-screen stuff being given to Elinor and Edward (who I am not too keen on - but I will go into that later) and Marianne and the not so Honorable Willoughby.


Despite her sometimes rude manner (which comes from being a little too straight forward rather from the desire to hurt) Mrs Jennings is my favourite character. Bacause she reminds me of me a little bit although I am not so forward in my thoughts as she is I more often than not say things too loudly that the whole room will hear.


Despite her selfishness (which makes me want to shake her a bit) I cannot hep but like Marianne (again more on that later) but my heart goes out more to Elinor for what she has to go through both within her family and outside of it. The reality of it is heart breaking I think.