Review - Sense and Sensiblity Insight Edition

 If given the opportunity to travel through history, one of my first stops would be the Regency Period of England and the world of Jane Austen.  I have been a fan of  Austen's since I read the first page of Pride and Prejudice.  I currently own all of her published works, some having been replaced a couple of times due to wear.  Since my latest copy of Sense and Sensibility bit the dust a month or so ago, I was thrilled to get Bethany House's copy in the mail this week.

In terms of the actual novel, no changes have been made to Austen's original work.  The novel is printed in all its glory with my favorite characters and places still in tact.  What has been added by several of Bethany House's writers are notes and annotations about the life and times of Austen.

The book comes complete with a key, which indicates the type of note/annotation being applied in each instance.  The notes fall into the following categories: "historical and cultural details [...] from England in the early 1800's," "fact and tidbits from Austen's life," "references to S&S in today's culture, particularly in film," "unscientific ranking of the novel's most frustrating characters," "themes of faith drawn from the novel or Austen's life," "comments and asides on the book's characters or plot," and "the parts of the novel that just make us smile."

I LOVE the additional comments, quips, and bits added to Austen's work.  They serve to add the insight intended into a world of ladies and gentlemen.  The authors who have offered their take on Austen's work compliment the novel by adding interesting references and inserting a little comedy into one of the best loved novels of all time.

On the minus side (if you can really call it that), the novel did take more time to read.  I found myself reading a page, seeing the notations, and reading the page again to see if the added information changed the image I create in my head of Austen's world.  In most instances, it certainly did! It did make the reading more cumbersome at some points, but overall  I really enjoyed this take on one of the best loved works of literature.  I plan to order the Insight Edition of Pride and Prejudice and look forward to many more such editions.

This book was provided free of charge by the publisher as a review copy. The publisher had no editorial rights or claims over the content or the conclusions made in this review. Visit www.bethanyhouse.com for more information on this book.