I noted when I read Mansfield Park in March that, had I begun my Jane Austen Challenge with that novel, I almost certainly would not have gone on to read any of her others. Well, had I chosen to read them in order and started with Sense And Sensibility I definitely would not have continued! I really struggled to finish this novel because it is verrrrry sloooow.

There are redeeming moments of course and I accept that I am probably in a minority of people who were underwhelmed with this much-loved classic. I did feel that Sense And Sensibility started out well. I enjoyed the interactions between John and Fanny Dashwood and both Mrs Dashwood and Mrs Jennings are fun. Unfortunately they are only supporting characters though so not on the page enough to liven up endless rounds of pseudo-polite chitchat with little plot to drive the narrative in between. As a hundred page novella, I think Sense And Sensibility would have kept my attention and been a satisfying read. Drawn out over more than twice that length however, it failed. Fingers crossed that Emma and Northanger Abbey are more to my taste!