Reason and Emotion (Exquisite Edition)

Author: Jane Austen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1996-11-01
Features: A powerful and heart-stirring love story, with surprising twists and turns, humorous jokes, and an unforgettable climax. "The world, viewed through reason, is a comedy; viewed through sentiment, a tragedy." The complex marriage troubles of the cool-headed sister and the sentimental older sister serve as the best commentary on this phrase. In 18th-century England, Mr. Dashwood of Sussex County passed away. According to the law, all his assets were to be inherited by his son by a previous marriage, John. This was an awful blow to his current wife, Mrs. Dashwood, and her three daughters, Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret: they would be driven out of their home, with only 500 pounds in living expenses each year. They had no choice but to move into the estate of Mrs. Dashwood's cousin, Mr. Middleton. The estate and property were taken over by John, but his wife Fanny turned out to be a shrew. When Fanny discovered that Elinor was close to her brother Edward, she went to great lengths to prevent them from seeing each other, sending Edward to London. Meanwhile, the enthusiastic neighbor Mrs. Jennings introduced Colonel Brandon to Marianne, hoping to arrange a marriage. Colonel Brandon had a sad and tragic past—he was forced to separate from his beloved Eliza, and by the time he found her, she had fallen into prostitution and died a miserable death. However, Marianne was deeply in love with the handsome Willoughby and treated the colonel with indifference. But Willoughby was deeply hostile toward the colonel and soon left for London on a pretext. A woman named Lucy suddenly appeared and told Elinor that she and Edward had secretly been engaged. Torn by emotion, the two sisters went to London together. Marianne unexpectedly met Willoughby, but Willoughby treated her coldly, dismissing her with just a few words. Colonel Brandon told Elinor that Willoughby was frivolous and cruel, spreading rumors and slander...