Out Now: Sense and Sensibility: The Bath Bicentenary Edition

Sense and Sensibility: The Bath Bicentenary Edition. Published 2012 by Palazzo Editions. Distributed by Trafalgar Square Publishing from IPG.

So, a while back I was pitched to review the newly published Bath Bicentenary edition of Jane Austen's classic novel Sense and Sensibility.  If you're not familiar with the story, it's about the Dashwood sisters, Eleanor and Marianne, and their search for love and marriage in Regency England. Eleanor is the more rational of the two; Marianne, the more emotional and creative. Each has a man she is pining for, and each has a man pining for her. The Dashwoods are living in genteel poverty and need to find good husbands to support them as well as their mother and younger sister Margaret. The two young women have many qualities to recommend them, but being poor is a disadvantage that they may or may not be able to overcome.

It's a delightful novel- not my favorite Austen, granted, but a wonderfully entertaining one nonetheless. As the publisher says, "As much a commentary on social etiquette as a story about love and belonging, this timeless favorite illuminates Jane Austen’s world."

Here are some of the specifics:

• Full unabridged text of Jane Austen’s beloved novel
• 11 color and black and white illustrations by Niroot Puttapipat
• Introduction by Katharine Reeve
• Hardcover with quarter-binding (332) pages

This new edition is gorgeous, with pretty endpapers and beautiful illustrations throughout. It's also just a nice book to hold and read; the pages and binding lay comfortably in the hand. It's a fine edition for readers, not just collectors. It also features an informative chronology of Jane Austen's life and some background on the city of Bath and its influence on Austen. It's not scholarly but Jane Austen's many fans will enjoy the presentation and the content equally. I'm just sorry it wasn't out in the United States in time for holiday gift-giving because it would have topped my list!

Here's a video about it:

Sense and Sensibility (Bath Bicentenary Editions of Jane Austen)
by Jane
Austen

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FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book for review.