Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen: Marvel Adaptations)

3.8 of 5 stars 3.80  ·  rating details  ·  377 ratings  ·  98 reviews

Alongside incredible artist Sonny Liew (My Faith in Frankie, Wonderland), Butler brings to life the world of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, two daughters without parents or means, forced to experience hardship, romance, and heartbreak, all in the hopes of achieving love and lasting happiness. Collecting SENSE & SENSIBILITY #1-5.

Paperback, 120 pages
Published April 27th 2011 by Marvel (first published November 10th 2010)
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Sophia
I read the original Sense and Sensibility novel only once and many years ago so I was delighted when I won this copy of it in graphic format. I am not very familiar with this style books so I was extremely curious to read it.

I found myself chuckling over the quirky illustrations that distinguished each character well even in those small frames. Though quirky, there was a definite timeless feel to the art with its soft colors and lighting along with the nice authentic detail work to the clothing...more
Katie
This is a graphic novel version of Jane Austen's classic novel "Sense and Sensibility." It follows two very different sisters, Elinor and Marianne. The sisters have to deal with many hardships throughout the story, but they are there for each other and there is, of course, a happy ending.

The illustrations in this book were wonderful. However, I did occasionally find myself confusing the images of a few of the male characters. Butler did a great job adapting Austen's novel, and she stayed true to...more
Alice
Cela ne vous avez peut-être pas échappé que j'ai été une enthousiaste de la première heure de l'adaptation des romans de Jane Austen en Comic Books mais aussi extrêmement déçue de celle de Pride and Prejudice. Comme j'ai tout de même de la suite dans les idées, cela ne m'a pas empêchée d'acheter la version de Sense and Sensibility et je n'ai pas eu à le regretter!

Aurais-je des pouvoirs magiques ou le ciel m'aurait-il entendu lorsque je desespérais qu'ils n'aient pas gardé Sonny Liew, l'illustr...more
Victoria Wheeler
I won't touch much on the actual content within these graphic novels, since I'm very much of the impression that those who like Jane Austen will like the plots and those who do not will not. Some who can only tolerate her might find the graphic novels more interesting since they're more concise, however.

I just wanted to say that the artwork in this graphic novel blew me away, however, and is my favorite out of all the Marvel comic book adaptations of Austen so far. The colors are perfect; the wo...more
EZRead eBookstore
I was blown out of my swivel chair by “Sense and Sensibility”, the Marvel graphic novel. The thing is just adorable. It’s done in pinks and pastels and tasteful little doll-like characters that warmed up my heart like a toaster. For any fan of the book, or for any person with a beating heart, this book is a must-impulse-buy. It’s an excellent adaptation that is surprisingly thorough by Nancy Butler, and so much money in the bank for artist Sonny Liew.

Seriously, Sonny Liew’s artwork makes the ent...more
Ruth
Sense and Sensibility is the second of Jane Austen's novels to receive the graphic novel treatment from Marvel. Author Nancy Butler returns to adapt the text, while artist Sonny Liew brings the Dashwood sisters and their world to vibrant, colorful life. Where Butler's previous Austen graphic novel was a competently-executed adaptation of the source material, I felt my overall enjoyment of the book was hampered by the dark, bold tones of the illustrations. Happily no such issue exists with this v...more
Nancy O'Toole
Sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood couldn't be any more different. Elinor is reserved and sensible, and Marianne is passionate and vocal. After the death of their father, they find themselves suddenly penniless, as their older brother inherits everything. Sense and Sensibility is a story of sisterhood and romance, as well as a glimpse on what it was like to be a woman during the Regency Era. The graphic novel adapts Jane Austen's classic story into one slim volume.

Sense and Sensibility is a st...more
Kim
Sense and Sensibility is a classic story of family, friendship, heartache, love, grief, and sisterly bonds. This brilliant rendition of Sense and Sensibility turned graphic novel brings Jane Austen’s vibrant words to life through incredible illustrations.

I was very nervous at first about picking up the graphic novel version of Sense and Sensibility because of my thoughts on the Pride and Prejudice graphic novel. (Both are produced by Marvel comics) I thought that the artist’s rendition of the Pr...more
Jennifer Mitchell
I feel like I should preface these thoughts, by saying first that Sense and Sensibility is probably my least favorite Jane Austen novel. I always find Elinor and Marianne too opposing - Elinor too rigid, Marianne just too much. And I just never feel the connection to the other characters, especially the male characters that serve as the sisters love interests. So, it's a Jane Austen novel that I am not as familiar with. Nancy Butler mentions in a note at the start of the novel that she added and...more
Kellie
You might like this book if you love Jane and want a whole new way to experience her work-in words AND pictures!

I picked this up out of utter curiosity at the library one day, and it was a delightful way to experience one of my favorite author's work. I liked how the illustrations enhanced the dialogue and really did make the story come alive.

This classic is the story of two sisters, one expert at self-control and fortitude, one lost in her passions and emotions. The path they take to find love...more
Nicky
I do not like graphic novels...yet I am driven to read Jane Austen related stuff. Augh! This adaptation was just ok for me. It was very wordy, and yet had some incomplete characterizations, Lady Middleton was one dimensional, and Anne & Lucy Steele seemed distant. The adaptors seemed to be uncertain about the role of the youngest daughter, leaving her out of the discussion entirely until someone oddly refers to Captain Margaret without explanation, and the repeated mentions of Mrs Palmer's p...more
Jo Bennie
Austen is both a challenge and an opportunity when it comes to translating into graphic novel form. Her books deal with complex social hierarchies and subtleties, but Nancy Butler and Sonny Liew do an excellent job of adapting Sense and Sensiblity. The pictoral element of graphic fiction can make light work of portraying paragraphs and pages of the novel and Liew elegantly makes the most of the format to communicate feelings and motivations.

Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are sisters left impoveris...more
Dolores
Butler does as great a job of adapting this one as she did with "Pride and Prejudice." Well, almost as great. The art was interesting. All the characters were distinctive and easy to tell apart. I found it very easy to follow the story. But I guess that's no difficult feat, I already knew the story. Still, she did a great job of compacting it. What I found distracting were the sudden outbreaks of chibi-fying characters. This just seemed like too dignified an outing for chibis. It threw me for a...more
Douglas Koehne
This comic book adaptation of Jane Austen's novel is so much better than the Pride and Prejudice work Butler wrote earlier. The writer does say she felt it necessary to add additional dialog and scenes into the story to help the comic version obtain some fullness necessary due to the medium, which is a different direction than the P&P adaptation. The effect is a much less stilted story where passages from the book are forced into the comic panels on after another. Also of great importance is...more
Nichole
Nancy Butler’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility is rather like a very good, detailed Cliff notes. The basic story line is there, as are the characters and their various settings, but a great deal is missing. The one winning aspect of this graphic novel, is however, the beautiful artwork. I could see maybe this being a good supplement teaching tool, especially for reluctant readers who are just not going to read Austen, no matter what. This was a rather “wordy” graphic novel but...more
Samantha
Jul 14, 2012 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: People who need visuals for classic novels or just enjoy them
Review found at: The Real World According To Sam

So...where do I begin?

The story was adapted well, I can give it that.
The characters were cute...this is where I have a slight problem.
I didn't like the style that the characters were in. I just don't feel right reading a Classic Graphic novel in which Austen's characters have been "Chibi-ed." Austen is not 'cute.' Austen is not 'Chibi.' Austen is heartfelt and relatable. No one I know looks like a Chibi. I understand stylization, but this was the...more
Natalee
I know that Sense & Sensibility is one of the greats, and I probably should have read it, but having read the graphic novel version, I'm not sure that I'd be able to get through the real thing. Not because Jane Austen is a bad writer, I know she is quite good, but because I really don't like romance stories, and social manipulation and unrequited love, etc, really irks me. I really find those kinds of story lines to be quite irritating.

On the positive note, I enjoyed the cartooning. It was...more
Treasa
An enjoyable graphic novel adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. I was not expecting to like this since I had not liked Butler's adaptation of Pride and Prejudice at all (I believe I gave it one star). But I was pleasantly surprised by this. The illustrations were a good tone for the story - not too super-hero-ish, not too cartoony, but also not too serious. The characters were easily distinguishable and were depicted in a ways that generally worked well with the way I had imagined...more
Rach
A good adaptation of one of my favorite books. It's hard for me to judge how well the story was conveyed because I am do familiar with it, but I really enjoyed how Butler worked such a wordy book into text for a more visual-based medium. I found Liew's artwork detailed and stylish. The cover was one of the main reasons I picked this one up, and the interior did not disappoint.

My only qualm is that Elinor was consistently drawn with a giant forehead. I understand giving her a more stark hairstyl...more
Nicole
Jan 23, 2012 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Jane Austen fans and those who don't know where to begin with Jane Austen
This book was so fun to read, I completed it in three sittings! I have not yet read the unabridged version of Sense and Sensibility, but now I feel I have been thuroughly introduced to the plot throught this graphic novel.

It was a quicker/ easier to read, when compared to a traditional novel (particularly a Jane Austen Novel) because there was no description of settings, people, character, etc. This novel is almost entirely dialogue. Text boxes are used to advance the story by time or setting c...more
Karen Chow
I've never read the novel, but I love the Ang Lee movie adaptation of the book, so I thought I'd enjoy this. It was a good abridged version of the story. I felt some of the transitions were a bit abrupt, but nothing was confusing.

The art was not my favorite and the style almost reminded me of a Marvel/DC comic book, which I thought was kind of incongruous (what with the romantic source material).

But the story is timeless and I still spent a fair amount of time perusing the dialogue and character...more
Ann Williams
Nancy Butler does a great job with Austen's classic novel of loss, love, loss and finally love in this graphic novel. Graphic novels are one of my favorite genres and I was thrilled to find some of my favorite Austen titles done by Marvel comics. If you have never read any of Jane Austen's work, try the graphic novels first,they will give you a great starting point and will help to build your schema for when you tackle the real work. Thanks Nancy Butler, I loved it! I have Pride and Prejudice on...more
Becky R.
I'm not sure that Sense and Sensibility needs much of a synopsis, with its themes of using good sense in judging people's character and in one's own character. The charm of sisterly bonds are present in this great story, with Elinor as the eldest and seemingly most sensible, Maryanne as her younger and more whimsy-driven sister, and the youngest adventuresome sister Margaret. Having lost their fortune to a step brother who was given their father's property and cash at his death, the Dashwoods mo...more
EZRead eBookstore
I was blown out of my swivel chair by “Sense and Sensibility”, the Marvel graphic novel. The thing is just adorable. It’s done in pinks and pastels and tasteful little doll-like characters that warmed up my heart like a toaster. For any fan of the book, or for any person with a beating heart, this book is a must-impulse-buy. It’s an excellent adaptation that is surprisingly thorough by Nancy Butler, and so much money in the bank for artist Sonny Liew.

Seriously, Sonny Liew’s artwork makes the ent...more
Elizabeth (Miss Eliza)
It was really impressive how the writer was able to sap all emotion and feeling out of the poetry that is Austen's text. It also dragged considerable, and I think this was do to the panelling. The drawing style was kind of fun, even if Elinor looked like she belonged in a Van Eyck painting with her receeding and pulcked hairline. But all them men looked the same, and dofuses at that! I want the passion back... I guess it's better to go to the original and not expect it of a comic.
Andrea J
I think the author did a decent job of adapting a very verbose novel into the graphic type of format. And I applaud Marvel for this wonderful series of books.

Where this particular book fell apart for me was the choice of artwork. The art is lovely - but highly stylized. I always feel that the strength of Austen novels is that her protagonists are very Mary Sue - easily relatable. But the artwork in this book is tiny and the characters admittedly look like a cross between Popeye and the munchkins...more
Tim Canny
I enjoyed this graphic adaptation much more than its Pride and Prejudice predecessor. The artwork was much more suited to the characters and was a joy to look at while the writing was very well adapted and kept the Austen voice. If you don't have the time to read a full-blown Austen novel this is a great way to get your Regency era fix in a short amount of time without sacrificing the quality.
Mel
I appear to be in the minority with this adaptation. I thought the illustrations were dull and the story itself didn’t translate well to the format. I am not a big fan of Jane Austen’s work but I think her biggest strength is her use of the language of the time. Graphic novels require a severe editing of the original text and some stories suffer too much with that treatment.
Matthew
Really solid adaptation. Not a big fan of the source material, but I do understand its importance in lit history. This brings it to a different audience in a very accessible manner. The art reminds me of Daumier in an odd way & manages to bring a dialogue-heavy script to life. Would have rated it higher if the text had been edited down a bit & let the really strong art take over more of the heavy lifting.
Laura
Jul 16, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: own, 2011
Similar to my Pride and Prejudice review, this was cute, the drawings were pretty and the story seemed accurate enought to the 1981 series I watched. Somehow, I just wished I could read all Jane Austen's novels in comic style. It's light and fluffy and enought to remind you a bit of the story if you wish to.
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Jane Austen Sequels: Sense and Sensibility (The Graphic Novel) 1 3 14. Oktober, 17:41 Uhr  
Sense & Sensibility (Hardcover)
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Nancy Butler also writes under her real name, Nancy J. Hajeski.

Nancy Butler has been an Anglophile since she was nineteen, when she traveled to England to see Carnaby Street. (“I blame it on the Beatles!”) Her frequent visits to an American friend living in London have furnished her with enough inspiration to keep writing Regencies well into the new millennium.

Butler resides in northern New Jersey...more
More about Nancy Butler...
Pride & Prejudice Emma Northanger Abbey Prospero's Daughter Regency Christmas Spirits

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