Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters
My mom and I are die-hard fans of the 1995 film adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. Really, is there any other version? We both believe Emma Thompson knows the story better than Jane Austen herself; a much-deserved Oscar! When I was in middle school, my mom read the classic aloud to me, and a few years later when this alternative version was released, we thought it would be fun to repeat the event.
If you've never read the original or seen the movie, you're not going to like it. If you know the story, you might be able to wrap your head around the new setting. Mr. Dashwood was eaten by a sea creature; Colonel Brandon was cursed by a sea-witch and has tentacles coming out of his face (see the cover). If you think about it, short of a hideous facial disfigurement, there really is no plausible reason for Marianne to dislike him! Most of these twists and takes on the classic are cute and clever, however it was a touch too gory for my delicate sensibilities. My mom, who was the one reading it aloud in its entirety, actually found herself nodding off a few times! Austen can be a little tedious--Ben Winters uses much of her original passages to help his story along--and the monster mayhem became tedious in its own right.
All in all: ladies, this is the perfect book to read with your boyfriend. If you want to torture him by forcing him to read a Jane Austen novel, but you still love him so you'll placate him by allowing blood and guts in among the corsets and crumpets. Anyone else, just watch the movie and accept the fact that Kate Winslet's an idiot.
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of Sense and Sensibility here!
If you've never read the original or seen the movie, you're not going to like it. If you know the story, you might be able to wrap your head around the new setting. Mr. Dashwood was eaten by a sea creature; Colonel Brandon was cursed by a sea-witch and has tentacles coming out of his face (see the cover). If you think about it, short of a hideous facial disfigurement, there really is no plausible reason for Marianne to dislike him! Most of these twists and takes on the classic are cute and clever, however it was a touch too gory for my delicate sensibilities. My mom, who was the one reading it aloud in its entirety, actually found herself nodding off a few times! Austen can be a little tedious--Ben Winters uses much of her original passages to help his story along--and the monster mayhem became tedious in its own right.
All in all: ladies, this is the perfect book to read with your boyfriend. If you want to torture him by forcing him to read a Jane Austen novel, but you still love him so you'll placate him by allowing blood and guts in among the corsets and crumpets. Anyone else, just watch the movie and accept the fact that Kate Winslet's an idiot.
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of Sense and Sensibility here!