Jane Austen's first novel tells the story of the Dashwoode sisters: cautious, level-headed Elinor and the impulsive. Lively Marianne. A satire of the romantic novel, a popular genre in 18th century Britain, this timeless story is a study of love and marriage through the eyes of two very different heroines: one representing sense, and the other sensibility. Austen's genius for portraying the social norms of her time, along with vivid characters and her trade mark ironic wit make this novel a classic to be treasured.

JANE AUSTEN was born in1775 in Hampshire, England. The seventh of eight children, she was educated by her minister father, and a young age began writing parodies and sketches for her family's amusement. Though she spent only the first twenty-six years of her life in the quiet of the rectory, Jane Austen was highly observant and sensitive to what went on around her in this ordered and privileged social community. She died in 1817, in the same tranquil manner that characterized her life.