Five years ago I went to Mexico on my last and only other resort-type vacation, and on that trip I tried to read Sense and Sensiblity by Jane Austen - without much success. As much as I think that reading classic literature is something that I like doing (largely because think that's what smart people do, and I want to be one of the smart people), it's also something that I have difficulty with. I often find it dry, and hard to follow and stick with. I hadn't given Sense and Sensibility another chance since Mexico because I've had plenty of other reading, but I have gotten a little better at reading classic works, and I've even conquered another of Jane Austen's novels, Mansfield Park. Also, I've since seen the movie for Sense and Sensibility (several times). So as I was choosing reading material for this vacation, I thought I'd bring Sense and Sensibility along. And this time I made it through!
I think I miss English class or Ethics class or some kind of class where we would discuss our reading material together and be led to see its intricacies. I have a hard time recognizing all the connections, contrasts and themes without that. Also, language and meaning have changed since this book (and much of classic literature) was written, and it can be hard to clearly see the author's point when, for instance, "sensibility" no longer means the opposite of "sense," but leads us to think of "sensible." Plus, I seem to look at a book finished like a task completed, and I'm not often faithful to give it the reflection it deserves in the aftermath.
Still, it was worth reading on vacation, while sitting in a beach chair looking out at the ocean.
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