Ten things you might not know about Sense and Sensibility

As the anniversary of the publication of Jane's debut novel approaches on October 30th, we bring you ten facts that you might not know about Sense and Sensibility!    

1) Jane's first full length novel was originally known as Elinor and Marianne and told its story through a series of correspondances. Cassandra recalls Jane reading this novel to her family some 15 years prior to the publishing of Sense and Sensibility, although it's unclear how much the novel changed in the intervening period.

 2) Jane is said to have strongly believed that one should only marry where there is genuine affection. It is suggested that Jane is writing autobiographically when Elinor Dashwood ruminates on "the worst and most irremediable of all evils, a connection for life" with an unsuitable man.  

3) Sense and Sensibility was published by Thomas Egerton on a commission basis. That is to say that the financial risk would have laid with Jane if the book had been unsuccessful .  

4) To maximise his commission profit on the book, Egerton printed it onto expensive paper and sold the three volume tome for 15 shillings.  

5) The first edition of Sense and Sensibility is estimated to have comprised of between 700 and 1000 copies.  

6) Austen made the princely sum of £140 from sales of the first edition of Sense and Sensibility.  

7) Very few people knew the author's identity. Copies of Sense and Sensibility listed its author as A Lady and her subsequent books were attributed to The Author of Sense and Sensibility. It wasn't until after her death that Jane's name appeared on any of her books.  

8) Dame Emma Thompson took five years to develop the screenplay for 1995's big screen adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. Her work paid off though, as it earned her an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, along with a nomination for Best Actress. Emma remains the only person to win an Oscar for both screenwriting and acting.  

9) The first French translation of Sense and Sensibility was written by Madame Isabelle de Montoliue, who had only a basic grasp of the English language. As such, this translation followed Jane's original story only very loosely with key lines and even whole scenes changed.

  10) The Prince Regent was one of the first purchasers of Sense and Sensibility, having bought a copy two days before it was first advertised. Jane despised the Prince, but agreed to dedicate her fourth novel, Emma, to him.

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