Review: Manga Classics: Sense and Sensibility - Adapted by Stacy King, Art by Po Tse

Manga Classics: Sense and Sensibility, adapted by Stacy King and illustrated by Po Tse, covers the general story arc of Jane Austen's story of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood.  The sisters must navigate through the waters of change when the death of their father forces them to relocate in a smaller home away from the estate that they grew up in.  Elinor exhibits a temperament that reflects more "sense" than emotion, while Marianne is more romantically inclined and prone to flights of feeling rather than exclusively being governed by sense.  Perhaps it would be better to say that Marianne would rather follow her heart than necessarily do the sensible thing.  When I was first acquainted with Austen's original novel, it took me a while to figure out that her use of the word, "sensibility," had more to do with emotions, rather than rational thought.  Anyways, the sisters' temperaments guide their thoughts and behavior when prospective suitors appear, and both are not immune to the pain and turmoil that results when their lives do not unfold as they hope. 

It took a couple of hours for me to read the book in one sitting, and I enjoyed reading this version.  I didn't want to leave the book until it was finished.

Besides the story itself, I enjoyed reading the commentary that was provided on the novel's themes about sensible thought versus emotional reaction.  Stacy King mentions that every character had to balance sense with sensibility in their choices.  This wasn't something that I had considered before when I read the original novel in the past; I had only considered the choices for Elinor and Marianne, but it makes sense that the other characters also had to wrestle with their own choices.  It was also interesting to read about the social habits of the 19th century, especially about how men and women met, and about what acceptable behaviour was.  Explanations are given to explain how Marianne's behaviour was so scandalous, for she had violated a number of social rules of propriety. 

It was also interesting to look at the Character Design Sketchbook that appeared in a couple of pages at the back (the left side of the book, because, after all, this is truly a manga book which reads from right to left).  Po Tse's commentary about how he drew the various characters to reflect certain character traits increased my appreciation of this adaptation while reading it. 

Sense and Sensibility is the third adaptation that I've read from Manga Classics, (Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre being the other two,) and I've come to the opinion that this series is a good gateway to get younger readers interested in reading classical literature.  For Janeites, apparently, there is also a Manga Classics version of Emma which I haven't read yet, but will be glad to put on my "to read" list.  I would dearly love to see other adaptations of Jane Austen's work in the future, particularly for Persuasion, and Mansfield Park. 

According to Manga Classics' Facebook page, an adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo will be coming soon, so I'll be keeping my eyes open for that in 2017. 



Disclaimer:  I received an e-copy of "Manga Classics: Sense and Sensibility" by Stacy King and Po Tse from NetGalley in exchange for a review.  All opinions stated in this review are mine. 

Review: Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice by Stacy King, Art by Po Tse

It is a truth universally acknowledged (by my family) that if there's a novel, story, or film with a connection to Pride and Prejudice, I'm going to want to read or view it.  Stacy King has adapted Jane Austen's novel for a manga version, with the art drawn by Po Tse.  This version retains the general story arc from the original version where Darcy's proud demeanor and Elizabeth's prejudice against Darcy present impediments to their romance.  However, being an adaptation, there have been some alterations in the story, most of which I can live with, with the exception of Darcy being a poor dancer.  (Sorry, in my universe, Darcy probably suffered through lessons with a dancing master, and is probably an excellent dancer; but he just doesn't enjoy the activity.)

Some of the language has been modernized, and is not what I'd expect a person living in Regency times would use, but that would be helpful for those who don't want to slog through archaic expressions in order to understand and appreciate the content of the novel.

Generally, I liked the artwork.  The Bennet girls look suitably cute and adorable, Charlotte Lucas and Mary King look sufficiently plain, Bingley has the hair of an angelic choir boy, and Wickham is the best looking man in the crowd.  Darcy does have a handsome and noble mien, but personally, I find that the depiction of his hair in most of the drawings...is a bit of a miss for me.  There are three locks that seem to wing off in different directions.  You kind of have to see it to understand...although I will say:  shades of Dagwood Bumstead.

Like the 1995 BBC televised version of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth, there is a bit of a wet shirt scene in the manga version, although the appearance of Darcy in such a disheveled state occurs at a different point of the story than that of the television series.  The manga is clean, although Elizabeth and readers get to see some glimpses of Darcy's six-pack.  The Darcy fan-girl in me squeaked a bit!  :P

I thought that this was a pretty good adaptation, and I enjoyed reading this book.  I would recommend this for those who enjoy manga romance but don't want to see anything too provocative, and for those who might find it difficult reading the original text of this classic novel.