] Usually i come away from GR of JA novels with new understanding and greater pleasure in the novel. This was not the case with S&S. My careful reading and study of it revealed to me a novel of pathos and melo-drama not so much to my liking. I guess in previous reads I quickly read passages that to me now seem to wallow in sentimentality.

It's interesting to see the different reactions people have to this novel. I don't find it melodramtic in the least, and I find that it does the opposite of wallowing in sentimentality. In fact, I think that was one of the points of the novel.

S&S was already my favourite JA novel, but every time I read it again, I love it even more.

] Still it introduced so many fabulos characters to us. Did any other of her novels present so many characters as Fanny, John, Mrs Jennings, Lucy that are so well rounded in our thoughts

The fabulous cast of characters is just one of the reasons I love it. They are so realistic and so well drawn and there is so much that they say that is funny.

I confess, though, that a big part of the appeal for me is the character of Colonel Brandon. I like the aura of mystery he has about him and that he had a tragic past and many things happened to him in his life before we meet him in this story. I don't get such a sense of that from any other JA hero. And I especially like that what seemed to be hopeless, utterly unrequited love for him instead ended with him having the woman of his choice, and her loving him with her whole heart. (and I thought all of this long before Colonel Brandon looked like Alan Rickman!)