Emma: The Jane Austen Illustrated Edition
By Jane Austen
4/5
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About this ebook
This special edition of Emma includes the famous illustrations by Charles Edmond Brock, created in 1898. Brock and his brothers were all successful illustrators of the day and often posed for each other using costumes, props and furniture in their Cambridge studio. Brock's younger brother, Henry, also illustrated Austen's books and joined him in illustrating other Austen releases for this set of 1898 editions.
In conceiving Emma Woodhouse, Jane Austen set out to create a heroine "whom no-one but myself will much like." A naive and spoiled young lady, she is at the pinnacle of local society and lives with her doddering father. Her neighbor Mr. Knightley is the hero of the tale. Ten years her senior, he sees Emma's faults, and delights in pointing them out to her.
Emma, as an heiress, has no need to marry, but she feels strongly that her less fortunate friends must certainly do so, and she is tireless in promoting the best interests of those she holds dear. Her first project is her new friend Harriet Smith, a young lady of unknown parentage, but sweet disposition. After thoroughly disrupting a match between Harriet and a handsome young local farmer, Emma pushes Harriet to aim for the vicar, who himself has his eye on Emma. By the time that misunderstanding is untangled, Emma has Mr. Knightley thoroughly disapproving of her. Against the backdrop of Highbury society, Emma is a charming tale of a young woman coming of age, learning to mind her own business, and discovering her own heart resides with the strong, steadfast gentleman next door.
Jane Austen
Jane Austen (1775–1817) was an English novelist whose work centred on social commentary and realism. Her works of romantic fiction are set among the landed gentry, and she is one of the most widely read writers in English literature.
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Reviews for Emma
7,675 ratings207 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Although Emma isn’t going to displace Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice as my favorite Austen, it was definitely a fun read. The introduction mentions that Emma was Austen’s favorite character she created and I can see why. She’s sometimes naive or snobby, but she’s also cheerful, happy, and concerned with the happiness of others. I thought her father and sister were pretty funny, unique characters as well. The way relationships develop between characters is generally slow, subtle, and believable. The end is a bit abrupt and everything wraps up a bit too neatly, but I was in the mood for a light read and actually liked that the resolution wasn’t drawn out too much. Overall, this was a very fun, light read.
This review first published at Doing Dewey. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5An extremely enjoyable and often hilarious slice of Georgian life featuring the spoiled, snotty, but also weirdly lovable Emma who is very convinced she understands how everyone feels even when she is repeatedly proven wrong (even about herself). Austen has the ability to draw characters that are simultaneously pointed caricatures and lovingly individualistic portraits. It is no wonder she published her novels anonymously during her lifetime, because I'm sure her friends, family, and acquaintances could find themselves in these pages. Not sure how I made it this long without reading this one, but I'm glad I finally did.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Emma is a classic novel that still delights after all this time. It follows the spoilt but well-intentioned titular character as she develops schemes to fix her friends up with suitable husbands. For the most part, they all backfire, leaving some of her acquaintances worse off than they were before. Despite this, you can't help but still like Emma. All of the characters, including her, are very well developed and have humorous quirks and interactions throughout the story. Folks who like the movie "Clueless" might like this book as it is the very closely related basis for the film.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Emma Woodhouse is 21. She lives with her father and from the age of 12 was raised by him and a live-in governess, Miss Taylor who is now the newly married Mrs. Weston. Emma set things rolling for that romance to take hold; at least she believes she did.Emma has a passion for arranging couples. The book follows her as she sets out to arrange a fitting match for Miss Harriet Smith. Readers either cringe or enjoy the ride as they watch Emma woefully mess up Miss Smith's life for a time.Through all of this Emma avers that she has no intention of every marrying. Of course that stand is well challenged by the end of the book.I very much enjoyed reading this Jane Austen novel. The only other book of hers that I have read is Pride and Prejudice which I loved. P&P was a masterpiece. I feel that Emma was a good book but not as witty or as culturally astute as P&P. I eagerly look forward to reading more of Miss Austen's works.Oh, and I can't step away without saying the Mr. Woodhouse, described at the beginning of the book as a "valetudinarian:a person who is excessively concerned about his or her poor health or ailments" really got on my nerves!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Honestly I found this to be one of the harder Austen novels to read. The plot wasn't as captivating as some of her other works, nor were the characters as interesting. Mr. Knightly and Emma are, of course, exceedingly interesting, but everyone else I found rather blah and dull which might have been the point. Emma is an absolute scoundrel and I was constantly reminded of the Austen quote where she tells her sister I believe that Emma is a protagonist only she will like. There are a lot of interesting choices and techniques used in this novel that require some more pondering and close reading, but I will say this: Emma is not the best Austen novel, but it is probably one of the best literary pieces she produced.
All in all, I would recommend this book to the dedicated Austen fans, but I probably wouldn't recommend it as a starter into Jane Austen literature. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Maybe I shouldn't have listened to this as an audio book because I found it kind of boring. I'm looking forward to listening to more of her books.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Emma is from the leading family in Highbury, living alone with her widowed father at Hartfield. She loves to play matchmaker, feeling her skills quite superior after her friend's marriage went exactly as she hoped. Now Emma has set her sights on Harriet, a young woman of unknown parentage whom Emma wishes to match with the local vicar. The book is a comedy of misunderstandings and secrets. People often don't talk about how they really feel, leaving things up for interpretation, and often misinterpretation.I really enjoyed Emma. The prose is very simple, making it an easy read. I like that Emma herself is a flawed character who comes to recognize her flaws and works to correct them. Not everyone in the story is as self-aware as she is, and that's part of the fun. Austen created a cast of characters here whom you could easily recognize in real life. (How many of us know a talkative Miss Bates?) It's a romantic comedy where the matchmaker lead has no desire for marriage herself, which is perhaps unusual in this genre (and also serves to make the story more interesting). I wholeheartedly recommend reading Emma. It's a fun, low-stakes comedy, with lovable characters and a happy ending.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Not the biggest Jane Austin fan, as I find her subject matter not as engaging as some would have me believe. It's a well written book, and her humor is definitely there, but I just don't get the same feeling from Emma as I did from say, Pride and Prejudice. It was alright, but still, I needed to force myself to finish this one off.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Emma is one of my favorite Jane Austen characters (I think I've raed this one more than P&P). And watching the 2009 Masterpiece Classic version of Emma is so much fun. I love how silly and simple they portray Harriet.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I read this book perhaps 20 years ago, and since then I have seen filmed versions of it so many times that I didn't think the book could hold any charm for me any more. How wrong I was! Films can never equal Jane Austen's wit. This book is told with a hilarity that held me transfixed, turning pages. The films canvas many chapters in mere seconds, and they can never capture the thoughts and characters of Austen's figures as the book does. It will not be so long before I read this work again.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Jane Austen's Emma has the distinction of being one of the few novels that I have greatly enjoyed, despite thoroughly disliking its heroine. The vain Miss Woodhouse, whose bumbling attempts at matchmaking lead to such distress for her friends and acquaintances, is perhaps best appreciated as a comic character. As a romantic heroine however, she is appalling...Despite my impatience with the titular character, Emma is a wonderful novel, as engrossing as it is entertaining, told with Austen's inimitable charm and wit. The characterization of Miss Bates is particularly amusing, although the author never descends to the malice shown by her main character. All-in-all, well worth the reader's attention.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5By reading this book I learned that, as I grow older, I am finding pleasant stories set in an idealized English countryside increasingly appealing.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Overall a delightful read, but often overly expository at times. Despite the Regency setting, the plot is relatable to many who've ever hidden behind their own feelings by pushing their friends into relationships--all the while misinterpreting the situation at times. A very enjoyable novel that read before Pride & Prejudice, Persuasion, and Mansfield Park really show the progression of Austen's writing.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rich society girl meddles in other people's love lives, leading everyone astray in the process, including herself. Good fun, clever and perceptive, although my interest did fade in the second half. It's a little too long to maintain interest in the fallout of the basic setup. Still, well worth a read.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5One of my favorite Jane Austin book. Emma Woodhouse is funny and captivating. I love to see as she finds her place in the world and finding love right under her nose. As with all of the Austin books, we see a world that is long since forgotten in modern society but the message is still true. Excellent read.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Very funny and witty, but not one of my particular favorites. It’s more along the lines of Northanger Abbey where it’s very obvious what Austen is making fun of, but there’s only so much to do with a character. Also, very confusing when you have two people referred to as Mr. Knightley which Is not good when one of them is supposed to be the love interest. Still, a good read.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Re-read these days and am still just loving this!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I remember reading a foreword in my first edition of Emma -- was it by Margaret Drabble? -- where it was mentioned that Jane Austen thought no one would like the character of Emma but herself.
At first, I thought she was right. I didn't much care for Emma the first time I read the book. I occasionally wanted to smack her smug face. I certainly didn't think she deserved Mr. Knightly and sometimes thought a dotty spinsterhood was her appropriate fate.
But I read the book again and I changed my mind.
Emma isn't the most likable of fictional characters, at least at first, but this is what makes her so splendid. She grows during the book -- something that is always an effective part of a novel for me. She makes mistakes and then learns from them (although she does have to make the same mistakes a few times to really get the point, but so many of us do the same). As I read the book again, I realized what irritated me so much about Emma was how very much she resembled me and many people I knew, in that way that seeing your own worst qualities reflected in someone else is irritating like nothing else. Emma is a mirror, and she does not reflect a flattering portrait.
Once you get over that little hurdle, it's a very funny, very clever book. Austen has her sharp, sardonic wit at the ready and she uses it to show us the little micro-environment that is Highbury in great but never dull detail. We see the proud, the foolish, the overly reserved, the overly demonstrative -- and, unusually, a bit of all of these are in Emma. She is a more rounded, complete character than Austen has created in her previous books. By the time I'd finished the second read, I was nearly as fond of Emma as Austen. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jane Austen's humorous portrayal of a spoiled, but likeable, young woman whose ill-considered interferences in the romantic lives of her social circle is delightfully funny. Much less serious than Pride and Prejudice, Emma is full of charming wit as the author pokes fun at all and sundry of her characters. I found the ever-fretting Mr. Woodhouse to be one of the funniest characters I've ever encountered in literature, the voluble Miss Bates quite comic, and the captious Mrs. Elton the pretentious bore I love to despise.In one sense, the novel is a fairly predictable series of romantic confusions and misconceptions…reminding me of a comedy from Shakespeare or Sheridan. Emma has such a high opinion of her own infallibility and matchmaking ability, and yet is so patently bad at it, that the reader can always see the next pitfall as she blunders along. However, the charm and humor the author has invested in the work keep us viewing her with affectionate indulgence.If your only encounter is with pale imitations such as the movie "Clueless", I really recommend a try at this novel.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I read this book way back in 1983 and to be honest, gave it 5 stars purely because I remember loving all Jane Austen but I can't actually remember the story. One to re-read I think.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is one of Jane Austin's most fun books. Emma is one of Austin's typical Can't-see-the-nose-on-her-face heroine, and her misadventures are quite entertaining.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Love it! Love the interaction between the love interests, and how it changes depending on what people/socity say/think.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5While most Austen novels read alike to me, Emma stands out primarily due to our protagonist and title character who, despite her good intentions, is so hysterically self-absorbed that every good deed she attempts ends up an utter disaster. It really is a funny novel and the best of the bunch, in my opinion.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A bit more drawn out than I would have liked. It was interesting to watch such a character grow out as she did, even if some of this felt negated in the end by her complete disregard for her "friend's" feelings in the name of love. Not that she should have turned him down, but she did brush it all aside rather quickly and effortlessly. I don't know.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Emma has no intention of ever marrying and she considers herself a very good matchmaker amongst her friends. Of course, she is not nearly as good a matchmaker as she thinks she is and manages to mess up a few times and she misses seeing things between people.I was hoping for more. I liked parts of it, but my mind wandered throughout a lot of the book, too. It seemed if the focus was on particular characters (Harriet, Frank Churchill, sometimes Mr. Knightley), it kept my attention a bit more. I was interested at the start and at the end, and when the aforementioned characters were involved in the storyline, but otherwise, I got a bit bored at times and couldn't always pay attention to it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Among authors of 19th Century, Jane Austen is matchless. And among Austen's novels, Emma is by far the most enchanting, fun, heartwarming and approachable. While maintaining decorum and sophistication (mostly), the eponymous Emma Woodhouse, having found success at matchmaking, attempts to hurriedly repeat the trick, only to see it this time coming crashing down around her ears and forever be coming back to haunt her. Emma's cast of characters play incredibly well off of each other (even if they don't all like each other) to create a jovial and jubilant tale to rival even Shakespearean comedy. I probably should have read this novel when i was a teenager like other girls, but I’m glad I waited until after college to approach it with a critical eye. Although some the vocabulary is still very archaic, it’s much easier to comprehend than the dense Mansfield Park (though the later is a more depressing story to be sure). Emma reads very much like a modern piece, perhaps more so than any other major 19th Century novel. It is in a word, timeless (though nowadays we are more apt to poke fun as in the recent film, Austenland). It’s cute and saucy and romantic and full-of-life. In terms of period pleasure reading, I don’t expect to ever find its equal.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Another fantastic book by Jane Austen. Despite Emma's bumbled matchmaking, everything worked out in the end.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Everyone is familiar with this famous storyline. Emma is rich and bored so what better to do than adopt a poor orphan and make her your pet. Emma's devious plans backfire in a series of romantic debacles, including her own. But like all good Jane Austen novels, in the end the Heroine learns her lesson, gets a husband and lives happily ever after. This is actually one of my least favorite Austen novels just because Emma is such a horrible person. But I LOVE Clueless, the 1990's adaptation...go figure!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5After reading Jane Austen's two best works - "Pride and Prejudice" and "Sense and Sensibility", reading the first parts of "Emma" was hard. I felt disappointed because to me Emma doesn't seem to be an interesting heroine. She's not as likeable as Elinor Dashwood, or even her lively and unrestrained sister Marriane. And definitely Emma is nowhere as interesting as Elizabeth Bennet! I was also a bit bored, as to me the plot was not as nearly as interesting the the other two. To me Emma is rather annoying, and the story is just a story of a girl growing up and learning about life by stumbling on mistake after mistake. The other characters there are certainly VERY annoying - like the incessant talker Miss Bates and Emma's always worrying father Mr Woodhouse.But I realised I was maybe being unjust. I was expecting interesting love affair like that between Lizzie and her Mr Darcy, while Jane is actually offering something different. And actually the further I read the book the more endearing it was. It was a bit dragging at first, but as the plot thickens it was back like when reading "Pride and Prejudice" and "Sense and Sensibility", I couldn't put the book down. And the book does have those ingredients that are standard (and lovable) in Jane's book - secret love affairs, money problem, good looking gentlemen and non gentlemen, and gentle, restrained romance. In the end, though not as deeply impressed as when reading the other two books, I still regretted that the book had to end and I won't be able to know what became of Emma and her beau years later.As in her other books Jane Austen managed to convey and describe clearly the sociology of her time. As always I felt thankful I didn't live in those days where geeks and socially inept person like me would definitely be an outcast, being talked about, gossiped and pitied by the neighbours. I can imagine what Emma and Mrs Weston would say, "Oh that poor Miss ....., she is so quiet and awkward, lacking in style. No wonder she's an old maid!"
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I have read all of her completed works and most of her juvenalia. It is not one of her popular novels because of the heroine but that is the challenge to see the good in Emma as well as her class snobbery. I have it in the Penguin edition as I have the other completed books.