Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Emma
    Emma
    Emma
    Ebook560 pages10 hours

    Emma

    By Jane Austen

    4/5

    ()

    Switch to audiobook
    Read preview

    About this ebook

    This beautifully designed original edition of Jane Austen’s beloved novel, twice released as a major motion picture, is about a spoiled, precocious, headstrong young woman, Emma Woodhouse, who is blind to the dangers of meddling in other people’s lives. Set in Regency England in the early nineteenth century, Emma lives with her wealthy, kindly, yet eccentric father who is quite the hypochondriac.

    Lovable, beautiful, wealthy and smart, Emma enjoys matchmaking and believes that she can determine people’s emotions and whom they love simply by watching them. Unfortunately, she is also a spoiled, meddlesome snob and not at all good at arranging marriages. Her rich imagination and mistaken perceptions lead her astray in this playful comedy of manners which highlights England’s country society and their obsession with social distinctions as well as the dependence of women on marriage at that time to secure their class rank and economic security.

    Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among England’s high society with their country estates and emphasis on social standing, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature. Her timeless stories of the landed gentry have been turned into a host of movies and television shows, and translated into multiple languages. Her realism and stinging social commentary have cemented her historical importance among scholars and critics alike. Readers, young and old, have enjoyed being a part of that era through Austen’s rich and memorable characters as they romp through her detailed novels of English country life in the nineteenth century.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherG&D Media
    Release dateMar 16, 2020
    ISBN9781722524487
    Author

    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.

    Read more from Jane Austen

    Related to Emma

    Related ebooks

    Classics For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Home with Jane

      May 15, 2020

      Home with Jane
      2 min read

    • Article

      Women’s Prize for Fiction Names 2019 Shortlist

      Apr 29, 2019

      The  Women's Prize for Fiction announced its 2019 shortlist. The post Women’s Prize for Fiction Names 2019 Shortlist appeared first on The Millions.

      6 min read

    • Article

      The Trojan War Museum

      Jul 29, 2019

      The Trojan War Museum
      15 min read

    • Article

      How High We Go In The Dark

      Dec 29, 2021

      ▸ RELEASED 18 JANUARY 304 pages | Hardback/ebook ▸ Author Sequoia Nagamatsu ▸ Publisher Bloomsbury There are surprisingly few SF stories about death. Sure, many books and films kill off characters. But only a handful – like Tarkovsky’s Solaris, or Te

      1 min read

    • Article

      Tante’s Tales

      Oct 5, 2021

      Tante’s Tales
      3 min read

    • Article

      Elsi, The Strange Maid

      Aug 29, 2018

      Elsi, The Strange Maid
      17 min read

    • Article

      A Consent (1908)

      Jul 1, 2022

      A Consent (1908)
      19 min read

    • Article

      The Stackpole Legend

      Mar 1, 2024

      The Stackpole Legend
      13 min read

    • Article

      Winning Letter

      Sep 23, 2022

      I was having brunch recently with a friend. She was observing a young, in-love couple behind me. She commented that he was rubbing her back and showing such tender affection. As they left and walked past her, she said to them, “What an amazing couple

      5 min read

    • Article

      The William Trevor Reader: “On the Zattere”

      Mar 14, 2023

      I’m truly undecided on whether Trevor succeeds with this story.  The post The William Trevor Reader: “On the Zattere” appeared first on The Millions.

      4 min read

    • Article

      “I Miss Dad Every Single Day”

      Jun 15, 2022

      “I Miss Dad Every Single Day”
      5 min read

    • Article

      An ocean OF LOVE

      Jun 27, 2023

      An ocean OF LOVE
      6 min read

    • Article

      Winning Letter

      Mar 3, 2023

      WE’RE barely into the year and already it feels like it’s a lot. The effects of loadshedding aren’t just about not having electricity – it affects our emotional state too. Having to figure out when to shop, do laundry, cook, care for kids, do hair, w

      5 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Aug 19, 2022

      Books
      4 min read

    • Article

      An Ocean Of Love

      Aug 17, 2021

      An Ocean Of Love
      6 min read

    • Article

      Home with Jane

      May 15, 2020

      Home with Jane
      2 min read

    • Article

      Winning Letter

      Sep 30, 2022

      I’m a single mother who struggles financially to get through each month. When my washing machine broke I had no funds to repair it, so I asked my neighbours if I could do my washing at their place. On a Wednesday afternoon my bell rang. At the door w

      5 min read

    • Article

      Winning Letter

      Sep 29, 2023

      EVERY week we have a news meeting where we discuss what stories we’re going to pursue for the upcoming editions. There’s laughter, debate, shock and sadness – we often go through a gamut of emotions by the time we’ve heard everyone’s suggestions. Som

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Ones We Sent Away

      Aug 7, 2023

      The Ones We Sent Away
      47 min read

    • Article

      Your Letters

      Apr 12, 2024

      I enjoy the thoughts and stories expressed by Diane Lindsay in every issue of Family Tree magazine. But her latest contribution in the February 2024 issue topped them all. We have very different backgrounds, her having been born and raised in an old

      5 min read

    • Article

      Flesh & blood

      Apr 9, 2023

      Flesh & blood
      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Emma

    4/5

    7,844 ratings204 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      My gosh, this one took much too long to read. Here are the basics: Emma lives with her dad and loves to play matchmaker for everyone living within her general vicinity. The first handful of chapters were as slow as molasses and a million characters were introduced. (There were lots of notes taken.) And then the chaos began: Emma setting up this person with that person, then changing her mind and encouraging a different match, then being surprised about people's feelings for each other because, though she's clever about some things, she's also entirely daft about others. A little more than halfway through I decided this story could've been told in a significantly shorter form and I just wanted it all to be over. I have a great nostalgic love for Pride & Prejudice and Jane Austen, but man, this one was brutal. I've not seen any adaptations yet but I've already decided I'll enjoy them immensely more than the book.
    • 4/5
      I tried to read Jane Austen (Pride & Prejudice) before and just could not get into it. I wanted to give her another try (as I was gifted a beautiful set of her books) and decided on Emma since it was on a few feminist book list. Emma was great! I loved the characters, could get a good grasp of them all by their dialogue. Although it is during a time I know very little about the characters were still relatable. Emma especially was a good character because she does have faults and beliefs of her own and does not compromise them. I enjoyed the plot, it had a mystery feel trying to find out who was in love with who. The last few chapters were amazing and I was very satisfied with the ending. My only annoyance with the book is rich people whining about rich people problems, it can get annoying how judgmental thee characters are and the classism, but it was a different time, keeping that in mind it makes sense. Can definitely see why Emma is such a classic and a good example of early feminism.
    • 4/5
      I wonder if a variation on the Unreliable Narrator is permissible here? Jane Austen's Emma, while narrated solely by the author herself, is told exclusively from the title character's point of view (chime in and correct me if there are scenes in which she doesn't take part, however minor) so that Austen becomes Emma's interpreter, and our interlocutor. It's a very deliberate choice, because Austen then goes on deftly but in plain sight to give you every reason to question Emma's headlong conclusions, while knowing full well that you'll simply go right along with Emma anyway. Surprisingly, none of this feels tricksy or opportunistic, though of course it might had Austen not had this particular objective unwaveringly in her sights: The Unreliable Reader. If we look at the story from within Emma's world, she's a classic unreliable narrator, primarily to poor Harriet Smith. Emma's wishful and willful narratives consistently mislead Harriet, who depends entirely on Emma's versions of things. To make matters more complex, Emma really should have known better, as she admits (to her credit) when her eyes are opened. Nor is Emma the only unreliable narrator. She is misled in her turn by Frank Churchill's camouflaging accounts of his relationship to Jane Fairfax. Again, the reliability angle is enriched when Frank thinks at one point that Emma does perceive his attachment to Jane.In fact, there is one scene in which Emma doesn't appear, one that fits into your interpretation. It's the conversation between Mrs. Weston and Mr. Knightley about whether Emma's friendship with Harriet is desirable or not. Mrs. Weston sees the matter fondly through Emma's eyes, while Mr. Knightley's cooler assessment sees the situation accurately. Mr. Knightley and Mr. John Knightley could be called reliable narrators of the story. Again significantly for your thesis, each attempts to alert Emma to her mistaken narratives. Mr. Knightley tells her realistically about Harriet's prospects and Robert Martin's virtues, and shares his suspicions about an attachment between Frank and Jane. Mr. John Knightley gives her a hint about Mr. Elton's real intentions. Of course, they don't make a dent.Now I've got myself really thinking, and I realise . . . I forgot Miss Bates, the most persistent narrator of them all! I'd call her a reliable narrator because her stream-of-consciousness approach ends up letting us know her entire (and exhaustive) fact-base. She also tells us her certainty values.I've read Emma countless times, but I still laugh out loud at the pork-and-Mr.-Elton scene:“Full of thanks, and full of news, Miss Bates knew not which to give quickest. Mr. Knightley soon saw that he had lost his moment, and that not another syllable of communication could rest with him.‘Oh! my dear sir, how are you this morning? My dear Miss Woodhouse---I come quite overpowered. Such a beautiful hind-quarter of pork! You are too bountiful! Have you heard the news? Mr. Elton is going to be married.’"This scene goes exactly to the narrator issue, when Miss Bates nearly backs herself into the corner of naming Highbury's corporate speculation that Mr. Elton would propose to Emma:"A Miss Hawkins.---Well, I had always rather fancied it would be some young lady hereabouts; not that I ever-----Mrs. Cole once whispered to me---but I immediately said, 'No, Mr. Elton is a most worthy young man---but'-----In short, I do not think I am particularly quick at those sort of discoveries. I do not pretend to it. What is before me, I see. At the same time, nobody could wonder if Mr. Elton should have aspired-----Miss Woodhouse let me chatter on, so good-humouredly. She knows I would not offend for the world. How does Miss Smith do?"How different from the Mr. Knightleys, and yet Miss Bates's native honesty and good will keep her on the straight and narrow. She knows (and as importantly, reports) when she's drawing a conclusion, when her memory might be at fault, etc.What a masterly triumph for Jane Austen, to have Miss Bates, of all people, win the Reliable Narrator Sweepstakes! LOL, indeed!The famous Irony that Austen deployed (and refined to its utmost in Emma) is, rather than being crudely and obviously signposted, actually embedded in the means of the narrative. We are constantly seduced into Emma's solipsism because it flatters our own - we even fail to pull up the drawbridge during that famous opening sentence because we so wish to believe that a pretty, rich, single, and indulged young woman could have 'anything to vex her'. Or us. The reason the Box Hill episode is so painful - to Miss Bates, as much as to the reader (and, eventually, Emma) - is that Miss Bates is wholly without guile. It's the book's first real gathering-of-clouds warning that we are not reading this story as it needs to be read: that we are in danger of wafting away on the brio of Emma's self-satisfaction, and using it to fluff the duvet of our own. After all, Emma is gravely wrong three times over (towards Harriet, Jane Fairfax, and Miss Bates), and because of her position of influence it's in her hands to materially affect their lives. Potentially, she can ruin Harriet's prospects, cast malicious shade on Jane's reputation, and fatally disturb Miss Bates's peace. She's lucky that the damage was limited in the first two cases and that Miss Bates was capable of recovering in the third.I see Emma as a miracle novel---a perfect comedy of manners taking place in the perfect confessional world of Highbury, and yet as serious in its moral content as Mansfield Park. I think Emma becomes a sympathetic moral character when we allow her to be a mirror for ourselves.The book is a brilliant and unique accomplishment in literature, and is the reason it's still one of my favourite novels, even though I'm more temperamentally drawn to some others.
    • 4/5
      I think this was the first Jane Austen book that I have read. I had no idea what the story was going to be about before reading but I really enjoyed it. It was interesting to read about a match maker who has been setting up her friends. Emma reminded me of someone I could have known in my real life. She's not perfect although she thinks we has a great knack for setting people up. I thought it was interesting how she ended up getting married herself. I didn't really see her as a good match for her future husband. It seems like that part of the story wasn't planned out before the book started to be written. But all in all, I did enjoy this book and would love to read more by this author.
    • 3/5
      Andermaal is het hoofdthema: misleiding, niets is wat het lijkt. Andermaal happy end. De hoofdfiguur Emma is eigenlijk niet echt sympathiek, eerder meelijwekkend.Wel weer mooi societyportret en vooral enorme psychologische diepgang (in dit opzicht is Austen zelfs een voorloper van Dostojevski). Vlotte dialogen afgewisseld met beschrijving en introspectie. Vormelijk toch wel minder dan P&P, met soms langdradige stukken.
    • 4/5
      Love it, love it, love it!
    • 5/5
      I dallied on purpose through Emma, taking nearly two on-again, off-again months to savor Jane Austen’s delicious prose, her sympathetic and perceptive portrayals of the protagonist and other main characters, and her exquisitely adept, lost-art use of semicolons. I hadn’t expected to discover and enjoy numerous laugh out loud moments, but Austen delivered the goods repeatedly...especially at the expense of pompous Mrs. Elton and hare-brained Miss Bates. Although the social mores of 18C Britain were obviously very different from those of today, Austen conveyed the motivations and behaviors of her characters in a way that modern readers can easily recognize and relate to. Brava!
    • 4/5
      Emma Woodhouse is a young girl of 20 (or 21?), beautiful, lovable and therefore loved by everyone surrounding her, rich, socially privileged... The story begins right after her governess' marriage, a match that Emma proud herself of being responsible for. Now she's left alone with her father, a man that very much reminds us of a hobbit when it comes to his way of thinking and behaving, and so she decides to engage herself in matching another couple (she has decided not to ever get marry).

      Despite the fact that I usually like Jane Austen's books VERY much and having enjoyed this reading, I do think that Austen should have taken a closer look at how she portraits Emma. Since she's the protagonist, I felt like I should like her, but it was simply impossible to do so. Nevertheless, I found it really hard to sympathize with a girl who's so spoiled (and I failed to understand how she was so very much loved by all the other characters) and by the end of the book I felt happy not for Emma, but for the other characters. But maybe that was the point, maybe that was a way of portraying England's rural society from early 18th century.

      Most of the book consists in dialogues, descriptions of daily life in that society and the relationships between the neighbors. Now, talking about a period novel I always find it really hard to reach an equilibrium point between what was the author's view/intention and what is more of a description (yes, I know there's no such a thing as a description totally absent from the author's opinion, but here I'm referring to what was unintentional). After all I'm reading something from two centuries ago so most of what people speak and/or how they speak is different, so how can I know what was common at that time? In general I always think the way they treat each other to be extremely polite, too formal, which presented some kind of challenge at first, but after a while we tend to understand the characters and get used to the way of acting of each one of them.

      I believe this to be a good read for those eager to get an idea of habits and society from that time, especially concerning the social position by birth, how people moved within society and the treatment reserved to each one, which was defined not only by wealth, but also by tradition. Tradition, I believe, is the word that best describes England, even now.
    • 3/5
      Although convinced that she herself will never marry, Emma Woodhouse - beautiful, clever, rich and single - imagines herself to be naturally talented in match making. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her friend Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. My only experience with Austen before this was Pride and Prejudice, which I quite enjoyed, so I was surprised by how hard a time I had getting into Emma. The story dragged in the beginning for me and I found myself putting the book down quite often. There was a lack of plot and I found that saw things coming that the characters didn't which made their big reveals have less impact. The other issue I had was with Austen's writing style. Her use of language is beautiful. However, at some points when the story seems to be going very slowly it began to grate on me. She also seemed to do a lot of telling rather than showing. That said, by the third act I finally became more involved with the characters. They are funny, witty, annoying and quite memorable. The social commentary provided by the ladies was an interesting insight into the times back then. Some things are vastly different now and in others things haven't changed all that much. I'm glad I stuck it out.
    • 4/5
      A delightful book, if not a little irritating in parts. I've read this at least once before, but it's been a few years. Emma lives with her father and fancies herself a matchmaker who will never marry herself. She learns a few lessons along the way that turn her from a spoiled, annoying young woman to someone who is kind and caring. My only complaint with this book is that Mr. Woodhouse and Mrs. Elton annoy me to tears. Otherwise, this is a good read.
    • 5/5
      (late 1980s / early 1990s, dated from sticky-backed-plastic covering)How DO you actually review a book by Austen? Hasn’t everything already been said before? This was one of the two least-known of her books to me (the other being “Persuasion”, which I read back in January) but it’s just such a good read, with wonderful characters, and, although I had forgotten much of it, I remembered the well-plotted and satisfying story.As with other classics (see Hardy reads and “Middlemarch“, I have found my reaction to this book changing over time. I found Jane Fairfax unjustly judged now – although that’s obviously part of the story – where I found her annoying before, and I recall being more frustrated with Mr Woodhouse in earlier days – now I can see the worry shining through his dealings with anything at all out of the ordinary, having lost his wife young and only having one daughter left at home. Book blogger Dovegreyreader, who has also recently read and reviewed this book, although for the first time, points out the effects of the loss of her mother on Emma, and you can see that when it’s pointed out to you, with the lack of female guidance (think of Jo from Little Women without her mother) and only her governess to oversee her moral development, someone who is, although full of sense herself, perhaps a little over-indulgent of her dear Emma. And I think that it is to these women of sense, rather than sensibility, that we turn as we get older, isn’t it? Emma perhaps moves from one point to the other over the course of the book, and of course her relationship with Mr Knightley is just perfect! A great read, anyway.
    • 5/5
      While 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.
    • 3/5
      It was good, my first Jane Austen. I liked her protagonist actually, though I hear most people are put off by Emma. It was a little boring sometimes but other than that, I was happy with it.
    • 2/5
      Much ado about not much. Emma disappoints in the lack of interesting ideas or actions. It centers around a small, ingrown community of rich persons who seem to have little meaningful to do. Our heroine is (as she describes another) "a vain woman, extremely well satisfied with herself, and thinking much of her own importance." Why the active Mr. Knightley would even be interested in such a undeveloped young woman is a mystery to me.
    • 3/5
      It's hard to read this and not compare it to Clueless from time to time, but on the whole I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not Austen's best certainly, but entertaining nonetheless.
    • 2/5
      Don't get the fuss. Did not enjoy.
    • 4/5
      I 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.
    • 5/5
      Emma 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.
    • 5/5
      I 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.
    • 3/5
      Jane 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.
    • 3/5
      By reading this book I learned that, as I grow older, I am finding pleasant stories set in an idealized English countryside increasingly appealing.
    • 4/5
      I must begin by stating that I may be utterly biased here. Emma is the novel that introduced me to the treasure that are Jane Austen's masterpieces. I read it when I was fourteen, and fell in love with it right there and then. People often tend to mention that Emma Woodhouse is the least likeable heroine Jane Austen has created. It may be so, since she is rather headstrong, spoiled and with a strong tendency to plan other people's lives, without giving a second thought to all possible consequences, secluded in the protection of Hartfield, her house, her bubble. It may be so but we should not forget that she has no siblings, and an onlychild, more often than not, believes that the world probably revolves around him/her. And I am an onlychild, so don't judge me... :)I recently revisited Emma's world for a group discussion, and I once again found myself utterly charmed by Jane Austen's creation. In this novel, she presents all the vices of the aristocracy, all the possible ways the high and mighty use to look down on those who are less fortunate, and she does so with style and elegance, and her unique satire. Yes, Emma is a difficult character, but I think we must regard her the way we do with a younger sister or a younger cousin who has yet to experience the difficulties of the ''real'' world ''out there''. Emma is a charming character, for all her faults. Frankly, I find her a bit more realistic than the other iconic heroines, the ever - perfect Elizabeth, the always - sensible and cautious Eleanor, or the ever - waiting, passive Anne. Emma makes many mistakes and regrets, but her heart is kind. After all, don't we become a little stupid when we fall in love? (view spoiler)The rest of the characters are all iconic as well. Mr .Knightley is sensible, gentle, gallant, the true voice of reason. I highly prefer him compared to Mr. Darcy. Frank Churchill joins Sense and Sensibility's John Willoughby as the two most unsympathetic young suitors in Jane Austen's works, Harriet is well...Harriet, and Miss Taylor is a lady that I believe all of us would want as a close friend and adviser.Emma is a wonderful journey, full of satire, lively, realistic characters and the beautiful descriptions of a tiny English town. It is small wonder that there have been so many adaptations in all media, the big screen, TV and in theatre. The best adaptation, in my opinion, is the 2009 BBC TV series, with Romola Garai as Emma and Jonny Lee Miller as a dreamy Mr. Knightley.
    • 3/5
      Emma is a fun read. I picked this book up because I had heard that it was the inspiration for the movie Clueless. Once you begin reading it, you see the parallels immediately. A smart, sassy novel.
    • 4/5
      Emma 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.
    • 4/5
      Very 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.
    • 4/5
      Re-read these days and am still just loving this!
    • 5/5
      Emma Woodhouse is one of Jane Austen's most infuriating heroines. She is rich, spoiled, and as prone to meddling in the lives of others as she is to neglecting her own self-improvement. She should be insufferable, and the fact that she is not is a credit to Austen's clear-eyed ability to create three-dimensional characters, put them into situations where they do not shine, and then redeem them in the end.Really, Emma's problem is that there is no one who is both her age and her social status in the small English country town where she lives with her widowed father, who is a study in self-centered spoiling himself. Even as she is doing things that make the reader want to slap her, Austen gives us insight into Emma's thoughts that show she is not wholly unaware of where her faults lie and her sincere desire to overcome them, even if she isn't quite sure how to accomplish that.Many years ago, I read a biography of Rex Stout, who created the ineffable private detectives Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. When biographer John McAleer asked Rex in the final days of his life what Wolfe was doing at that moment, Rex said, "He's re-reading Emma ." Indeed, Stout had that famous misogynist detective declare in more than one book that Austen was his favorite writer, and Emma the perfect novel. I wouldn't call it perfect, and I'm not sure it's even my favorite Austen, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
    • 1/5
      It didn't stand up to rereading. Unlikeable characters leading vapid lives.
    • 4/5
      Nadia May does a marvelous narration for this classic. While it is not my favorite Austen, it is still a wonderful book.
    • 4/5
      Overall 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.

    Book preview

    Emma - Jane Austen

    JOabook_preview_excerpt.html}˖#q寠A6bOjN׌HiԜe3#J%c^3wdfCv%5\o3/8?/7ozmv?c{9wfhju{;nꎗ-];8-͡O}߸4cvmnN2֡[ݍrIC=`>N}pe[m0do؍}W[~|c\3c[f=_4qh:锎ZtCgدƋ8yzXx y1_|'frbyuu?/xcg8mSruO͵ iʈ|lm4NqqOFsYݭ\wɤ^tj#/v-ݵ9wuݻNR=LY2Lx톦G:mRMBvzs4Sk vBqf&w SνYۦnyhH[3cͽyp"v`e<'nV_e薥9^R+=CmԎxOYlLɞv:t U-!=_M{m7L`.&x/Rg{l{< SM dswO7[Ӊpu=^5;\hO{9xU~=iߛa11VMqbKl(p~XELhn%՟x6B'I y|zP޹FP!# ᓅ±rbJ@%ˇuN^8fu}?5œ̠rvgtk:pf ^Ah10;usXj̓4t, +kR =قHa 427n&;hta~ˆy1u11營å Cw41'X>[_s ;TtFt ~6h8nqI%aGgh9#ѓ~ݵ)w88d/׿gӖ!#U-+Eȣdzy극Cv>Vr|JkfހGyj־hM\.a 7aȖiMQES3],Kz9JViبb:03H~qcxu/Q?/vq;NԚ2`Xa<9 I<k^s7}w$c%Q|Pm W1¶}c ĴV̉aZ0.52ם&8b_wCJܼؿLY+HoKu!34 Gީypѥr sTQ -jsf§:+9+TEdh>2a8qf0Ӿl!=FT b8*]d#claz>t1dlʝԷWlWB Q'u>4C[Y_ZQS{(Sݑ(| /]ya'[nJ-A/5vs!X $pt#x~Θ|(Zn<{ײ!@dd-Ny|m xq ss7=/#rMRŦ௼ʟQ;e3+~[7A8 ›9;O h6L2N)JEÒ}qo {_u+~9\|`j7\:,Kj #2l>4] -ҘT_/ZO[JǏfwCevVW`qן~m{@ L׽d m F攏ex0(L޾ةmBŰy 9^~ߺ6H:,:v4djN\kb~(gX>ąioNaIe_ՇoXodi:9(?z=o vMN@ڼc%aJչ#*zՇXu/"'& s 2?ϣY) WzQ k6FrNqO_i62$@~dS_OX> `E%8fAFHާD4WȶzOL#-rܟQgCB3/4-`vho*4,<n{JBj_H H|i=O^EN#@l8t쩍.Xj%1\ӰLpuɞh$F+,-tIvՙ vE? ʘ Spg=xrxH+F'9uT8}v>M6`w4"<oJlxS0 -Fy׋78TFA57S;v9b\ņ됣 0@Oj>!䩒| {G ۶<,Қ~h&~l`!Xt6(MX$G;L T901k4-8DatST?)Ŀ-8c@"C8ˤ|DLBD @fD1Q0cevLK2)l62@'B ˽fmaw~!ӱUn-}FdpM#nJɿV2;"x3IUtfըB Mߊd(e>vZx%[c_Pe]0-X,FX")J9MpGhtf+Ӏ]t|cS&bdiD-Y o^6ʹ--y`HBܩ$hd:NGGv'3?GO-IBw6u3U3$7!^ 6]-+ak  f^k!y 8h?9qڠ_{rLiM&ɬ8. Ǿ u+ijĹ%RVioD1"bq*0 [ n~Gt@.ǯg$2N:v 'hD @,l, Rm5d1[ "ǽޕ||32Ä a%C>Z>,{8dBANf_v] &÷eƈH,K)819zCۼ'$O:-⏒yN M27T0T{c?419 wmL$T t-s@)fBb1p]G~垾T|CI}" 9jf H2݁wdTtt( w%oȐ9lHοه)oI+a~J[W1R?ԨQ;L|B+ݳGex Rb W[RNWi~Shgl_0)[¯e2suH&<v7 ߠߚ6Wҙ"bOe˂ 'd7uxMo _n`E΋_)?ВsOʱSkfw9M ܒF:%@Νkj~C)M#q6bC$` %l"oՈdGN+'|{O";A6,d%F|4GANG`Qf;9{:fLaɵ,({Μ ]1 WsϨ20Ϋ 2.ϑϱ232 I:"2ɾdMt!O9LcxHTGy(% Pó|s<0|A-|pR-oY zIGH k>)# HbB JlԿ4_Zv6YeIˬ:U2y lAf1I$lHFa^8+~ $#|x" J2)'RC=Bd9vd765/*x4P=[?@$B>j;g`gRs9De+Ӟg'hיF_qĄ!: bp>/Y?N吰! Mzwto@JnB9֊\ENWǦKO 0JFcaT;u[R{+i91#8, TyS_̡L|vt{AiY$(wSPe hQS-o'M j72-1Nܡܤ*u#'I1PK(~ ܄ֱE_W?$1ڼtŤtF]kuT +-?-XO4/&B]o@5)b֫MMe!m)P/Q]s7(pq~Sx-{?AjYHJ?/i{=rשO;V D̃=૆!kJauhNiA!Hҙ;Z4u7L2&+7oxw՞ZZjiB8BFlpo%RAusS^o"o81_W+@/K%8!$ԨTֱ~"198]as`Lۧ3Q! eo&B&5}PǫA`[wXa?NCbBu޻@9&_VEDTX6W=QjunNI |Q,PXޘSωsIA@tȎf%δ VF8h >Fdo \Xd~M;37'Jww| ( )cw*z9#DJ>8&`;ɦȌ\,, >чŘ七SQk*:ū"8y~Az;'`o!(=}}MsoGdeŠ7{E[ n y-:gu?tD}h !p;MjTbO{$K6·8Ts`φ)}>0 9"=n,ROx![5GN}<D׌*,bf ehT_R!gWv "UǧIb˹z%EP2ʫ}#cf W>欕sޥr`]U˰|s|ybrgKZ9 t_U9o)3U%dky4ƈd) Y8ܸ'R?w?3S$6ӡ%tZP}?,)lfR3 j> aGA\wt=:lRgɧv=z-BǔhQ 2%X*<Om>>fJN97/myWfPr:b=2[kI60`0P@]|_OU9gl[h9}s#pچ޶ڒ`7ʐ)a {36iY'PDDG/6Y$!Y i 0d:kIgT!TlR lLNL{] & Uv9~L!\೹2SÎ>b̘)J%b$1@8.A\R>&Iv{{ )EUL)-?҉\0J T4] oSE* ~ןWr_u*pfWGSTcכEl"[mwa?H!RGфFmƦ9rY~id"vO:& Z 5[+93;?x&lXVn>qmJpZL+Ӕ{E>NK94@ϞIC[&}UbܰF -, :$m}X܅|)=<jvK{ts!Wԫަ>LsV ŐshcBXJ58c4onZp˲gNU(Cks-FHj#T>G'!Ln3,R##.ݽEы%;r<:w yn69BN, woA8sCsP^h>LU۾n~,HM/z,uUSYKpv*~C`[% J`(CzTƴB޽NVtEN# =qfxb=eoBW?^1ӽWAK˹ W]0lcr?Gك9P| '7i\P7 f1$+-L<hǛM`֫&Ы.f=Y8V)8G\ Lt's?k=flnSΥOiUR7qɑ r0i 1,;vUǎUݖ Jzo:7w1:DSyH" 5&əbmo@'L&CE,8a(ˀܭD lԮE*fAK DBasFmS/*o!06l҆v% uaBB{~, &([ rJ۱(t)RJ""M{O\ΟSF!3 P [~@?HXLp^$6u,Et)A.$ȅ!b ;X: j mKrOѹ3U@cIz?|(ϻ^t"5,@9q,+C 7J)}Ȉu 7d0oF 3k< !qk`_U\ {)QK;q吵&[ݗ{A|}e55BE2Gxh9aD|)өf]+ & >^J ೜Jb=?f 앰&=-q& pÀ3`d|NdXGx`/toPQQ~f5meºWP]E,ȝ49>h}~`.[#JB\Yct"b\;%Y0IVݏ+jf?cR륄e36.ObK❕!KK ܥjߏ,-!'in_Zu@XVZs M ~ߟs{X:QUY"0Zg@ )A8HGhTb2!ZcnaEtKx>\-Wuª̏jC{)7d4 }kÖ习i}EЂ\'=…`gTX[ qP]'dWnX{GFHWVTN r꽵}u$͋%O~5*ux.N}0v툰yW[f⇹j˖rQe]5u GN:/$S+ENP :Ru ԰uzYFWiFCF;4G)ioqFT}t }DVc*.4)VQWlZ/n:\Qd)SRX jXİ@ǩ 5үwګDs8q0遧!&o3Ғo"+~*uCacU#qYk8shPB8~1M=m$t{bu(ߴLwq̜N&%|pL 1!7bgV6ZkQI;T<~<^"e&im8_yK mdtN ~v?lN/m7C!Ejvt #sI?uc\6r=}8:Z-o o@WeJ[$&R; T W;%ߠTE^o``']sjL0` K_G*Ɠ-.&;u5܎=ߥR Yp3>47WPvcq$;~;N㘟YAs6dW#6&q"9:X~VeuJmњ޿U2UR/#96MS LeJUwdžBy_z)3A,F12Y4!w)C%S'ۛ[zߺ\¢"Cԟ}f(C~r=_a2h7y^, "=5Qr wT?{^:ǁmn/4glxb C l®+!ZWj=T#{$.cE9i؅SKљўgL<[fR+M{Ʌ ߮\^3o$z }r NHԪQ&4MqgRxopcy<iK= 8]fHo}, *vd@lHl 6gXxv.D}P/Ni#JEZ 2P/"IP fۖ>b?^μbMMw Z 4f{xO8Utl='@r[I}14gFS$kCrǶ=er^˕@<8VY Ҋ|"F&1d~л|cQ!JU?[qSՍfHv:%ڃH)2h"R밌[8u_Z/<:-aj NEc${s3%.yC!ٺp}w }3dJ{|i{ޢp) =6LA&ӵm_x]fI jCj&zߧ%ѦJ:hP j,dz/#7gЃ)q8x@&33#нeY+?FKPlSqF)6{7*TsVyQQܻ Oyr8U]PXa[9tc/w 0Nc`1X / 9dx;LC\il+Z|OtO__v @h3;)~ǝ`ߌGwzx߶vlNh7 ݧ3  1q#)tnM㉭"3XH{Hedw +Ecw`#r IpwA?;9{LS* XЀ"n90xN3;!UX=y!miB{XSc;nl|⏂ovXUi>o6zUS.e)tPZSsU3W'WXȫ./u#ݹKQ*288nwee "@;dė*5`6FƠ1?7m6sTfN'uU^Ð';k{#f8C]q">\M9L9s&F_'(RAD⎷s_+xݖU8!,Z֫qn_Ja89bU@{mnP/fّ G-0M"Wyn W{Bc웽;X:)mNjQuL ;TK@ݏhY ]aЅB7p?gX/!JL=_CF? WN86r'_QK/V4wPrgU+-jAĢ,ue'E&=]fynp_EߍGy#r 5^=gr͙&frЯ,ѽ@`e9̕WEJY~Qf鍽)&V(&H @_{V5iF~#'_ Jl'&og3QbO(Wϫ,nXLW,\Pcf Ruzhs/dV S>Sw6z}W3hIB蛑 pNK-f* |zZVtb솓U9Iu.::'=:ϓΜ ~ ~/#nPedA|t YKI@?Bl-M,-Q{AÐ@*vB1][h E~T@.P@*.A]bF{/̏ckXlqR0,J#6u`*Ya.P4MW~XXMu!UcFۋp5/<):3J+)gkSDˣ(5{~ʋCrk]!SoI#n+^P l4x$^c9o~MbYY\6ٌ^(Dg˷VOf J1] k=%.KdsYJ>0Q m[mʘezAD$sf2A>NpN2:pd2[F96 L"qY_p|TJ WX+nH jR{R2;[HWɑBXx@9rӿ|Aݽ&7]iSH;՟c.x2Git|a .w]TֹRKEqz\EG}{$47֔UC袴Q=>5*⨂*j^B},.0,I0d'׹ `{ ǯ˥AU5EZ"Wq`8?v{iQ'ť ԧ~hϼOpM}K}il9D0Bݹ6eQW,VhMH|lD]T˗u_7t,_c 7tq\^,>(T_Jz3_yҏcH4I-+boٴl4,y40H p قJ,IT/и$wSƔ[9%vbU%hCCMHn`uwCA' 8.e3{&Czm…R?!49nn7󦔺%Hv7b8ly? i F zK*_;sFV_egz:EMi[ ^I ե &#$h)#t{Pq|lURoBݣ#˝ux0M9:OdoģULS mkDpG]ZrδݷǼf\F$reReJ]oy38>?a[YeigseQ]Ηi=Ri^0I^Ak&N&2J}wZߨn,OS(!c7Wa2 $j=al,%6򺩐% 8lZ~ӯ5W mr⛻*q7/Ȥgqﭗv7sw|u/ MGM Y4QeU՝e\HN0@ٙ2떰0{JvmB {,XgWv_XZb*JT sms 5jP/t00[FX^^FI{"*wdfFD*[  VDdxuWm 6U*-KI%X}z8Uެ-B,} ѺF3p u;ug5* $^#Eֹ2k/ WJ0v˱O)$e{yqW7o}C]=!BR0{;eU)3U!כz_]"m-Տedi, xy̚`.~tNE!waU!(>wvY,Uf1' g:uϮ F;P U̪HoLŗRZJ*y T B^CeI̟,unqܶHQ%BM~S bW[ ܥS7/?y~1sʾ@wE /DD+ɅM1/P HFS`cqX.sصPu2,r؈3'K@w*޸ЩfILaܰ*ÝlbK6/,˅^g@WUSU'dmBS62J8[쭔c0U\`ٷcI#n6'+&BڧuC6-lgwC~[v+?TL]jHakh|@@ixsU5|5>t~Ah(fU≫46|OZM^b#zJI(1G"wc >_ (!D{}u덠Ffxudr%EʗE~ 3툷.>aw"F*elټ #-}VL&(e8/~}pl!.*uP{X[R~& ]S|s
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1