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    Emma
    Emma
    Emma
    Ebook640 pages9 hours

    Emma

    By Jane Austen

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    About this ebook

    Emma is a novel written by Jane Austen. It is set in the fictional country village of Highbury and the surrounding estates of Hartfield, Randalls and Donwell Abbey, and involves the relationships among people from a small number of families.

    The novel was first published in December 1815, with its title page listing a publication date of 1816. As in her other novels, Austen explores the concerns and difficulties of genteel women living in Georgian–Regency England. Emma is a comedy of manners.

    Before she began the novel, Austen wrote, "I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like." In the first sentence, she introduces the title character as "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and a happy disposition... had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her." Emma is spoiled, headstrong, and self-satisfied; she greatly overestimates her own matchmaking abilities; she is blind to the dangers of meddling in other people's lives; and her imagination and perceptions often lead her astray.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherGlobal Publishers
    Release dateSep 24, 2023
    ISBN9781915932501
    Author

    Jane Austen

    Jane Austen (1775-1817) was an English novelist whose works are among the most popular novels ever written. Her keen eye for social tension, and ear for taut, witty dialogue have delighted readers for centuries, while her novels have maintained historical importance through their analysis of the dependence of women on marriage to gain social standing and security. She has been widely adapted for both stage and screen, and continues to be among the most widely-read of late-18th-/early 19th-century writers.

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    Reviews for Emma

    4/5

    7,962 ratings221 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Lovely to get distracted by the inanities of old timey British aristocracy and happy endings.
    • 4/5
      An amiable book - virtually every character is described as “amiable” so I guess it must be. Listened to the audiobook, and kept remembering a movie version I had seen. After I finished, I realized the 2020 film of Emma was the very last movie-in-a-movie-theater I went to when the pandemic started last March, and I haven’t been to a theater since.

      I think my favorite part was when Emma dissed the tedious Mrs Bates and then felt terrible about it afterwards.

      I also just found out my book club will be reading Sense and Sensibility next month, so it’s more Austen for me soon. Maybe the amiability will rub off on me.
    • 4/5
      I get how peeps could not dig Jane Austen - slogging through daily life and modest romances. But I enjoy tales of women in other time periods. Sure, the individuals who loudly defied the expectations of their age are interesting but so is a portrayal of those who mostly conformed to their societies (the vast majority of humans throughout history).The audacity of Emma, damn. 'Clueless' is a super fun adaptation but it does not do credit to the damage inflicted. More like 'Cruel Intentions' except she wasn't aware of her cruelty until the end. Good intention-ed cruelty is my favorite reason for the suffering of humanity. Poor fucking Harriet. Cheers to her life without Emma.
    • 2/5
      I was very surprised. this was totally boring.
    • 4/5
      Austen really allows a 21st-century reader to get in the head of a class- and status-conscious socialite in 19th century England without reducing her to a two-dimensional caricature. Towards the end of the book Austen focuses more on the internal states of the heroine and her prose becomes a bit more convoluted.
    • 5/5
      My Fav book by Jane Austen. When I first read Jane Austen's work - omnivorously - I was only 14, and so I preferred Northanger Abbey, which is much funnier and has a teen heroine. And of course Pride and Prejudice is considered her masterpiece. It's certainly IMO the wittiest. People say that "no-one roots for Emma". But I have always had a soft spot for Emma, and for a long time now this has been my Fav Jane Austen. If you're just looking to read a romance, you'll prefer Pride and Prejudice, or as I once did, Northanger Abbey. But there's a lot more to this story than most of Jane Austen's work, a lot of life lessons that anyone could profitably take to heart, and although less witty, the characterisation is epic - a triumph. A really good read about learning to read one's own heart!
    • 4/5
      The first thing you appreciate when reading Emma, Jane Austen’s timeless comedy of means and manners, is that Miss Emma Woodhouse is definitely not the same character as Elizabeth Bennett, Elinor Dashwood, Anne Elliot, or even Catherine Moreland from the author’s other novels. In fact, Austen herself famously said of Emma “I am going to take a heroine who no one but myself will much like” and, for most of the story, that is about right. Emma is a rich, spoiled, self-important young woman whose meddlesome ways cause considerable havoc for some of her acquaintances, despite her good manners and best intentions. It is not until the end of the story that Emma understands the errors of her ways, renouncing her ill-fated attempts at matchmaking and suppressing her haughty behaviors just in time to find true love and happiness for herself.Speaking of the story in Emma, it is really rather thinly plotted, especially given the considerable length of the book. That is, not much of consequence really happens in the tale apart from the heroine’s consistent misreading of social situations or the true intentions and feelings of the people around her. She presumes that she has the power and influence to elevate the social standing of Harriet Smith, her less fortunate friend of questionable birth, by persuading her away from the man who really loves her in favor of others with improved circumstances. Of course, these attempts go horribly awry, which leaves Harriet in a very precarious position for a while. It is not until Emma becomes humbled and accepts the patient guidance of Mr. Knightley, her sister’s older and wiser brother-in-law, that her redemption begins.What then accounts for the enduring appeal of this novel, which has been the source of some of the very best adaptations of the author’s work (e.g., Clueless)? It certainly contains every bit of Austen’s keen insight into the social mores of her era, and it is also a clever, resolutely cheerful story that is quite funny at times. Beyond that, I have heard it said that it is the author’s most political novel, which if one stretches the metaphor of a rich, superior entity presuming that it knows best how other people should live before eventually realizing the error of its ways, I suppose it might be. For me, though, the real pleasure in reading any of her novels comes from allowing oneself to be immersed in the joys and travails of a set of closely observed characters who could just as easily be set in today’s society as two centuries ago. While not in the league with Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility, Emma was still a joy to read.
    • 5/5
      Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with little to distress or vex her.” That is, until she tries her hand at matchmaking. The results are both disappointingly unsuccessful and hilarious as Emma misreads the cues, makes some false assumptions, and unintentionally offers less than helpful advice. Fortunately, it all turns out all right in the end in this romantic comedy of manners.
    • 2/5
      2.5 stars.

      The book can be summarised as "Rich, self-centred girl tries to arrange other people's lives, proves she is entirely clueless about what is actually going on".

      Good read if you like endless chapters of people socialising. Otherwise not worth it.
    • 4/5
      I used to think Emma my least favorite of the Austen canon...but I believe we may have come to an understanding this time around.
    • 4/5
      Either times have changed, or Jane Austen was merely being coy when she described Emma Woodhouse as 'a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like'. She is perfectly delightful, more so for being 'faultless in spite of all her faults', and Mr Knightley is another inspiring leading man (surely her heroes, and not the heroines, are the secret of the author's success?) I don't dislike Emma, I want to *be* her!My eyes are finally opened to the appeal of Jane Austen's books, after years of holding out against her 'white frocks and weddings' romances. Granted, she only ever wrote six novels, and most of them share the same plot devices, but her subtle sarcasm and skilful narration make reading her limited oeuvre an education and a pleasure. Some of her sentences take a bit of unpicking, like her negative sentence construction - writing 'she could not think it so very impossible that the Churchills might not allow their nephew to remain a day beyond his fortnight' instead of 'she knew Frank's aunt would want him back in Yorkshire', for instance - but the careful use of formal language only adds to the necessary attention due to Austen's prose. But I know the story, from the film and the recent miniseries, and so unlike Frank Churchill, my stay in Highbury was permitted to be leisurely.Aside from Emma and Mr Knightley, and the fun of playing the omniscient reader by picking up on clues that the eponymous heroine herself is oblivious to, the real luxury of reading 'Emma' for me comes from the sense of community that Jane Austen works so well into her books. Like Mr Woodhouse, by the end of the novel I was wishing that nothing would change - the Woodhouses at Hartfield, with Mr Knightley walking the mile from Donwell to visit, and familiar faces such as Mr and Mrs Weston at Randalls and Miss Bates with her inane chatter in Highbury. All right, I could live without Miss Bates. Reading 'Emma', however, is both comforting and reassuring, like a carefree summer's day or sitting by the fire when it's snowing outside (and both scenes are pictured beautifully within). The perfect antidote to a slow Sunday afternoon, or travelling on public transport!
    • 4/5
      I feel like the first 3/4 of this book took forEVER to get going, but I'm so glad I stuck with it. I'm actually looking forward to reading it again soon!
    • 3/5
      67/2020. Emma: the original mean girl. Even Austen, who seems to have intended us to like Emma, only managed to make her look better by the authorial cheating of introducing Mrs Elton for unflattering comparisons... except that doesn't work on me because I'd rather have fun with the marginally vulgar Mrs Elton than be snubbed by snobby Emma. Apart from the unforgivable social crime (/s) of being nouveau riche, Mrs Elton's only objective fault is pestering Jane Fairfax with unwanted offers of help, which is better than Emma who actively makes Jane's life worse by being mean to her, and providing help to Miss Fairfax would have been Mrs Elton's legitimate concern as rector's wife - to ensure the moral and economic well-being of her husband's parishioners and especially those unprotected young women such as Jane Fairfax who were perceived as being at risk.And then there's the racist antiziganism against "gipsies" who are thrown in as a thoughtless plot device. SIGH. Undoubtedly my least favourite of Austen's completed novels.On the plus side Austen did manage to marry two governesses above their station in the space of one novel, which must have entertained her friend Anne Sharp (as was no doubt intended).Reading notesApart from one or two justly famous sentences, I find the first volume of Emma tendentiously dull. Indeed, "One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other." [...] "but a sanguine temper, though for ever expecting more good than occurs, does not always pay for its hopes by any proportionate depression. It soon flies over the present failure, and begins to hope again." My mind kept drifting to the film Parasite (to be fair, Aunt Jane did write about parasitical economic/social relationships for two of the subplots in Persuasion, 1817/1818).I'd forgotten what a fearful social snob Emma is, not only on her friends' behalf but on her own (much more so than her father, sister, ex-governess, or more lofty neighbour Mr Knightley): threatening to cut Harriet off if she marries Mr Martin because his family are Yeoman farmers; and initially refusing an invitation to an evening party at the Coles, because their money comes from trade, until it suits Emma to change her mind for her own convenience. I'd also forgotten how much of an anti-heroine Emma is even beyond her general snobbery and her particular rudeness to Miss Bates. I can't decide if Austen was trying to portray her as young and inexperienced enough to still have an unformed character, or if her personality defects are intended to be part and parcel with Mr Knightley's accusations that she never sticks at anything (hmm, nice double-meaning there).Snobby, bitchy, and jealous... but popular! "Emma did not repent her condescension in going to the Coles. The visit afforded her many pleasant recollections the next day; and all that she might be supposed to have lost on the side of dignified seclusion, must be amply repaid in the splendour of popularity. She must have delighted the Coles — worthy people, who deserved to be made happy! — And left a name behind her that would not soon die away.Perfect happiness, even in memory, is not common; and there were two points on which she was not quite easy. She doubted whether she had not transgressed the duty of woman by woman, in betraying her suspicions of Jane Fairfax's feelings to Frank Churchill. It was hardly right; but it had been so strong an idea, that it would escape her, and his submission to all that she told, was a compliment to her penetration, which made it difficult for her to be quite certain that she ought to have held her tongue.The other circumstance of regret related also to Jane Fairfax; and there she had no doubt. She did unfeignedly and unequivocally regret the inferiority of her own playing and singing. She did most heartily grieve over the idleness of her childhood—and sat down and practised vigorously an hour and a half."HDU, Mrs Elton: "Surry is the garden of England."Boy gone wild: "As soon as my aunt gets well, I shall go abroad," said he. "I shall never be easy till I have seen some of these places. You will have my sketches, some time or other, to look at - or my tour to read - or my poem. I shall do something to expose myself." (Byron published the first two cantos of Childe Harold's Pilgrimmage in 1812.)Aunt Jane's narrative voice cutting close to the bone: "Goldsmith tells us, that when lovely woman stoops to folly, she has nothing to do but to die; and when she stoops to be disagreeable, it is equally to be recommended as a clearer of ill-fame."And then Emma's character is completely reformed by a brief word from Mr Knightley. He should've been a probation officer... except for the extreme creepiness of 37 year old Mr Knightley proclaiming to 21 year old Emma that his 29 year old self fell permanently in love with her when she was 13. Eep.
    • 3/5
      Back in my younger years, I used to hang out with my in-laws more. They were a fan of hanging out with neighbors. Said neighborhood is what one would describe as an exurb, complete with a brand new development of what some might call mcminimansions.

      Conversations were often on scinitillating topics such as who had a bump back in their 3 car garage, who paid for the high end kitchen appliances, and isn't the Johnsons lawn getting a smidge too long. ( And gasp, look at the crabgrass.) Hopefully, other neighbors had been invited and present at some point but determined they'd rather spend their time cleaning lint out of the dryer, organizing underwear by color, and making sure their book spines were all reading with the titles going the same way.

      The second part of this three part book gave me flashbacks of conversations of garage bump backs and who's inheriting what from their whoever. I think it was supposed to do this, this weird social world of people who concern themselves with much yet with all too little. The middle section of the book kind of made me want to quit. My eyes crossed and my spirit withered and recalled to the conversations I'd happily spend my life never hearing.

      But the third recovered. It started immediately with a different, more engaging tone. Emma is still hard to take at times, but I love that. I get her. Some of it is so so cringey, it's wonderful.

      I'm a couple hundred years late to the party, I get it, but I do appreciate Austen's wit and social commentary.

      But I'll still never forgive that part 2.
    • 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
      Jane austen has a fine hand, and this is her best attempt at a novel of domestic life. Her heroine is intelligent good-looking and rich...with so few obstacles to her own life, emma woodhouse must find interest in managing the lives of others especially Harriett Smith, a young lady of unknown parentage and few prospects in Emma's circle of suitors. But, Emma thinks she would be best settled with one of Emma's cast-offs. The story is really about how a bored teenager becomes a woman more deeply aware of how much damage her meddling can cause.
    • 4/5
      I appreciated this more than when I first read it at a younger age, however, it’s still not quite as dear to me as some of Jane Austen’s other books. Bored and lonely after the departure of her friend/governess to married life, Emma takes a new, less fortunate friend under her wing and enters into a mostly disastrous hobby of matchmaking which leads to ever so many miscues, including some in Emma’s own love life. Emma might not be the most seamless introduction to reading classics if you’re accustomed to books that jet along at a fast clip, the pace here can feel somewhat plodding, I know for me, there were moments when I thought it could stand to pick up the pace a touch, yet at the same time, slow is really the only way to tell this story well, or maybe more accurately, slow is the only way to feel this story. You wouldn’t truly feel the tedium of Emma’s worrywart dad or Miss Bates’s inability to edit her side of a conversation nor would you reach quite the same fever pitch of frustration with Emma if this rolled along at a more modern pace, this plot and these characters probably wouldn’t have the same richness, the same depth if they happened in a hurry.Emma herself, can be a bit challenging to love, she interferes with Harriet’s life, she steamrolls with whatever notion pops into her head rather than fully considering a situation, and she has a habit of seeing what she wants and ignoring all evidence to the contrary. The first time I read this book, Emma aggravated me more than a little, thankfully though years later, I guess I have a bit more patience, compassion, and probably stronger reader comprehension, too, plus, having come to the realization that flaws = interesting characters, I found Emma much easier to tolerate this go round, her oblivious actions more forgivable, even if she almost always jumped to the wrong conclusion, her heart seemed to be in the right place. The romance wasn’t quite as compelling as some of Austen’s other titles, perhaps because Emma’s more focused on other’s people’s love lives, though hers does have its moments, however, for the most part, I feel like the main appeal of this novel is in the distinctive and intricate personalities of each character in the ensemble, not the most easily likable group but certainly well-crafted, there’s a timelessness to them, these aren’t just people of their era, they possess certain traits (however annoying) that are every bit as identifiable today.
    • 3/5
      I almost didn't finish this book, it is no secret that this is not my favourite Austen book.

      I will say the story and moral would have been a heavy hitter back in the day but the facts being that we are living in a different age the thinly veiled lesson is just tiresome to read.
      While both our main characters have redeeming parts they are not neared charming as any other Austen leads. Maybe that makes them more real and that is one reason why I rated it a 3 when I most definitely did not want to, but being honest looking at the book for all it actually is I knew I could not fairly rate this book any less than 3 stars
    • 4/5
      An 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.
    • 4/5
      Honestly 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.
    • 5/5
      I love this book. Mr. Knightly truly is dreamy
    • 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.
    • 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
      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.
    • 4/5
      Nadia May does a marvelous narration for this classic. While it is not my favorite Austen, it is still a wonderful book.
    • 3/5
      This started off quite well, and the constant misunderstandings by Emma Woodhouse of the romantic intentions of others quite comical. However, I found too many of the characters difficult to distinguish in my mind (my favourite was probably Emma's hapless, hypochondriac father), and they lacked the colourful nature of the more eclectic cast of characters in Mansfield Park. So it was a bit of a struggle in places.
    • 1/5
      It didn't stand up to rereading. Unlikeable characters leading vapid lives.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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!

    Book preview

    Emma - Jane Austen

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