Book info

• Title Emma
• Author Jane Austen
• Year 1815
• Genre Romance

'I wonder what will become of her!' So speculate the friends and neighbours of Emma Woodhouse, the lovely, lively, wilful,and fallible heroine of Jane Austen's fourth published novel. Confident that she knows best, Emma schemes to find a suitable husband for her pliant friend Harriet, only to discover that she understands the feelings of others as little as she does her own heart. As Emma puzzles and blunders her way through the mysteries of her social world, Austen evokes for her readers a cast of unforgettable characters and a detailed portrait of a small town undergoing historical transition.

Thoughts

This is the second book I have ever read from the Project Gutenberg site, not counting the Librivox connection. The first one was Oliver Twist, which I chose because I had just watched the dramatisation on TV. Guess why I chose Emma? I really enjoyed the BBC adaptation, and it’s a story I was not even slightly aware of before I saw it.

I don’t know how I would have got on with the story if I didn’t already have characters and faces in my head though, as I didn’t find them particularly strong. Emma is an unlikely heroine, and even Mr Knightley doesn’t come across in the book quite as well as you would hope a dashing costume drama gentleman would do. (This may also have to do with how crushable Jonny Lee Miller was.)

Still, at least I can say I have read it now, and can go back to watching the programme without feeling guilty.

Rating: 2 / 5