Emma

 Synopsis

Emma is the story of a charmingly self-deluded heroine whose naive matchmaking schemes often lead to substantial mortification. Emma, "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 very little to distress of vex her." Her own great fortune has blinded Emma to the true feelings and motivations of others and leads her to some hilarious misjudgments. But it is through her mistakes that Emma finds humility, wisdom and true love. Told with the shrewd wit and delicate irony which have made Jane Austen a master of the English novel, Emma is a comic masterpiece whose fanciful heroine has gained the affection of generations of readers.

Loved

• Emma! I've hesitated reading this one for a long time because in the movie, Emma herself has always bugged me a bit because she's haughty and even snobby at times. But in the book I just loved her and thought she was so endearing because she makes mistakes and shows pride at times, but always tries to be better and do right by everyone. Emma is by far the most dynamic of Jane Austen's heroines in my opinion because she is flawed- ignorant, assuming, and prideful at times- but she starts learning to overcome these flaws and becomes refined throughout the story. I also think she's the wittiest- she always has a quick retort or quip that makes all of her conversations interesting and fun.

• The wit. Wow, Jane Austen really shows off her cleverness in this story. I read slowly to absorb this one because every sentence is packed with sharp wit and subtle irony from both the characters and Jane's narration. There were lines I had to read a few times to understand the full meaning, and then just laughed in amazement when I realized how much she had packed into that one phrase. 

• The secondary characters! Again, Austen shows off her uncanny ability to make characters real and relatable through their quirks and odd personalities. This bunch of characters are hilarious and downright zany at times, but we can't help but love each of them so much. Miss Bates is so endearing in her puppy-like excitement over everyone, even though she never stops talking. And Mr. Woodhouse's anxiety over every breeze that comes through the window, yet he is so kind-hearted and lovable. Even Mrs. Elton and Mr. Churchill- the "villains" of the story- are hard not to like. 

• The matchmaking element. I think this is also Austen's funniest story, and was meant to be a comedy more than a romance. The matchmaking creates such a fun element of miscommunication, bad assumptions, and highlighting Emma's mistakes and reconciliations. This is such a fun premise and was pretty much the first chick flick or rom-com ever written! :)

• Mr. Knightly. Need I say more? He's the best. Their age difference used to bother me, but I actually love it and I think their relationship is adorable. I love that he helps her be better and he calls her out on her flaws, but still adores her.

Didn't Love

• Nothing- I wouldn't change anything about it :)

Content

• Language: 
• None.

• Sexual content: 
• None.

• Violence
• None.


• Other themes:
• None.

Overall Thoughts

My only complaint about this story is that I didn't read it sooner! In many ways I think this might be Jane Austen's finest work- her wit, characterization and comic element are completely on point and shine throughout the book. It's interesting that this story is the least dramatic of Austen's works- there are no scandals, nobody falls off the roof, and no one thinks there's vampirism going on-- yet the story is engaging and so interesting that I couldn't put it down. Emma is refreshing to me as an Austen heroine because she's not perfect like Elizabeth and Jane Bennett or Anne Elliot (although I adore each one of them)- she's flawed and makes big mistakes, but does her best to rectify them and learn from them. This is a story not to be missed by anyone, especially Austen fans! Buckle up for some sharp cleverness, a comedy of errors, and a romance to root for.