Absolutely worth reading but the characters are a lot less sympathetic than usual with her. In that sense it reads very “modern”, and I get why a lot of people love the book. The title character is sort of awful, but extremely well delineated.
Austen’s works are generally considered more appealing to women, though she is respected by both sexes. Understanding the society and gender roles of the time is key to appreciating her work in its full, in my opinion
Wonderful! Don’t let complaints about the main character (um, Emma) scare you. The point is that she is shallow and spoiled and learns a great lesson in humanity after meddling in people’s lives. She’s a 16yo girl, naturally thinking she knows everything.
Emma is 20. It is mentioned in the first sentence in the book “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 very little to distress or vex her.”
It’s very amusing. Emma is a young woman who imagines she can make matches for people, but is always wrong about who she thinks is in love with whom. She is very kind really, and very patient with her tiresome old father, but makes many mistakes. The characters are very interesting, and it is fairly clear early on who Emma herself is destined to marry, though she doesn’t discover it until near the end of the book.
❤️ Jane Austen. Emma is special because her main character is rather unlikable. She’s that know it all girl with no real life experience. Quite an interesting literary choice to write a character that the reader doesn’t love until the end. Loved it and all of her writing.
Something that I just adored – at one part, a bunch of men and women are walking around, looking for a room to rent for some sort of party. The men want this one certain room, and the women don’t. One of the women comments something to the effect of – – “That room is dirty. Men never see dirt.” (BROADLY PARAPHRASED)
I was waiting in the dentist office and I, literally, GUFFAWED. Some things never change, bwahahahaha.
See? Jane Austen is continually fresh. Such an observer of human nature.
Jane Austen set out to write a character no one would like but herself. Emma is smug and cossetted, a big fish in a small pond. Her life experience is limited to the boundaries of this small pond, the smaller town she grew up in, where everyone thinks she is amazing. She agrees and interferes in the lives of those around her. Over the course of the novel she learns life lessons on humility and the value of other some people and the shallowness of others. The characters are all well drawn and believable. I just finished William Deresiewicz’s book on Jane Austen, he sees Emma as being a primer in the value of noting and appreciating the small everyday details that make up life.
It is about being a woman in Austen’s time and finding maturity. She reminds me of every sophomore I ever taught and then she grows. It is hilarious in some ways and always a great read in the winter. I generally reread one Austen book every winter… Think it will be Emma this time. Thanks for the reminder.
http://goodreads.com/ is a great resource. You can look up books by title or author and get a summary of the book as well as its genre classification.
Jane Austin is all you need to know. Classic masterpiece.
I have this book, haven’t read it yet.
The very first Jane Austen I ever read as a teen. By choice. I liked it then. Like the movies that were made of it.
I am a huge fan of Jane Austen and I liked the book well enough but the main character is a bit too shallow for my personal taste.
Absolutely worth reading but the characters are a lot less sympathetic than usual with her. In that sense it reads very “modern”, and I get why a lot of people love the book. The title character is sort of awful, but extremely well delineated.
The story is in how the characters talk to each other and noticing class difference
Austen’s works are generally considered more appealing to women, though she is respected by both sexes. Understanding the society and gender roles of the time is key to appreciating her work in its full, in my opinion
A classic one needs to read at some time….
Wonderful! Don’t let complaints about the main character (um, Emma) scare you. The point is that she is shallow and spoiled and learns a great lesson in humanity after meddling in people’s lives. She’s a 16yo girl, naturally thinking she knows everything.
Emma is 20. It is mentioned in the first sentence in the book “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 very little to distress or vex her.”
It is my all time favorite book in all of the whole wide world. The movie Clueless was based on it.
It’s very amusing. Emma is a young woman who imagines she can make matches for people, but is always wrong about who she thinks is in love with whom. She is very kind really, and very patient with her tiresome old father, but makes many mistakes. The characters are very interesting, and it is fairly clear early on who Emma herself is destined to marry, though she doesn’t discover it until near the end of the book.
I read it years ago and loved it.
Can’t do Jane Austen, have tried many times and don’t have the patience for it.
I love Emma the best of all of Austen’s books. It feels very fresh and modern to me.
❤️ Jane Austen. Emma is special because her main character is rather unlikable. She’s that know it all girl with no real life experience. Quite an interesting literary choice to write a character that the reader doesn’t love until the end. Loved it and all of her writing.
Something that I just adored – at one part, a bunch of men and women are walking around, looking for a room to rent for some sort of party. The men want this one certain room, and the women don’t. One of the women comments something to the effect of – – “That room is dirty. Men never see dirt.” (BROADLY PARAPHRASED)
I was waiting in the dentist office and I, literally, GUFFAWED. Some things never change, bwahahahaha.
See? Jane Austen is continually fresh. Such an observer of human nature.
Jane Austen set out to write a character no one would like but herself. Emma is smug and cossetted, a big fish in a small pond. Her life experience is limited to the boundaries of this small pond, the smaller town she grew up in, where everyone thinks she is amazing. She agrees and interferes in the lives of those around her. Over the course of the novel she learns life lessons on humility and the value of other some people and the shallowness of others. The characters are all well drawn and believable. I just finished William Deresiewicz’s book on Jane Austen, he sees Emma as being a primer in the value of noting and appreciating the small everyday details that make up life.
Read it nearly 40 years ago. It was pleasant, but, at 18, I didn’t have enough experience to enjoy it to the full.
Austen’s masterpiece, imo
Excellent! My favorite Austen novel. Austen has subtle humor that I missed when I read it in high school but I love as an adult.
It is about being a woman in Austen’s time and finding maturity. She reminds me of every sophomore I ever taught and then she grows. It is hilarious in some ways and always a great read in the winter. I generally reread one Austen book every winter… Think it will be Emma this time. Thanks for the reminder.