Emma

Emma

By

3.25
(12 Reviews)
Emma by Jane Austen

Published:

1815

Pages:

380

ISBN:

0141439580

Downloads:

298,630

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Emma

By

3.25
(12 Reviews)
The main character, Emma Woodhouse, is described in the opening paragraph as ''handsome, clever, and rich'' but is also rather spoiled. As a result of the recent marriage of her former governess, Emma prides herself on her ability to matchmake, and proceeds to take under her wing an illegitimate orphan, Harriet Smith, whom she hopes to marry off to the vicar, Mr Elton. So confident is she that she persuades Harriet to reject a proposal from a young farmer who is a much more suitable partner for the girl.

Book Excerpt

sly."

"Only one more, papa; only for Mr. Elton. Poor Mr. Elton! You like Mr. Elton, papa,--I must look about for a wife for him. There is nobody in Highbury who deserves him--and he has been here a whole year, and has fitted up his house so comfortably, that it would be a shame to have him single any longer--and I thought when he was joining their hands to-day, he looked so very much as if he would like to have the same kind office done for him! I think very well of Mr. Elton, and this is the only way I have of doing him a service."

"Mr. Elton is a very pretty young man, to be sure, and a very good young man, and I have a great regard for him. But if you want to shew him any attention, my dear, ask him to come and dine with us some day. That will be a much better thing. I dare say Mr. Knightley will be so kind as to meet him."

"With a great deal of pleasure, sir, at any time," said Mr. Knightley, laughing, "and I agree with you entirely, that it will be a much better thing. Invite him to

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Review of Emma by Jane Austen

Emma is a novel written by Jane Austen and is an 1815 work that deals with manners, education, marriage, money, andemsy of women. In the heart of the novel, Highbury resides a young wealthy lady Emma Woodhouse, and her father. Emma is quite certain of her success as a matchmaker and loves to interfere with other people’s relationships even though she declares she will never marry.

Emma is depicted as a smart and active woman, but with some issues, and that is why the audience views her as an interesting protagonist. She thinks she knows what is best for all her loved ones but as the story advances we discover she has a limited conception of love and relationships. She is now busy in two of her plots, one is to find a suitable groom for her friend Harriet Smith; she is a sweet-natured but rather silly girl. Sadly, she can always get things wrong and that creates more issues and more hurt.

The book in addition to being a romantic novel, also focuses on the transformation of the main character Emma. Over time she grows up and finally becomes aware of the value of humility as well as self-observation; and authentic love. Emma has a close acquaintance with Mr. Knightley, a bachelor of a considerable age of the family’s acquaintance. At the start of the book, Emma regards him only as a superior mind, perhaps a counselor; toward the end, she learns that he is the only one who knows her as well as she knows herself; Mr. Knightley, meanwhile, throws hints that will raise Emma’s level of understanding and help her discover the truth about her feelings.

Another strong point of the novel Emma is the use of social class-related sarcasm and the keen insight into human character common to all Austen’s novels. Many of the relationships portrayed between characters are restrained and echo the polite and rather dire society of Victorian England and Austen employs gentle satire to demonstrate the folly of people’s tendency to categorize others based on their class or income. The novel also gives the readers an accurate description of the life that prevails in a village where people's main preoccupation is discussing and engaging in new topics and issues.

As with many works of historical fiction, the pacing can be off, with some sections of the book being downright slow for today’s audiences who are used to seeing detailed descriptions of everyday life. But, then again, Austen’s prose is not dull in the least: it is replete with humor and sarcasm even in those bits that are most plainly plot-setting.

All and all Emma is a charming and witty novel that focuses on issues of love, friendship, social standing, and maturation. The three factors that can be attributed to Jane Austen to make *Emma* an important text are the complexity of characterizations, the comedic elements, and social satire. If readers are interested in character-based narratives and like to examine the nuances of people’s personalities, then *Emma* still is a great read
In high school, I recall having to read Jane Austen against my will and finding it to be quite boring. Imagine my surprise when, many years later, I decide to give her books another shot. Jane Austen was a remarkable characterization artist. The characters remain true to their original writing even if the language and setting are changed. It's difficult to top Austen's cunning, subversive social commentary. The pleasure in reading Emma lies not in the core storyline but rather in the way Austen parodies the social mores prevalent in her era. I got to read it from shabd.in and kindle
Emma is probably the most controversial of all Jane Austen's books. Critics and scholars laud it, while the reading public and schoolteachers stick to Austen's earlier books. For all that Austen famously limits the reader to the viewpoint of her protagonist, and even as a coming-of-age story, "Emma" is extremely predictable, and Emma Woodhouse is such a conceited young woman, full of her own consequence, for most of the book that it becomes difficult to care that she gets over herself, somewhat, later on. Austen might have made a joke of Emma's snobbery and meddling, but she simultaneously invites us to sympathize with her. While Austen's powers of subtle irony and gentle wit are at their height in this novel, their objects — the mildly censorious Mr. Knightly, hardly a romantic ideal; his ill-tempered, introverted younger brother; the kindly, prosy Miss Bates; the valetudinarian Mr. Woodhouse — mostly seem undeserving of her skill. Only in the upstart Mrs. Upton do we get a humorous character at which Austen deservedly pokes her sharpened pen.
Taken in the context of its time, the novel 'Emma' is a delightfully fun and witty examination of the societal constraints and mores of the period in which it takes place. Plot is not essential here, and there really isn't a great deal of it. It's the characters who count, and Emma is certainly the most captivating of the lot. She bears some resemblance to the major female leads of other Jane Austen novels, but rather lacks the spirited, rebelliousness of Elizabeth Benett (of 'Pride and Predjudice').
I read Emma and I think it is not a bad book. you may learn a lot of things from this book. Emma is not really a clever person because if she was clever she would arrange things better.
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bokemom
5
I remember being forced to read Jane Austen in high school and not liking it at all. Now many years later I decide to try again, imagine my surprise at how good I find her books. Jane Austen had an incredible talent at characterization. Change the setting and the language and the characters are as true as when they were written. Austen's sly, subversive social commentary is hard to match. The fun in reading Emma doesn't come from the basic plot, but in the way Austen lampoons the social mores of her times.
Emma is the first Jane Austen work that I've read and it would be an understatement to say that I found it marvellous! It's hard not to fall in love with the characters which are crafted so beautifully- right from Emma the protagonist to Mrs. Elton! I particularly loved Mr. Knightley. The best thing about the story is the old world classic charm and the way a person's character is guaged according to his letter writing skills! It makes one wonder how beautiful life must have been in the ear when people actually had the depth and the insight to analyse other individuals unlike the modern fast paced life where sms language is the order of the day!
Reading Emma is an experience in itself and such a beautiful one!
Though the language used in Emma appears to be highly flowery and outdated in contemporary times, the contents that capture the subtle nuances of human behaviour, like emotions, expectations and reactions have an universal value.

The ingrained superiority complex which is the folly of Emma, the fair-minded common sense of Mr Knightley, the pomposity of Mr Elton, the possessiveness of Mr Woodhouse, the gallantry of Frank Churchill and the naivete of Harriet capture varying shades of human behaviour in a wide spectrum of colours.

An Indian reader can immediately identify himself with the characters in the story for we are a race that believe in "arranging" marriages taking into consideration the caste, economic and social status and the family connections of the bride or groom to be. a truly commendable book of her age and date.
"Emma" was my first attempt at reading Jane Austen's works. Recognizing that she wrote Classics, I ventured forth enthusiastically. Sorry to say I never "got it" with this book. To me the characters were dull, the writing was tedious, and the plot was boring and not the least bit interesting to me. After 100 pages I gave up. Even the English of her time was unfamiliar and not easy to grasp. I won't give up and shall try her other books.