Emma

Rating:
Summary: Great Book.
Review: Emma is another one of Jane Austen's novels. It's a good book, however I don't believe it's as good as Pride and Prejudice. The protagonist, Emma, is a very bright and handsome young lady. It seems that the protagonists of Jane Austen are always female, intelligent, and pretty. The characters in this book are complex. For example, an elderly well-known bachelor suddenly falls in love and took a wife of about the same age as he. His reason for marrying is also strange, because he simply wanted to have a wife. And Emma was the person who started and encouraged their relationship. The plot was interesting too, a few surprises here and there.
My problem with Emma is that it wasn't as engrossing a story as Pride and Prejudice. But this is a different style of book, so it's really unfair for me to say that Emma is not as good as Pride and Prejudice. Other than that, it's a wonderful book.
I recommend it to readers who want dialogue-based novels.


Rating:
Summary: Humor in Classical Literature
Review: All through high school I stayed as far from the British female authors (of classical literature) as I could...and now I have to wonder why. I figured them to be drab, sappy, overly sentimental and trite. How wrong I was! Upon urging of friends, I picked up "Pride and Prejudice" and enjoyed it immensely (though I disagree with another poster that it was faster paced than Emma). I immediately purchased "Emma" and was delighted. The character, as is mentioned, is flawed...but charming BECAUSE of these flaws. Emma is a wonderful character and the book is a joy to read. I will continue my journey through the books of Jane Austen--and I can't wait to continue!

Rating:
Summary: Emma
Review: This is a book about Emma, a rich girl's mischievous struggle in her own little fantacy world. This book is a bit boring and dry in the sense that everything is just always so beautifully fitting. Even in the worst moment when Emma's ill judgement turned into chaotic love triangle, the story went on and worked everyone's fate for the best. Since I don't read much of Jane Austen's works, I guess her style tends to be light and comic. So, if you are looking for a book with lots of heart throbbing drama, this is definitely not the one.

Rating:
Summary: Charming characters make Emma a classic!
Review: When I first tried to read this book (almost ten years ago, when I was around 13), I found it incredibly dull because there is little action. I finally decided to reread Emma and realized that the appeal of this book (in addition to Jane Austen's writing style) is in its characters. Emma's setting is a small town full of an assortment of delightful personalities.

At the center of the story is Emma Woodhouse, an intelligent and wealthy young woman, who believes that she knows what is best for everyone around her. Emma takes the orphaned Harriet Smith, a pretty but simple-minded girl, under her wing. The consequences are disatrous for all. I found it pleasant to watch Emma grow throughout the book and learn about the way the world works.

The other characters include the loquacious Miss Bates (and her silent, elderly mother), the constantly distraught Mr. Woodhouse, and the handsome and affluent Mr. Knightley. There are also Jane Fairfax (who the movie portrays a little bit more negatively than the book) and Frank Churchill who show up later on in the book to make life a little more interesting.

These people and many others add to the richness of Austen's narrative. The best part about them is that all are real people who have both good and bad points, and make mistakes. I found that a lot of them are similar to people that I know today in the 21st century.

The second time I read through this book, I found myself aching for more. I felt delighted every time I find one of Jane Austen's little witticisms (and there are a lot!). These little gems are enough to make her my all time favorite author.

Rating:
Summary: Miss Woodhouse Explains It All
Review: Emma Woodhouse is easily Jane Austen's most annoying character. She's young, knows absolutely everything about everything, is the judge of everyone's good character and takes those around her for granted, despite frequently praising her friends and relations. She is, for all intents and purposes, the 18th century version of daddy's little rich girl.

How can a book about such a person be so captivating? The short answer is simply: because Jane Austen wrote it. The long answer is several hundred printed pages and well worth the read.

Much of the story is the typical Jane Austen framework, but the character of Emma is entirely different from many of the other main figures in Austen's works. While her other heroines have plenty of outstanding qualities and several flaws, Emma has plenty of flaws and several outstanding qualities. It's the central, exceptional qualities that make Emma a worthwhile character, but the flaws - and her growing consciousness of them - that make her loveable.

Countering Emma is the younger, and more gullible, Harriet Smith. She becomes Emma's project when Emma learns of her situation in life and is determined to improve it by befriending her. Emma's increasing awareness of her own flaws footnote their friendship, as she is forced to admit to being something of a snob, and a meddler.

There are all sorts of loud and obnoxious people in "Emma", and Austen's orchestration of the interaction among them is, as always, brilliant. The character of Mrs. Elton alone is one of my favorite "bad examples" of all times. This is perhaps the downright funniest of Austen's books, but in ways it is also the happies and the saddest. Miss Woodhouse and Miss Smith are in the throws of adolescence, where everything is either tragic or blissful.

I typically say that "Pride & Prejudice" and "Northanger Abbey" are my favorite Austen works, but secretly it might be truer to say that "Emma" is. It's not as clever as "Pride" or as satirical as "Northanger", but the way in which Emma is forced to open her eyes to the world - and the way it continues to revolve, and evidently not around herself - is really something most of us can relate to all too well.

Incidentally, the movie version of "Emma", starring Gwyneth Paltrow, isn't bad, but if you haven't seen it yet, please do yourself the favor of reading the book first. As always, there is so much in the pages that is ignored on the screen. Then, when you're done reading, watch "Clueless" again, which isn't nearly as true an adaptation, but is a funnier movie.