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Here is a review on the novel Emma. The review was done by our reviewer, Jenny Wilson.
Enjoy!
Book Title: Emma
Author: Jane Austen
4 out of 5 stars
Plot Background:
This is one of Jane Austen’s less
famous novels. This is the story of a highly privileged girl named Emma
Woodhouse. The novel opens with her and her father just returning from a
wedding between her old governess and a neighbor of the family. Emma credits
herself with making the match, and is decided to find a match for the rest of
her single friends and neighbors. Mr. Knightley, a neighbor and her
brother-in-law advises against it, but Emma is determined. She fails horribly
in several attempts. Her friend Harriet loves a man whom Emma believes is
beneath her, and keeps them apart by using the local clergyman to distract her.
She convinces her friend he loves her, only to end with bitter disappointment
for more than one person. She tries to make matches among other friends; Jane
Fairfax and her friend’s husband Mr. Dixon and Harriet and Frank Churchill.
Much to her dismay, none of her matches work out. When Harriet shows an
inclination towards Mr. Knightley, Emma jealousy ends their intimacy and
realizes the depths of her own heart. When Emma is enlightened as to where
Frank Churchill’s heart really lies, she is slightly humbled. Without Emma in
the way, couples form amongst her friends that she had never seen herself.
My Thoughts:
I am a big Jane Austen fan and I
generally fall in love with the characters. However, Emma Woodhouse leaves much
to be desired in a heroine. Sure, she’s pretty and rich and everybody thinks
her pleasant, but from a readers perspective she’s meddlesome and a bit
arrogant of her own station in life. She looks down on others, and even goes so
far as to use the beloved Miss Bates as the butt of a cruel joke. Along with Emma, her father is also a very
hard character to like. I give him credit. He is a kind old man who loves his
neighbors, but he is the biggest hypochondriac I’ve ever seen or read about. He
consults his doctor on everything and advises everyone in how they should keep
their own health. He is always convinced he or a friend will be getting sick by
some minor action.
Other than some of the characters,
the novel itself is very good. There can be some moments of tediousness and it
seems like there isn’t a lot actually happening. But reading about the inner
workings of an impertinent girl is entertaining, and seeing how horrible wrong
she can be is even more so. The novel builds up suspense at the end when Frank
Churchill’s secret comes out, and from there it is a very interesting downhill
resolution. Jane Austen leaves her reader with a sense of comfort and knowledge
that everything worked out well, despite Emma. Overall I give this book a 4 out
of 5.
As always, the classics are free on Kindle:
Or the paperback copy I’ve owned for years is $4.95
Enjoy!
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