Reviews

Emma by Jane Austen

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kymayhew's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

kaiolenatac's review against another edition

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3.25

It's fun, it's cute. I loved the dinner parties esp. but buh why soooo long.

catburglar_'s review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

miss bates vs mrs elton in a yapping contest. who would win?

for some reason this felt like the easiest of jane austen’s work to read. maybe i’ve read enough to get used to her writing so that could be why. i thought about the story a lot even when i wasn’t reading (which is such a great sign). my goal for the end of this year is to complete all of austen’s works (3/7)

emma right from the start is a very compelling, powerful and flawed character who faces little consequences. she feels entitled enough in her own abilities to play as a matchmaker and things soon go south for her and her actions as they begin to affect the people around her, even for herself as she doesn’t admit things that she should. she is written to be purposefully unlikeable (yet relatable) as i’m sure most of us already know (i say this because i’ve heard this more times than i have fingers) that austen said this about emma: “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like”.

jane austen excels at making her characters feel so real and believable. i’ve found that to be the case in the other 2 novels i’ve read by her too (p&p and persuasion). the conversations that take place could actually be written from ones that were happening in real time. the conflicts the characters face are ones that still are relatable to this day as modern readers, especially emma and the repercussions that happen to her as a result from her misdeeds. anyone can make the same mistakes she has, with intention or not. the growth of emma herself is very integral to the story, watching her actually develop and improve herself for the better! characters who you think aren’t all too important to the story or catch your interest to begin with matter with time. one of my favourite things that i noticed very early on is how mr knightley is seemingly the only one who actually tells emma how it is and how she’s in the wrong as everyone around her seems to never have much of a complaint. i mention this because of the specific writing style austen uses, even giving mr knightley his own chapter! i interpret that as him being the only person to break through the filter of emma’s continuous narrative and we can see that especially when emma is crying and experiencing strong feelings such as regret for the thoughtless words she says to another person, embarrassing her in front of a group of friends. someone who watched her grow from birth. in that moment i felt so disappointed in emma. it makes me think of how comments said to us, even in childhood are the ones that stick with us throughout life and change how we feel about ourselves forever. even if the person who said it didn’t think much about it, most likely doesn’t even remember. not even an afterthought. it’s a simple thing that many of us have perhaps played a hand in doing, hurting another person in such a way. that’s how much of a well-written character emma is, i love her but i also feel disappointment in her behaviour which is the whole point as it makes it all that more satisfying when she gets called out.

her work is truly timeless and absolutely incredible. jane austen is hands down one of, if not my favourite author. one thing i absolutely love with her writing (that i mentioned slightly earlier) is how the narrative is in third person yet is filtered with the heroines mind. throughout, phrases can be found to fit emma’s mindset that satisfy her. jane austen has combined first and third person together which proves how much of a fantastic writer she was! i’m so happy to have the pleasure of reading what she has written while discovering more as i go along. with every re-read i feel as if a lot of enjoyment would arise while picking up on so much that we didn’t the first time around. perhaps opinions would change about things as we age as someone who potentially didn’t click with emma the first time would see the appeal as they get older, which makes these books truly special as they grow with the reader.

as much as i love austen and want to yell at everyone to read her books, i understand that they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. they are slow-paced and are a portrayal, a time capsule perhaps of the lives of people who lived 200 years ago. i believe anyone who is already enamoured by that time period or history in general will automatically enjoy austen’s work by default. this book in particular is one of her longest (if not the longest) but because of that i’m attached to all the characters, i know all of them by name (a problem i struggled with in her other novels as it’s hard remembering who’s who and who’s connected to someone else etc) the conclusion to emma is satisfactory to me and gave me a huge smile for the last remaining chapters. there’s dialogue from a character that i don’t enjoy (if you know you know) but it’s mentioned that it was jane austen using humour as she typically does in her writing so i’d hope for that being the case.

my JA ranking as of may 2024:

emma
persuasion
pride and prejudice

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more,"

ch4lle's review against another edition

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challenging funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

peterparkerslabpartner's review against another edition

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3.75

I really enjoyed Emma, but P+P is still my favorite. I loved Emma’s personality and Mr. Knightly is a good character.

saylee's review against another edition

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5.0

I love this book and all it's characters so much!! There isn't a single character in this book that I do not adore with all my heart! Ever since I've read this, there have only been very few days where i wasn't thinking of someone from this book or wasn't feeling inspired by them. Every single person in this is equal parts funny, charming, different and yet realistic. Though my favourites have to be mr. woodhouse, jane fairfax, and emma!
The plot is also incredible!! It has a very sitcom but make it the 18th century feel to it, and i love every second of it!!
Jane austen is loveliness itself!!