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phoebemurtagh's review
funny
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I found this to be a pretty decent modern romance adaptation of Emma, up until it made the trademark error of modern romances: mislabling sex as an adequate substitute for emotional intimacy. It almost made up for it with a twist on one of the original twists - the Harriet character is great. But for a fairly fresh version of Emma, it got very bogged down by very trite language in the sex scenes that ultimately made the Knightley character seem flatter. There were also casually use phrases that were clearly meant to sound romantic but ended up just a tad creepy ("I can't control myself around you" is what serial killers say, not good love interests) and uncomfortably traditional in its gendered presentation of a relationship that was meant to be a partnership of equals even 200 years ago in the original. What this book suffers from on the whole is too many words and not enough descriptions, like films that rely too heavily on dialogue to drive the plot instead of showing you what the characters are thinking and feeling (though it is full of descriptions of expensive clothing and furnishings). Never have I more appreciated Jane Austen's deftness at leaving gaps for the reader to fill in with their own imagination, ultimately making the story more romantic than plain narrative can easily achieve from all but the most skillful pens. It's a fun book. But mostly it serves to remind me that the source material is fun and *brilliant.* Read it if you want to. But go read Jane Austen's Emma regardless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent and Medical content
I found this to be a pretty decent modern romance adaptation of Emma, up until it made the trademark mistake of modern romances to mistake sex for an adequate substitute for emotional intimacy. It almost made up for it with a twist on one of the original twists - the Harriet character is great - but a fairly fresh version of Emma got very bogged down by very trite, heteronormatively written sex scenes that ultimately make the Knightley character seem flatter, and casually use phrases that are meant to sound romantic but just a tad creepy ("I can't control myself around you" is what serial killers say, not good love interests). What this book suffers from is too many words and not enough descriptions. Never have I more appreciated Jane Austen's deft hand at leaving gaps where the reader can use their own imagination to make it more romantic than plain narrative can easily supply from all but the most skillful pens. It's a fun book. But mostly it serves to remind me that the source material is fun *and* brilliant.naomi_k's review
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
emmas_bookshelf's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a delightful modern retelling of Emma by Jane Austen, with the titular character Emma Woodhouse as a wealthy Manhattanite pursuing a master’s degree in art history and an internship at the Met. She’s navigating adulthood and changing relationships with poise and the occasional mistake - but she’s never too proud to admit when she’s wrong. I enjoyed it soooooo much and it was such a fun read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death of parent and Pregnancy
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