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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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Classism
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Death, Death of parent
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Classism
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Death, Pregnancy
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-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
yeah so the fact that he was in love with her when she was like 13 doesn't sit right with me and the four starts are for emma and emma only bc she is an icon and i love her
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Classism
Moderate: Chronic illness, Racism
Minor: Death, Racial slurs, Death of parent
lighthearted
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
TW: sexism, classism and gypsy/traveller stereotypes
Jane, I'm so sorry I didn't like this. I just visited your house and loved it. You're a feminist icon! But wow, this book is long and boring. I did enjoy Pride and Prejudice though, so I'm not an Austen hater. This book just wasn't for me.
People that know me know I hate long sentences. Punctuation is free to use guys, you don't have to fill a whole page with your monologue. Taking a breath is ok. Letting someone else speak every once in a while is ok. What's not ok is saying something in five paragraphs that could be said in one line! The way this novel was written combined with the very dry subject matter made it an absolute SLOG to get through. If it wasn't a renowned and popular classic written by a woman, I would've dnf'd. I like to support women where I can 😌
I would say that some parts were enjoyable and it did feel ahead of its time. The women were often outspoken and sometimes cheeky and unafraid to turn down a marriage proposal. Most of them showed independence of thought and self, which was quite refreshing. Some of the characters were endearing and likeable, but most of them were snobby and uptight. Every new character introduced was more boring and annoying than the last. It's a surprise that I managed to get through the whole thing. Emma was especially judgemental and liked to categorise people by their class, which was always lower than her own. The Tory party would love her!
I can appreciate this was a gentle critique of marital arrangements and women's place in society at the time, but Austen could not keep me engaged nor interested in what was going on. Which, to be fair, wasn't much, given that rich people back then seemed to do nothing other than visit each other's houses and look down upon the poor. And if it was bad weather, write to each other instead. Rather similar to now I suppose.
Jane, I'm so sorry I didn't like this. I just visited your house and loved it. You're a feminist icon! But wow, this book is long and boring. I did enjoy Pride and Prejudice though, so I'm not an Austen hater. This book just wasn't for me.
People that know me know I hate long sentences. Punctuation is free to use guys, you don't have to fill a whole page with your monologue. Taking a breath is ok. Letting someone else speak every once in a while is ok. What's not ok is saying something in five paragraphs that could be said in one line! The way this novel was written combined with the very dry subject matter made it an absolute SLOG to get through. If it wasn't a renowned and popular classic written by a woman, I would've dnf'd. I like to support women where I can 😌
I would say that some parts were enjoyable and it did feel ahead of its time. The women were often outspoken and sometimes cheeky and unafraid to turn down a marriage proposal. Most of them showed independence of thought and self, which was quite refreshing. Some of the characters were endearing and likeable, but most of them were snobby and uptight. Every new character introduced was more boring and annoying than the last. It's a surprise that I managed to get through the whole thing. Emma was especially judgemental and liked to categorise people by their class, which was always lower than her own. The Tory party would love her!
I can appreciate this was a gentle critique of marital arrangements and women's place in society at the time, but Austen could not keep me engaged nor interested in what was going on. Which, to be fair, wasn't much, given that rich people back then seemed to do nothing other than visit each other's houses and look down upon the poor. And if it was bad weather, write to each other instead. Rather similar to now I suppose.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Death of parent, Classism
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
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Sexism, Death of parent
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Classism
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Minor: Racism, Pregnancy
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found Emma to be the hardest of Austen's novels to get through of the ones ive read. The blatant self-importance of Emma herself isn't that different to many Austen characters but the fact that this leads her to veiw of the people around her has mainly seeming to exist for her entertainment makes her hard to like. She probably has the most character development of any of Austen's heroines throughout her novel, except maybe Lizzy Bennett, but the vhange happens much later in the story for Emma and she does a lot more outward harm through her actions before the development.
The biggest point in Emma's favour is that her character growth is mainly self prompted. She doesn't really need any prompting beyond Mr Knightly telling her how much she hurt Miss Bates on the Box Hill trip to begin her self-reflection and attempts to repent. She has a lot of loyalty for the people in Highbury, but it is only once she actually sees just how arrogant she has become and reflect on rhe damage that it has done that she really is able be properly generous and display the care to the people around her that she should. Due to her own guilt she does develop and become kinder and stops treating the lives others as her entertainment.
Ironically, it is her arrogance makes Emma's romance with Mr. Knightly so satisfying to read. They know each other so well and they care about each other so obviously, that Emma's willfull blindess his and her own feelings and complete resolution to never marry, make the payoff that much better in the end. They might be my favourite couple, if I could get over Mr Knightly admitting to Emma that he fell in love with her when she was 13. Yuck.
The biggest point in Emma's favour is that her character growth is mainly self prompted. She doesn't really need any prompting beyond Mr Knightly telling her how much she hurt Miss Bates on the Box Hill trip to begin her self-reflection and attempts to repent. She has a lot of loyalty for the people in Highbury, but it is only once she actually sees just how arrogant she has become and reflect on rhe damage that it has done that she really is able be properly generous and display the care to the people around her that she should. Due to her own guilt she does develop and become kinder and stops treating the lives others as her entertainment.
Ironically, it is her arrogance makes Emma's romance with Mr. Knightly so satisfying to read. They know each other so well and they care about each other so obviously, that Emma's willfull blindess his and her own feelings and complete resolution to never marry, make the payoff that much better in the end. They might be my favourite couple, if I could get over Mr Knightly admitting to Emma that he fell in love with her when she was 13. Yuck.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Classism
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Addiction
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Classism
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Definitely wasn’t in the right place when I picked this up (extremely stressed, busy, anxious) but by the end I did feel as if I was able to have some fun with it. I really felt the length of this because of how extremely character-driven it was but also, having watched (and loved) the recent movie adaptation definitely added to the slow pace. I wouldn’t recommend people start with this Austen book but if you enjoy her other novels you’ll like enjoy this too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
Moderate: Sexism, Toxic friendship