A review by iseefeelings
Emma: An Authoritative Text, Backgrounds, Reviews, and Criticism by Jane Austen

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-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

3.25

Stumbling upon this first American edition from 1972, which stood out in the yellow paperback, was my highlight moment of last December. I enjoyed the criticism and reviews as much as the text of Emma itself. At times I was grappling with the lengthy sentences, trying to decipher their meaning. However the prose remained more accessible than many other classics that I'm not quite ready to tackle yet. The story was entertaining, but I felt the male characters lacked the depth I craved and found them somewhat unconvincing (this interrupted my enjoyment of F.Churchill's letter). Jane Austen is known for her comedic storytelling, but I didn't feel that in this book. Perhaps when revisiting this novel one day, I would catch the passages that were supposed to be funny? Despite the intention of presenting a sympathetic inside view of Emma, I couldn't find myself drawn to the character, either. Surprisingly, I was enchanted by the side characters like Harriet and Jane Fairfax more and wished for more intricate layers to their development throughout the book. While it may not rank as my favourite, the book certainly piqued my interest enough to keep on reading Jane Austen's other novels. 
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