A review by nicolem_young
Emma by Jane Austen

2.0

⭐️⭐️
2.5 Stars= It was an okay read
0 peppers = No spice

Trope: Age gap (16 years), friends to lovers (mentioned late in book)
POV: Third Person
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Part of an series: No
Safe or Dark: Safe

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

As far as classics go, this one was very dense and rather boring. I had to read it using a combination of the physical book and the audiobook. It was just a drag. I had thought about DNF multiple times but had gotten to a point where I felt that it was too late to turn back. So, I forced myself and pushed through to the end. It is upsetting that I feel this way about the book because I enjoy classics, and Jane Austen is a favorite of mine. Oh well, it is what it is.

I feel like everything in this book was so jumbled. So many characters are thrown at us, and I had a hard time remembering who was who and what part they played in the storyline. Many times, I wasn't even sure who's point of view the story was being told from. I believe it was Emma's throughout the story, but I can't be sure.

At times, I had a hard time figuring out who was speaking during the conversations. This book honestly made my head hurt. The plot was enjoyable enough, and we thoroughly grew to understand how Emma Woodhouse truly cared about nobody other than herself (and maybe her dad). Her place in life and happiness were all that mattered. We are to believe that Ms. Woodhouse cared for her friend Harriet Smith, but in the end, I felt that she only cared about who Harriet fell in love with and what connections in life that person had for her own good. God forbid Emma surround herself with people who are beneath her. How atrocious that would look to others!


It also seemed like Emma only ever wanted a man if one of her friends wanted him too. As soon as a friend of hers showed affection for a man or vice versa, it was game on, and Emma was suddenly in love with him too. So shiesty on her part. But at the end of the day, I don't think that we, as readers, were supposed to enjoy the character, which is Emma Woodhouse.



Ms. Austen has managed to give us the most insufferable character in the history of insufferable characters. Despite what I said above, I'm not talking about Emma, I'm not talking about Ms. Bates, and I'm not even talking about Mr. and Mrs. Elton. I am talking about Henry Woodhouse. Yes, Emma's father, Mr. Woodhouse, had to be the most horrible character in literary history. He was such a buzzkill. He always wanted to bring down the mood in a conversation, and shame on the other people for letting him. They were complete instigators. He was a hypochondriac, if I have ever read about one. Not to mention that he didn't at all seem to want his daughter to be happy, despite declaring his undying love for her. My God, if she married, he would be left all alone. Nobody would take care of him. His housekeeper, Ms. Taylor, and other daughter, Isabella, had already found happiness and left the nest. How dare Emma do the same! His woo-me attitude was just the worst. I wanted to punch him in the face. Dare I say karate chop him in the neck?


For me, this beloved classic fell flat, and the excitement of the story just occurred too late in the book for the entire storyline to be redeemed.

However, I will continue to love Jane Austen and read her other works. I suppose at the end of the day, we all have favorite authors who have put out a book or two that we just couldn't enjoy.