Author: Jane Austen
Pages: 512
Published: 2003 (originally 1815)
Challenges: Austen in August, Chunkster, Classics Club
Genre: Classics, Fiction, Literature
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal
Description: I never have been in love; it is not my way, or my nature; and I do not think I ever shall.'
Beautiful, clever, rich - and single - Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen's most flawless work. (via Goodreads)
Thoughts: Emma is not my favourite Austen, nor do I think most Janeites would profess it to be. Nonetheless, its a pretty good piece of literature. But the one thing I noticed with this reading is that I found much of the book to be rather dull and felt that the ending to be rather long winded. I realize that there were a number of storylines to wrap up, but I just felt that rather than just wrapping it up after the Jane Fairfax/Frank Churchill had been resolved, which ended up being the main storyline for the second half of the book, that Austen continued on with the story much longer than I felt was necessary. But maybe it was because I was trying to quickly finish up the book rather than just soak in the book and absorb the novel as I am apt to do.
Bottom line: If you are thinking that Emma is going to be like Pride & Prejudice, you might want to read something else of Austen's other work before tackling Emma, but I would certainly recommend the book for those who are fans of Austen's work.
Rating: 4/5
Pages for 2013: 12641
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