Thursday, February 28, 2008

Emma by Jane Austen





Rating: 1.1.1

Recommended audience: Teens to adults

Category: Romance, classic


I have tried to read Emma a few times before but never could get past the first few chapters. This time I was determined to finish and I'm glad I did. I liked it in the end but it is definitely not on par with Pride and Prejudice or Persuasion to me. (I can't comment on any other of Austen's books because it's been too long since I've read them.) For the first several chapters Emma drove me crazy. Her inept attempts at matching-making made me want to shake some sense into her. She was so blind to everything that seemed so plain. She did grow on me though and I could see her character improve so that by the end I really liked her. There are so many characters that are just ridiculous: Mr. Woodhouse, Miss Bates, and the Eltons, for example. There is so much humour in the conversations and goings-on between all the characters but it is dry and subtle and you have to read carefully to catch it. When I hear people say they don't get Jane Austen's popularity, I hope they continue to give it a chance because I think it does take some time and effort to understand. But once you catch it, you'll love it forever. This book is very wordy with not a lot of anything going on but in the end, definitely worth the read.

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