Reviews with content warning for Classism - Emma

Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Emma by Jane Austen

51 reviews

bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

So this was technically my 5th Austen (4th that I finished because I did DNF Mansfield Park). If I only count the 4 I finished so far, Emma is possibly last on my rankings list.

The novel is extremely slow at times, causing me to be bored and at one point I started skimming some of the dialogues.

There were too many monologues from characters (looking at you Miss Bates) or descriptions that went on unnecessarily (did not need those descriptions on Pork, Woodhouses)! I think the novel could have been cut by about 100 pages and nothing of substance would change. The pacing felt all over the place as the story picked up for me around 60 pages in but then slowed down again-rinse and repeat. The ending felt dragged out and kind of anticlimactic.

I didn’t mind the characters as much as others may have. Emma could be annoying and spoiled but I found her entertaining enough to read about. Miss Bates and Mrs Elton drove me insane, and Frank Churchill is a walking red flag. Mainly continued the book for Mr Knightley, that man carried this book! Mr Woodhouse had some funny (and relatable) lines, “the sooner any party breaks up, the better.” 😂

Overall I’m mostly glad to have read this and checked it off my list of Austen novels. But I can understand why many don’t like classics or Austen if they read Emma (I swear her other books are so much better and less boring). This is one Austen I won’t be rereading though.

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abibea's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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_maia3_'s review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Austen handles an unlikable heroine and silly but realistic characters in a graceful way, and this pays off in a novel that blends social critique, with mystery, coming of age, and female friendship (though some have noted sapphic overtones, me included). Particular care is given to the status of women, class, and social responsibilities (as pertain to the time). Well worth a read!

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hello_lovely13's review against another edition

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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

4.0

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kcbatts's review against another edition

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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

3.0

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phantomgecko's review against another edition

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lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Obviously class (and wealth) is an important part of any Austen novel. But it just felt more odious in this one because of Harriet Smith.

In the beginning, Emma tells Harriet if she marries a common farmer, she could not associate with her anymore. In the end, Harriet marries a common farmer and Emma stops associating with her. This fact is kinda glossed over and rationalized with the discovery Harriet wasn't gentry anyway.

The intimacy between her and Emma must sink; their friendship must change into a calmer sort of goodwill; and, fortunately, what ought to be, and must be, seemed already beginning, and in the most gradual, natural manner.

Gross. And yeah, I know that's how it was back in Jane Austen's time. But it's still ridiculous. Emma had only the slightest of character growth. The recognition that people are just people, and the British caste system is bs and a rejection of that system would have really endeared her to me.

As it is, Emma is a snob in the beginning, middle, and end of the book. I did not like her, therefore I did not much enjoy the novel.

Unrealistic expectations or not, my least favorite Austen novel thus far.

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pich's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was just gossip stretched out for over 400 pages, though I mean that in a very good way.

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katie_345's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book was a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed it even though it was slow paced and not much happened. This book (allthough trivial) focus’s on the everyday life similarly to other classics. This was fun and calming to read. :)

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duarshe's review against another edition

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funny relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It took so long to finish this book that is being hard for me to realize that I'm not going to be reading Emma's schemings anymore. To be honest, I'm a little sad.

Many people may criticize Emma for being so faulted of character but it is obviously the interesting part of the story. She has such a wrong worldview that we cannot trust her as the focalizer of the omniscient narrator. Such a technique, Austen. So while the novel goes on we only discover what the other characters think when they actually put words into it. (That was my English major talking, I'm sorry).

Spoiler

Also, it is hard for me to get over the fact that Mr. Knightley is 16 years older than Emma, and literally saw her as a baby. He even said that he fell in love when she was THIRTEEN (which means he was TWENTY-NINE). Mr. Knightley walked so that Jacob Black could run lmfao. But the true villain of the story is Mr. Frank Churchill. You're telling me that you were secretly engaged all along and you treated your fiancée like shit since the start. Boy... Poor Jane indeed

All in all, it is really a great novel. The only thing I would only get rid of is half of the unsubstantial conversations between some characters (half of Miss Bates' monologues).

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puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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