dannimanning's review against another edition
4.0
I'm always a bit slow getting started with Austen's works, but find myself engrossed with the characters every time! The blending of characters to fit the full story development shows a depth not often found in contemporary books. Overall, this is a fun, quirky, lighthearted book, and I would definitely recommend!
drowningfaithh's review against another edition
5.0
"The real evils, indeed, of Emma's situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself..."
Emma Woodhouse's character in this book is truly different from Jane Austen's beloved heroines. Her tendency to jump to conclusions and insist that they are right was certainly her downfall in this whole book. As the story progresses, Emma is enlightened of her mistakes and eventually own up to them.
This is my 3rd Jane Austen book and it was a delight to read. However, I think that it may have been a bit too long. The middle part of the book was slow-paced and I had to take multiple breaks from it. I know that such was necessary for Emma's character development to ensue. However, much of the affairs could have been reduced in order to give way to more important events. It seemed like the interesting parts of the story finally started in the last few chapters of the book.
After reading Pride and Prejudice & Sense and Sensibility, I found that Austen had a habit of making the characters get together in the last three or two chapters of the book and follows it by rushing to tie up the remaining loose ends of the book in the last chapter as an epilogue. Fortunately in Emma, Austen shows us how Emma and Mr. Knightley act around each other as a couple. Plus, she addresses and resolves the other conflicts with their own individual chapter instead of summarizing it all up in the epilogue.
I also do love the dynamic of Emma and Mr. Knightley. He never fails to call out Emma on her bullshit. He’s the only person Emma is entirely free to be real around and he even loves her for it. Emma also values his opinion to the point that she reevaluates her actions.
I cannot help but compare how Austen alluded the mystery of Frank and Jane's relationship to how she did it in Sense and Sensibility with Willoughby's characters as well as Edward and Lucy's engagement. For me, it seemed to have lacked something. I do not know if I just missed the implications but I didn't seem to think much of it. Again, maybe it was just the length of the book that put me off.
All in all, Emma was a great read for me, but it would have been better if it was a little shorter.
Emma Woodhouse's character in this book is truly different from Jane Austen's beloved heroines. Her tendency to jump to conclusions and insist that they are right was certainly her downfall in this whole book. As the story progresses, Emma is enlightened of her mistakes and eventually own up to them.
This is my 3rd Jane Austen book and it was a delight to read. However, I think that it may have been a bit too long. The middle part of the book was slow-paced and I had to take multiple breaks from it. I know that such was necessary for Emma's character development to ensue. However, much of the affairs could have been reduced in order to give way to more important events. It seemed like the interesting parts of the story finally started in the last few chapters of the book.
Spoiler
After reading Pride and Prejudice & Sense and Sensibility, I found that Austen had a habit of making the characters get together in the last three or two chapters of the book and follows it by rushing to tie up the remaining loose ends of the book in the last chapter as an epilogue. Fortunately in Emma, Austen shows us how Emma and Mr. Knightley act around each other as a couple. Plus, she addresses and resolves the other conflicts with their own individual chapter instead of summarizing it all up in the epilogue.
I also do love the dynamic of Emma and Mr. Knightley. He never fails to call out Emma on her bullshit. He’s the only person Emma is entirely free to be real around and he even loves her for it. Emma also values his opinion to the point that she reevaluates her actions.
I cannot help but compare how Austen alluded the mystery of Frank and Jane's relationship to how she did it in Sense and Sensibility with Willoughby's characters as well as Edward and Lucy's engagement. For me, it seemed to have lacked something. I do not know if I just missed the implications but I didn't seem to think much of it. Again, maybe it was just the length of the book that put me off.
All in all, Emma was a great read for me, but it would have been better if it was a little shorter.
steapplejack's review against another edition
emotional
funny
relaxing
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
3.5
lauratoria's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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
5.0
saeruh's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.75
Just went on for wayyyy too long. Imma be real that I kept losing focus in my audiobook and then I would tune in and there would be a random few characters added in that I had no idea how they related to the others. I liked how the main character wasn’t that likeable in that Emma was pretentious, callous, and vain yet she was who we saw the story through. The relationship between her and Knightley gives me the ick because she is barely not a teenager and he is almost 40 🤢🤢🤢🤢 also at the end when he said he had been in love with her since she was thirteen (when he was already in his late 20s/early 30s) 🤢🤢🤢 basically everyone was annoying af but it was kinda enjoyable for being a classic
julietagenie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
maryjf23's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
2.5
yearofbluewater's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed the first, like, 80 percent maybe? I thought it was, like, witty and stuff, and I even liked Miss Bates's page-long monologues on the grounds that they were super funny. But somewhere around 4/5 of the way in, I was very suddenly done with it all.
Don't get me wrong: I really liked the majority of it. But I do feel like it was around 80 or so pages too long (my copy had ~450 pages total). Especially by the end, which is essentially housekeeping for almost 50 pages, I couldn't wait to be done: I didn't need the chapters and chapters of reading through Emma finding out through various means what happened to each character.
So, unfortunately enough, I can only give Emma three stars. Sad.
Spoiler
When Emma decided to try and set Harriet up with a third guy who she clearly didn't have a chance with, I felt myself mentally checking out.Don't get me wrong: I really liked the majority of it. But I do feel like it was around 80 or so pages too long (my copy had ~450 pages total). Especially by the end, which is essentially housekeeping for almost 50 pages, I couldn't wait to be done: I didn't need the chapters and chapters of reading through Emma finding out through various means what happened to each character.
So, unfortunately enough, I can only give Emma three stars. Sad.