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A review by hopeloveslit
Emma by Jane Austen
5.0
This book is subtle, clever, and so so good. Emma is a masterful story that explores natural and social order, the dangers of misguided romance, satire, and human relations. It's full of maneuvering, irony, witty dialogue, gossip, and likable characters. Many say this novel is character driven. However, if you look between the lines, Emma is also plot-driven. This novel is tightly and beautifully plotted for irony, and I couldn't get enough.
There isn't much focus on the setting and action in Emma. The text hardly references scenery, and there's little to no exciting action, but this isn't a negative. Austen focused on the interactions of her characters. She observed her peers and the world she lived in so well, and it shows. Every situation and character felt very lifelike. I loved how static these characters were. Very few change by the end of this book, but it emphasizes the society in which they exist.
Emma Woodhouse is likable to me. Yes, she's a schemer, vain, spoiled, and nosy. However, she's very loyal to her father, and that is commendable. Also, there's something about her imaginative mind that I adore. Emma was on a constant loop of deceiving herself and utterly clueless about it. She was lost in a world of her own making. She got caught up in her own scheming, and in the end, the situational irony was golden! Emma is the matchmaker, but throughout this novel, she too becomes conditioned by others in various ways. By the end of the book, Emma is taught many lessons, the most important being self-knowledge.
Mr. Woodhouse is lowkey selfish and very self-indulgent. His only sense of purpose seems to come from others, which is expected since he's an older man. Mr. Knightley is kind, observant, and sensible. He was the only one who called Emma out on her behavior, which was very much needed. Girl Emma was all over the place. Harriet is so innocent, and she loves love. In my opinion, she's the primary victim of the book. She's used as a pawn to be moved by Emma and the plot of the novel. I was very sympathetic toward her and felt she didn't get a proper apology from Emma.
Miss Bates was adorable! Although her rambling was excessive, she was full of kind intentions. I enjoyed Mrs. Weston during volume two. I loved how her and Emma's roles were briefly reversed. Austen showed the influence of relationships well here. Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax added a mystery element to this story. There were so many question marks surrounding them. After figuring them out and looking back, I thought the signs were there the whole time!
The Eltons are obnoxious. They truly deserve one another. Augusta is like Emma; she has the urge to meddle. At the same time, she's like Miss Bates. She can talk and talk and talk. Despite my lack of liking for her, I found her character interesting. There's so much matchmaking in Emma. It's important to note that in the end, everyone ended up with who was right for them. That's one of the many significant lessons of the novel.
Overall, Emma isn't a book for everyone, but it was most definitely the book for me. Jane Austen has got me in her grip, and I can't wait to read her other novels.
There isn't much focus on the setting and action in Emma. The text hardly references scenery, and there's little to no exciting action, but this isn't a negative. Austen focused on the interactions of her characters. She observed her peers and the world she lived in so well, and it shows. Every situation and character felt very lifelike. I loved how static these characters were. Very few change by the end of this book, but it emphasizes the society in which they exist.
Emma Woodhouse is likable to me. Yes, she's a schemer, vain, spoiled, and nosy. However, she's very loyal to her father, and that is commendable. Also, there's something about her imaginative mind that I adore. Emma was on a constant loop of deceiving herself and utterly clueless about it. She was lost in a world of her own making. She got caught up in her own scheming, and in the end, the situational irony was golden! Emma is the matchmaker, but throughout this novel, she too becomes conditioned by others in various ways. By the end of the book, Emma is taught many lessons, the most important being self-knowledge.
Mr. Woodhouse is lowkey selfish and very self-indulgent. His only sense of purpose seems to come from others, which is expected since he's an older man. Mr. Knightley is kind, observant, and sensible. He was the only one who called Emma out on her behavior, which was very much needed. Girl Emma was all over the place. Harriet is so innocent, and she loves love. In my opinion, she's the primary victim of the book. She's used as a pawn to be moved by Emma and the plot of the novel. I was very sympathetic toward her and felt she didn't get a proper apology from Emma.
Miss Bates was adorable! Although her rambling was excessive, she was full of kind intentions. I enjoyed Mrs. Weston during volume two. I loved how her and Emma's roles were briefly reversed. Austen showed the influence of relationships well here. Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax added a mystery element to this story. There were so many question marks surrounding them. After figuring them out and looking back, I thought the signs were there the whole time!
The Eltons are obnoxious. They truly deserve one another. Augusta is like Emma; she has the urge to meddle. At the same time, she's like Miss Bates. She can talk and talk and talk. Despite my lack of liking for her, I found her character interesting. There's so much matchmaking in Emma. It's important to note that in the end, everyone ended up with who was right for them. That's one of the many significant lessons of the novel.
Overall, Emma isn't a book for everyone, but it was most definitely the book for me. Jane Austen has got me in her grip, and I can't wait to read her other novels.