47 BOOKS CHALLENGE: EMMA BY JANE AUSTEN
Welcome to the first book review of 2018! Here's the first book (by publish date) from the 47 Books Challenge. Also, the challenge has changed from 46 to 47. Somehow, I missed Alice in Wonderland. The video for this novel will be up tomorrow. Anyway, let's get into it - starting with the background of the author.
Jane Austen was the 7th out of 8 kids, born in December 1775, and the second of two girls. She wrote Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice in 1796-98 (at 21-24 years old). These weren't published until about 20 years later - 1818, 1811, and 1813, respectively (Northanger Abbey was published after her death).
Emma (1816) was in the second round of books Austen wrote, after her father's death in 1809. Also in this cohort was Mansfield Park (1814) and Persuasion (1818). Emma, according to Cliff's Notes, the novel is apparently considered one of the first modern novels, and was one of the first novels to introduce the third person limited perspective (as opposed to the 1st person perspective or 3rd person omniscient. The novel is told in third person, but you really only get Emma's perspective). I assume all of these factors are why it made the 47 List. It's definitely not as popular as Pride and Prejudice (though, to be fair, that has some great adaptations), and not as out there as Northanger Abbey (but Northanger is satirizing Gothic Literature.)
The novel follows Emma Woodhouse, a 21-year-old wealthy woman who tries to butt into everyone's business (at least, that's how it seems). After Emma's former governess (and bestie) marries Mr. Weston, she makes friends with Harriet Smith, a naive 17-year-old local girl. Apparently Emma needs a project, and apparently Harriet is perfect for that. Mr. George Knightley, Emma's longtime friend, is apparently the only person to call Emma out on anything. Emma tries to convince Harriet not to marry Robert Martin because he's a farmer. Things should have worked out with Harriet and Robert, but Emma is convinced Harriet's mysterious background means that Harriet is destined for greatness. Emma tries to set Harriet up with the local rector, Mr. Elton, and apparently doesn't notice that Mr. Elton is into Emma. Mr. Elton proposes to Emma, which results in the most awkward carriage ride after she turns him down. He later gets married to someone else.
This is the sort of thing that happens throughout the book - Emma tries to set things up just so, and it doesn't work because she seriously miscalculates how wrong she can be - and what other peoples' intentions are. She doesn't read cues from Mr. Elton. Later on, Emma doesn't realize that Harriet realizes she likes Mr. Knightley, not Frank Churchill - and that Frank likes Jane Fairfax, despite flirting with Emma. Emma doesn't realize that she didn't like Harriet's crush on Mr. Knightley because Emma herself had feelings for Mr. Knightley. She doesn't read cues at all, despite thinking she has an eye for it.
I've read this before, and it's definitely better now that I'm older and have read through it a few times. Emma is pretentious, but that's kind of the point. She learns from things. She grows as a character. Jane Austen apparently said that Emma is a character that only Austen herself would like - and I kind of see where she's coming from. Emma is so self-assured in her good intents and assured in her own strength of character and her own rightness that she doesn't notice that she might be wrong. Emma doesn't really notice that Harriet isn't into anyone that Emma thinks she's into (or should be into). Harriet's just suggestible enough that Emma has a lot of sway over her. To be fair, that's why Knightley is such an important foil for Emma - he's the rational one, and he's the only one who can really get away with calling out Emma's nonsense.
Would I recommend the novel? Sure. Especially if you want to get frustrated with the main character, but that's the point, really.
Other adaptations: Film: Clueless, YouTube Series: Emma Approved, BBC did a miniseries in 2009.
Jane Austen was the 7th out of 8 kids, born in December 1775, and the second of two girls. She wrote Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice in 1796-98 (at 21-24 years old). These weren't published until about 20 years later - 1818, 1811, and 1813, respectively (Northanger Abbey was published after her death).
Emma (1816) was in the second round of books Austen wrote, after her father's death in 1809. Also in this cohort was Mansfield Park (1814) and Persuasion (1818). Emma, according to Cliff's Notes, the novel is apparently considered one of the first modern novels, and was one of the first novels to introduce the third person limited perspective (as opposed to the 1st person perspective or 3rd person omniscient. The novel is told in third person, but you really only get Emma's perspective). I assume all of these factors are why it made the 47 List. It's definitely not as popular as Pride and Prejudice (though, to be fair, that has some great adaptations), and not as out there as Northanger Abbey (but Northanger is satirizing Gothic Literature.)
The novel follows Emma Woodhouse, a 21-year-old wealthy woman who tries to butt into everyone's business (at least, that's how it seems). After Emma's former governess (and bestie) marries Mr. Weston, she makes friends with Harriet Smith, a naive 17-year-old local girl. Apparently Emma needs a project, and apparently Harriet is perfect for that. Mr. George Knightley, Emma's longtime friend, is apparently the only person to call Emma out on anything. Emma tries to convince Harriet not to marry Robert Martin because he's a farmer. Things should have worked out with Harriet and Robert, but Emma is convinced Harriet's mysterious background means that Harriet is destined for greatness. Emma tries to set Harriet up with the local rector, Mr. Elton, and apparently doesn't notice that Mr. Elton is into Emma. Mr. Elton proposes to Emma, which results in the most awkward carriage ride after she turns him down. He later gets married to someone else.
This is the sort of thing that happens throughout the book - Emma tries to set things up just so, and it doesn't work because she seriously miscalculates how wrong she can be - and what other peoples' intentions are. She doesn't read cues from Mr. Elton. Later on, Emma doesn't realize that Harriet realizes she likes Mr. Knightley, not Frank Churchill - and that Frank likes Jane Fairfax, despite flirting with Emma. Emma doesn't realize that she didn't like Harriet's crush on Mr. Knightley because Emma herself had feelings for Mr. Knightley. She doesn't read cues at all, despite thinking she has an eye for it.
I've read this before, and it's definitely better now that I'm older and have read through it a few times. Emma is pretentious, but that's kind of the point. She learns from things. She grows as a character. Jane Austen apparently said that Emma is a character that only Austen herself would like - and I kind of see where she's coming from. Emma is so self-assured in her good intents and assured in her own strength of character and her own rightness that she doesn't notice that she might be wrong. Emma doesn't really notice that Harriet isn't into anyone that Emma thinks she's into (or should be into). Harriet's just suggestible enough that Emma has a lot of sway over her. To be fair, that's why Knightley is such an important foil for Emma - he's the rational one, and he's the only one who can really get away with calling out Emma's nonsense.
Would I recommend the novel? Sure. Especially if you want to get frustrated with the main character, but that's the point, really.
Other adaptations: Film: Clueless, YouTube Series: Emma Approved, BBC did a miniseries in 2009.
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