NUMBER: 57TITLE: Emma
AUTHOR: Jane Austen
STARTED: October 4, 2007
FINISHED: October 16, 2007
PAGES: 484
GENRE: Literature
FIRST SENTENCE: [From the first chapter] Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.
SUMMARY: [From barnesandnoble.com] Emma is the story of the eponymous Miss Woodhouse who, having lost her close companion Anne Taylor to marriage, sets out on an ill-fated career of match-making in the town of Highbury. Taking as her subject the pretty but dreary Harriet Smith, she manages to cause misunderstandings with every new tactic she employs. Though precious and spoilt, Emma is charming to all around her and so it takes her some time to learn her lesson and profit from spending less time worrying about how other people should live their lives.
REASON FOR READING: It won the Reducing Mt. TBR poll
THOUGHTS: Will the Austen fans of the world hunt me down if I say I didn't love this book? Probably. Well I'm gonna say it anyway: I didn't love this book. I liked it. But I didn't love it. Maybe if I had been able to sit down and read it in two or three sittings I would feel differently. Sadly, I never was able to have a day in bed simply reading. Therefore, the story felt kind of detached and emotionless for me. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy Emma, I just felt a rather large disconnect from Austen's story and the characters in it.
Character wise, I found Emma both endearing and aggravating. Austen wrote her in a way that made you want to shake some sense into her because you liked her so much. This worked perfectly because, as the reader, you were able to see how Knightley felt. As for Knightley, I felt like he needed to be in the story more. Then again, I say this as a romance novel reader. I'm only truly satisfied when the romantic leads are in close proximity to one another. I like the dynamic in the relationship and I felt that this was missing through most of the book. Also, I don't understand why Knightley gets such a bad rap - maybe someone can explain it to me. I loved that he was so patient and portrayed as the perfect suitor for Emma. I only wish he had a bit more of a spine. Knightley did strike me as a mild push over who indulged Emma's whims too much.
The one character I did not like was Harriet. Honestly, she felt like a dumb sock puppet to me. Every time the situation changed she just went along with it without a pause for thought. There were moments I just wanted to scream, "Think, woman!" at her.
As always, Austen's writing style continues to be enjoyable. Unfortunately, I read a lot of this book on the metro, and some passages came across as muddled - but, I think that has more to do with the drunk people sitting next to me than Austen's writing.
MISCELLANEOUS: Corsets are evil.
RATING: 6/10 [Good]
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