Book Review #5 Book: Emma
Author: Jane Austen
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: (as taken from Chapters.Indigo.ca) The most perfect of Jane Austen’s novels begins with twenty-one-year-old Emma Woodhouse comfortably dominating the social order in the village of Highbury, convinced that she has both the understanding and the right to manage other people’s lives-for their own good, of course. Her well-meant interfering centers on the aloof Jane Fairfax, the dangerously attractive Frank Churchill, the foolish yet appealing Harriet Smith, and the ambitious young vicar Mr. Elton-and ends with her complacency shattered, her mind awakened to some of life’s more intractable dilemmas, and her happiness assured. Jane Austen’s comic imagination is so deft and beautifully fluent that her stories probe the deepest human ironies while setting before us a dazzling gallery of characters-some pretentious or ridiculous, some admirable and moving, but all utterly true.
Days to read: 7
Rating: 5/5
My thoughts: I’m going to start off saying that Jane Austen is amazing. I had a teacher in grade 11 who said that she is over-rated and not worth all the hype, but I completely disagree. Her writing is so eloquent and pure; she makes reading a pleasure. I’ve only read Pride and Prejudice and Emma so far, but I can’t wait to read her other novels. I loved Emma. The characters are stereotypical in today’s eyes, yes, but they are real and have many interesting complexities, that make them impossible to forget about and not learn from. Everyone can relate to at least one of them. I, personally, think I’m a mix between Emma (I love to match people together and think I know best) and Harriet (I am quite naive when it comes to love and often seek the advice of my friends). As a typical Austen novel is, all the characters are happy in the end, and are together with the person they are best suited for. But even with its predictability, it’s still an amazing read — one that every woman should indulge in. I can promise you that you won’t be disappointed.
