Emma

In high school, I recall having to read Jane Austen against my will and finding it to be quite boring. Imagine my surprise when, many years later, I decide to give her books another shot. Jane Austen was a remarkable characterization artist. The characters remain true to their original writing even if the language and setting are changed. It's difficult to top Austen's cunning, subversive social commentary. The pleasure in reading Emma lies not in the core storyline but rather in the way Austen parodies the social mores prevalent in her era. I got to read it from shabd.in and kindle

Emma is probably the most controversial of all Jane Austen's books. Critics and scholars laud it, while the reading public and schoolteachers stick to Austen's earlier books. For all that Austen famously limits the reader to the viewpoint of her protagonist, and even as a coming-of-age story, "Emma" is extremely predictable, and Emma Woodhouse is such a conceited young woman, full of her own consequence, for most of the book that it becomes difficult to care that she gets over herself, somewhat, later on. Austen might have made a joke of Emma's snobbery and meddling, but she simultaneously invites us to sympathize with her. While Austen's powers of subtle irony and gentle wit are at their height in this novel, their objects — the mildly censorious Mr. Knightly, hardly a romantic ideal; his ill-tempered, introverted younger brother; the kindly, prosy Miss Bates; the valetudinarian Mr. Woodhouse — mostly seem undeserving of her skill. Only in the upstart Mrs. Upton do we get a humorous character at which Austen deservedly pokes her sharpened pen.

Taken in the context of its time, the novel 'Emma' is a delightfully fun and witty examination of the societal constraints and mores of the period in which it takes place. Plot is not essential here, and there really isn't a great deal of it. It's the characters who count, and Emma is certainly the most captivating of the lot. She bears some resemblance to the major female leads of other Jane Austen novels, but rather lacks the spirited, rebelliousness of Elizabeth Benett (of 'Pride and Predjudice').

I read Emma and I think it is not a bad book. you may learn a lot of things from this book. Emma is not really a clever person because if she was clever she would arrange things better.

I remember being forced to read Jane Austen in high school and not liking it at all. Now many years later I decide to try again, imagine my surprise at how good I find her books. Jane Austen had an incredible talent at characterization. Change the setting and the language and the characters are as true as when they were written. Austen's sly, subversive social commentary is hard to match. The fun in reading Emma doesn't come from the basic plot, but in the way Austen lampoons the social mores of her times.

Emma is the first Jane Austen work that I've read and it would be an understatement to say that I found it marvellous! It's hard not to fall in love with the characters which are crafted so beautifully- right from Emma the protagonist to Mrs. Elton! I particularly loved Mr. Knightley. The best thing about the story is the old world classic charm and the way a person's character is guaged according to his letter writing skills! It makes one wonder how beautiful life must have been in the ear when people actually had the depth and the insight to analyse other individuals unlike the modern fast paced life where sms language is the order of the day!
Reading Emma is an experience in itself and such a beautiful one!

Though the language used in Emma appears to be highly flowery and outdated in contemporary times, the contents that capture the subtle nuances of human behaviour, like emotions, expectations and reactions have an universal value.

The ingrained superiority complex which is the folly of Emma, the fair-minded common sense of Mr Knightley, the pomposity of Mr Elton, the possessiveness of Mr Woodhouse, the gallantry of Frank Churchill and the naivete of Harriet capture varying shades of human behaviour in a wide spectrum of colours.

An Indian reader can immediately identify himself with the characters in the story for we are a race that believe in "arranging" marriages taking into consideration the caste, economic and social status and the family connections of the bride or groom to be. a truly commendable book of her age and date.

"Emma" was my first attempt at reading Jane Austen's works. Recognizing that she wrote Classics, I ventured forth enthusiastically. Sorry to say I never "got it" with this book. To me the characters were dull, the writing was tedious, and the plot was boring and not the least bit interesting to me. After 100 pages I gave up. Even the English of her time was unfamiliar and not easy to grasp. I won't give up and shall try her other books.

It's difficult not to like Emma--the character--despite the fact that she seems to lead a rather vapid life. Of course, this is a function of the society in which she lives, and one can imagine such a charming and intelligent woman being a far more productive individual were she to exist today.

Taken in the context of its time, the novel 'Emma' is a delightfully fun and witty examination of the societal constraints and mores of the period in which it takes place. Plot is not essential here, and there really isn't a great deal of it. It's the characters who count, and Emma is certainly the most captivating of the lot. She bears some resemblance to the major female leads of other Jane Austen novels, but rather lacks the spirited, rebelliousness of Elizabeth Benett (of 'Pride and Predjudice').

'Emma', as a novel, is not as tightly written as Pride and Predjudice (which is probably Austen's best known and best loved work). There are places in 'Emma' that certainly could have done with some decent editing, sections of dialogue that are simply far too protracted and tend to weary the reader. That said, the book is still worth investing the time to read.

Lindsay Brambles (author of 'In Darkness Bound')