Name: Vojtech's review of Emma by Jane Austen
Item: Emma
Rating: 3.5
Author: Vojtech

Jane Austen

Emma

Élise

'Emma has been meaning to read more ever since she was twelve years old.

Emma Woodhouse is one of Austen's most captivating and vivid characters. Beautiful, spoilt, vain and irrepressibly witty, Emma organizes the lives of the inhabitants of her sleepy little village and plays matchmaker with devastating effect.

emma reread because i miss her <3 also i wish that were me so bad

fira

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.

Penguin Cl�sicos publica en una cuidada edici�n esta obra maestra de la literatura inglesa de todos los tiempos, para conmemorar el bicentenario de la publicaci�n original de la novela en 1813. A lo largo de una trama que discurre con la precisi�n de un mecanismo de relojer�a, Jane Austen perfila una galer�a de personajes que conforman un perfecto y sutil retrato de la �poca: las peripecias de una dama empe�ada en casar a sus hijas con el mejor partido de la regi�n, los vaivenes sentimentales de las hermanas, el oportunismo de un cl�rigo adulador... El trazado de los caracteres y el an�lisis de las relaciones humanas sometidas a un r�gido c�digo de costumbres, elementos esenciales de la narrativa de la autora, alcanzan en Orgullo y prejuicio cotas de maestr�a insuperable.�Pero mi locura no ha sido el amor sino la vanidad.� ENGLISH DESCRIPTION Penguin Classics has published this all-time masterpiece of British literature in a special edition to commemorate the bicentennial of the original novel's publication in 1813. Throughout a plot that flows with the precision of clockwork, Jane Austen profiles a gallery of characters who make up a perfect yet subtle portrait of the time: the drama of a lady determined to marry off her daughters to the biggest catches in the area, the ups and downs of the sisters, the opportunism of a sweet-talking minister... the outline of the characters and analysis of the human relationships subjected to a rigid code of customs, essential elements of the author's narrative, reach insurmountable heights of mastery in Pride and Prejudice. "But vanity, not love, has been my folly."

Orgullo y Prejuicio (Edicion Conmemorativa) / Pride and Prejudice (Commemorative Edition)

Valeria

Un proyecto que promete innumerables delicias nunca puede tener éxito, y la decepción general solo se salva gracias a algún detalle molesto.

No importa el modo en que me hubiese declarado su amor, siempre lo habría rechazado.

Una triste alternativa se te ofrece, Elizabeth. Desde este día tienes que ser extraña a uno de tus padres. Tu madre no quiere volver a hablarte si no te casas con Collins, y yo no quiero volver a verte si te casas con él.

Los que jamás cambian de opinión deben asegurarse de juzgar bien al principio.

New chronology and further reading; Tony Tanner's original introduction reinstated Edited with an introduction and notes by Flora Stafford.

Storm

It darted through her, with the speed of an arrow, that Mr Knightley must marry no one but herself!

Common sense would have directed her to tell Harriet, that she must not allow herself to think of him, and that there were five hundred chances to one against his ever caring for her. - ‘But, with common sense,’ she added, ‘I am afraid I have had little to do.’

She liked his open manners, but a little less of open-heartedness would have made him a higher character. —General benevolence, but not friendship, made a man what he ought to be. — She could fancy such a man.

Frank Churchill seemed to have been on the watch; and though he did not say much, his eyes declared that he meant to have a delightful evening.

The ladies here probably exchanged looks which meant, ‘Men never know when things are dirty or not;’ and the gentlemen perhaps thought each to himself, ‘Women will have their little nonsenses and needless cares.’

Victoria Justice

Layla

cerys

Vojtech

Jane Austen's sparkling and flawless comic masterpiece is the story of Emma Woodhouse- rich, charming, spoilt, obsessed with matchmaking and blind to everyone's faults - including her own. Although Austen described Emma as a character 'whom no one but myself will much like', her wit and her gradual self-realization make her one of the author's most remarkable, believably imperfect heroines.

pozie

I know this book is objectively so good but I’m realizing I’m not a classic lit girlie. I could appreciate it in moments but I spent most of the time reading it fantasizing about reading an easier book

Emily Moses

Olivier Betil

The exquisite illustrations of Marjolein Bastin meet timeless text in this elegant special edition of an English masterpiece. The Marjolein Bastin Classics Seriesis a chance to rediscover classic literature in collectible, luxuriously illustrated volumes. For the first time ever, the internationally celebrated artwork of Marjolein Bastin graces the pages of a timeless classic, Emma. Beyond bringing these stories to life, Bastin's series adds elaborately designed ephemera, such as letters, invitations, and more. Whether an ideal gift for an Austen or Brontë devotee or a treat for yourself, the Marjolein Bastin Classics Series, as a set or individually purchased, is perfect for anyone who feels a connection to these enduring literary gems.

Illustrations by Marjolein Bastin

debre

Thanks to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel for the advanced copy.


I'm a huge Jane Austen fan and Emma is one of my favorite books from her. I just love how determined and witty she is, and she always made me laugh. Mr. Knightley is too one of my faves! This edition is beautiful, couldn't keep it down just because of the illustrations, and, of course, the story!!!


I love it.

One of my favorite classics of all time, did not disappoint on this re-read

Emma Lechner

Wilde

It's hard to read this and not compare it to Clueless from time to time, but on the whole I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not Austen's best certainly, but entertaining nonetheless.

Mostly tedious and only the last 25 % or so gets to be somewhat satisfying. 

 was more enjoyable compared to this. The characters are good but it was a grind to get through it all.

Mostly tedious and only the last 25 % or so gets to be somewhat satisfying. Pride and Prejudice was more enjoyable compared to this. The characters are good but it was a grind to get through it all.

Zoe Peace

“Were I to fall in love, indeed, it would be a different thing; but I have never been in love ; it is not my way, or my nature; and I do not think I ever shall.”

I was challenged by a friend for my 2023 12 Challenge to read a classic I haven't read yet, so I chose Emma by Jane Austen. I have seen Clueless and plan to watch the Netflix movie with Anya Taylor Joy, so I was sure I would love this book and for the most part I did. I'm not sure why, I've never had this issue before, but with Emma I really struggled with absorbing myself into the language of the time and found a lot of this novel had so much extra fluff in it that I got very bored at times, unlike with Pride & Prejudice which I absolutely adore.

Emma herself is a difficult character to like, she's very arrogant and self-absorbed, and while classism is of it's time I really did struggle a bit with her judgement and unkindness towards people she views as below her social standing. Emma is known for her matchmaking skills, but her attempts often backfire, I found her meddling to be a bit annoying at times. It felt like she had little regard for others, especially poor Harriet. Something Jane Austen often covers in her books is the blindness towards their own prejudice and the harm in their actions. She is often purported as very clever and quick witted, but I found the fact that she missed the signs from Mr Elton, Frank Mr Knightley and even Mr Martin quite ironic, and also how she reacts to others women around her was very interesting. She tried to help Harriet who was clearly of lower social standing than she thought she should be and was generally very kind to her if not making things worse for her, but then she also begrudged Jane (and envied her) for being exactly the kind of woman Emma could be if she focused more on herself than on others.

The story follows Emma's personal growth and development as she learns from her mistakes and becomes more self-aware, which really does redeem her by the end of the book. The development of romantic interest with Mr. Knightley surprised me, it is very of the time and it honestly shocked me a bit (despite knowing that she ends up with her step-brother in Clueless), I don't know why but I ended up rooting for Frank and Emma throughout the book and actually didn't love the ending as much as I did when Alicia Silverstone ended up with Paul Rudd 😂 I found him pretentious and not very kind at all, and the age difference and the fact that he was definitely more of a brotherly figure in my eyes really put me off.

Overall, Emma is a great classic novel, the basis and beginning place for witty romantic comedy novels in my eyes. It is a charming story with flawed by interesting characters, fun writing, and an interesting conclusion. Austen's insights into human nature and her portrayal of the social conventions of her time make the novel a timeless masterpiece. 

Genevieve 

“Were I to fall in love, indeed, it would be a different thing; but I have never been in love ; it is not my way, or my nature; and I do not think I ever shall.”

4⭐'s

I was challenged by a friend for my 2023 12 Challenge to read a classic I haven't read yet, so I chose Emma by Jane Austen. I have seen Clueless and plan to watch the Netflix movie with Anya Taylor Joy, so I was sure I would love this book and for the most part I did. I'm not sure why, I've never had this issue before, but with Emma I really struggled with absorbing myself into the language of the time and found a lot of this novel had so much extra fluff in it that I got very bored at times, unlike with Pride & Prejudice which I absolutely adore.

Emma herself is a difficult character to like, she's very arrogant and self-absorbed, and while classism is of it's time I really did struggle a bit with her judgement and unkindness towards people she views as below her social standing. Emma is known for her matchmaking skills, but her attempts often backfire, I found her meddling to be a bit annoying at times. It felt like she had little regard for others, especially poor Harriet. Something Jane Austen often covers in her books is the blindness towards their own prejudice and the harm in their actions. She is often purported as very clever and quick witted, but I found the fact that she missed the signs from Mr Elton, Frank Mr Knightley and even Mr Martin quite ironic, and also how she reacts to others women around her was very interesting. She tried to help Harriet who was clearly of lower social standing than she thought she should be and was generally very kind to her if not making things worse for her, but then she also begrudged Jane (and envied her) for being exactly the kind of woman Emma could be if she focused more on herself than on others.


The story follows Emma's personal growth and development as she learns from her mistakes and becomes more self-aware, which really does redeem her by the end of the book. The development of romantic interest with Mr. Knightley surprised me, it is very of the time and it honestly shocked me a bit (despite knowing that she ends up with her step-brother in Clueless), I don't know why but I ended up rooting for Frank and Emma throughout the book and actually didn't love the ending as much as I did when Alicia Silverstone ended up with Paul Rudd 😂 I found him pretentious and not very kind at all, and the age difference and the fact that he was definitely more of a brotherly figure in my eyes really put me off.

Overall, Emma is a great classic novel, the basis and beginning place for witty romantic comedy novels in my eyes. It is a charming story with flawed by interesting characters, fun writing, and an interesting conclusion. Austen's insights into human nature and her portrayal of the social conventions of her time make the novel a timeless masterpiece. 

Colleen

I started last year out with Jane Austen, so it seemed fitting to start this year the same way. Since we recently passed the 200th anniversary of the publication of Emma, I chose that to read. 

Emma is considered by many to be Austen's masterpiece. In it, her writing skills have developed more. Their is a strength and confidence to her words. The characters are drawn to perfection. Not that the characters are perfect - far from it. Rather their personalities and flaws are so expertly depicted that they come to life. The plot is more developed than some of her works. It is a complete package of marvelous writing.

Yet somehow, I do not love it the way I love Pride and Prejudice. Even though Emma is in many ways a superior novel, it just does not inspire anything near the doe-eyed obsessive love that I have for Pride and Prejudice. 

There are a couple of reasons for this, but the foremost reason is Elizabeth Bennet versus Emma Woodhouse. Elizabeth Bennet has moxie. She is witty and endearing and probably my favorite character in all the books I've read. Emma Woodhouse on the other hand is an immature, meddling snob. An expertly written immature, meddling snob, but pretentious none the less. And whereas I would love to be friends with Lizzie Bennet, I've spent many years avoiding the Emma Woodhouses of the world. Her flaws are perhaps too well written. (view spoiler)[And although she does learn her lesson about her pretentious meddling, the first section made it tremendously hard to route for her while she pranced about assuming her narrow-minded views must be best for everyone. (hide spoiler)] I know many people do not have the same reservations about her character and love her dearly. But my own dislike of people who force their decisions on other people (no matter how well intended) is too deep-rooted to feel any real affection for her character.

The other side of that coin is that Knightley is too goody-two-shoes to be fun. Again, here is a character who is deftly drawn. Knightley is the paradigm of virtue that he was meant to be. But he could definitely stand to loosen his cravat from time to time.

It may seem from these comments that I did not truly enjoy reading Emma, but let me assure you that I did. It is merely that despite being superior overall, Emma still does not come close to knocking my beloved Pride and Prejudice off its pedestal of Favorite Book.

What many people fail to realize (particularly those constantly trying to rewrite Austen's work) is that it is not just about romance. Her works are about everyday life and the people that surround us. Jane Austen's greatest skill was how meticulously she could depict different personalities. Good or bad, loving or pretentious, she makes them all jump off the page. There are no cardboard characters on her pages. That is why people are still reading her books two centuries later.

“if i loved you less, i might be able to talk about it more” 🥺🥺🥺

audrey 🪐

Lynn

This was just okay. Maybe I had higher hopes for this book since I heard great things about Emma. I’d expected a tale of coming of age and recognising one’s faults. But this story just felt very stale and fell a little flat for me. The events were very run-of-the-mill and there were few characters I liked and the rest I just didn’t feel much of anything for. Overall just a very meh book that was way longer than it needed to be. I’m sure there’s great motifs and other literary elements that make this ‘great’ classic - it just wasn’t for me.

Celestine Taevs-Nakaya

Not me falling in love with unloveable characters again.

Klára Kováčiková 

i just wanted to like this more than i did but here we are

Cici Pearson

jane austen never disappoint is real i love every details of this book i live for friends to lovers trope i love emma i love mr knightley i love everything about this book

gita

Meghan Navoy

I enjoyed this so much! Having seen Clueless a million times and the Gwyneth Paltrow version of Emma once, I was really curious to read the original material. Jane Austen is an expert at making everyday life so interesting and charming.

Very unexpected book, goes along with Jane Austin's style of writting, yet diffrent than her other works. Was pleasantly suprised by it as Emma is actually represented as having qualities that are truthfully flaws, yet it suits the woman of her status. I love that her flaws were shown perfectly, yet it's clear that she isnt a bad person. 

Tijana

It was witty and emotional, I loved the characters and grew attached to them. One of my favorites! 

Ania Wysoczanska

Anna Ureta

What a nightmare.

I don't recommend anyone use this version to listen...

The audible chapters are cut incorrectly, making it only twelve chapters, each over an hour long. 

If you're someone who needs to rewind, or needs to refresh on what you just read I DO NOT recommend this particular version of the audiobook. 

The reader is good, everything is fine, but for someone who needs to rewind chapters and reread.... I barely understood what was going on. The only reason I did know was because of the recent film adaptation.

Jamieson

emma woodhouse vc: im blonde, im skinny, im rich, and I'm a little bit of a bitch








genuinely funny in parts, loved the set up of the different awkward situations. loved loved emma as the protagonist. but it was definitely boring in parts

3.5*. Liked it more than S&S but less than P&P

Em💫

Maria Elkoro-Iribe

** spoiler alert **
           lo siento mucho, pero es que ha sido terrible literalmente le dice que no a uno por pobre y luego dos chavales le rechazan y dice pues me voy con el pobre

I’ve attempted to read Emma multiple times since 2016, and it has been unsuccessful. Emma is at first an annoying protagonist, and while that doesn’t necessarily change, it is easier to deal with if you get far enough to become involved with other plot lines. Overall I recommend it, but be prepared to push through the first few chapters

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