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I wanted to do a product review for this, but I keep on getting error messages, so here goes: This month, I have read Emma by Jane Austen. It’s an interesting classic novel that blends social commentary with romance, humour and even a touch of mystery. Emma is different from the other Austen heroines. She is wealthy, her position in life is secure and, therefore, she does not need to marry. Indeed, Emma does not want to marry. She is perfectly contented living with her father, as a respected member of local society… though she does miss the company of her former governess, who’s just married Mr. Weston. Emma believes that this marriage happened because of her matchmaking skills, and she is keen to put these skills to further use. She takes under her wing a young woman, Harriet, and attempts to match her with the local vicar. There is a young farmer interested in Harriet, but Emma, convinced that Harriet deserves to match with someone of a higher social station, convinces her friend to reject him. Emma’s meddling turns out to have some unintended consequences… What I liked: Emma, for all of her well-intended but ultimately not-so-great ideas, is a likable character. Throughout the book she experiences a lot of personal growth, and I could relate to her quite well. How does one handle someone like Miss Bates? How would one feel when they’re constantly being compared to another young woman, who the whole community is determined to shower with praise? How can one not understand her need for female companionship, and her joy in offering her new friend better prospects than they’ve previously dreamed of? And when a flirty young man enters her life, well, it’s a pleasant diversion. There are some hilarious characters in this novel. Emma’s father was a good source of amusement, as were the antics of the insufferable Mrs. Elton. I love the way that Austen makes her own views of the characters clear in her writing. It’s cleverly done. What I did not like: I thought that the main romantic relationship does not stand the test of time. Mr. Knightley is a friend of Emma’s father. He’s known her since she was a baby. Over the years he’s been the person to praise her when her actions and behaviour were agreeable to him, and to chastise her when he felt that she ought to improve in one way or another. Whilst both her father and her governess could have – and should have – been a little stricter with her, and therefore Mr. Knightley’s influence was probably helpful at times, him then becoming her love interest gave me (for lack of a better word) the ick. Whatever way I look at it, this is not an equal relationship - not like that of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, in Pride and Prejudice, for example. In conclusion: Despite my feelings on Emma’s main love interest, I did enjoy this novel. It’s well-written. It offers insight into a changing society – we see, for example, the emergence of the nouveau riche in a world still very much defined by the divisions of class. Even though not everything holds up well, Emma is certainly worth a read, and a place on my bookshelf.  |
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