Emma by Jane Austen

Book Review: Emma

A true classic, if you’re a Jane Austen fan and you haven’t already, then you must read Emma! It’s fun, full of romance, life lessons, and excitement. Plus, Jane Austen writes so beautifully, her eloquent words will stay with you long after you finish this novel. 

In typical Austen fashion, the character descriptions are really well done. The on and off flirtation between Emma Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley will keep you wanting to know what happens next. Not to mention, Emma’s constant matchmaking skills (and rare failures) provide much amusement.

There are only a few characters that are unlikeable. For example, at first Mr. Woodhouse comes off as needy and quite frustrating, particularly with how he guilts his daughters for wanting to marry. Although, his kind and caring nature does end up presenting itself throughout the book, and it becomes clear that he suffers from extreme anxiety (even if it was not common back then to address it). Additionally, I found Mr. Elton and his constant need to become a part of “high society” extremely irritating. Worse yet, is the woman he ends up with — she constantly judges and criticizes others! Those characters aside, the rest were quite pleasing and enjoyable to read about. 

Overall, I really loved this novel. The various themes of social class, love, growth/maturity, home, and respect & reputation were consistent through the entirety of the book. Without giving too much away, I’ll leave this review with saying that I highly recommend this book to Jane Austen fans — it certainly won’t disappoint! Also, if you do happen to watch the movies, the 2020 remake is fun, but nothing beats the 1996 film with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam.