Emma: An Authoritative Text: Backgrounds, Reviews, and Criticism

by Jane Austen

Book Overview

Emma is bright, pretty, rich, supremely self-assured, and determined to impose her romantic ideals on all those around her. Her well-ordered life is about to change, though, as she embarks on a journey of growth and discovery described with the wit, grace, and style and humor that is Jane Austen's unforgettable signature.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393960145
• ISBN13: 9780393960143
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 430 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Not the cover I purchased, and the words are too small

I purchased the book for the black cover, because it was really nice and matched all my other ones. But when I revived it it was a small book with the drawing of a woman. The book was so small that the words were so tiny, hard for me to read even with my glasses I’m sure this book is fantastic, but I just wished it was what I ordered and readable

Right book, wrong cover.

Just got my book, haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Highly disappointed that they sent a book with the wrong cover.

Emma-Spoilers Ahead!!!

I never thought that any of Jane Austen's other novels would become higher in my affections then Pride and Prejudice, but Emma did. I "read" Emma a few years ago; by "read" I mean "skimmed". Literally, I just read the dialogue, and a few other paragraphs that interested me. I was young and the book was boring. I thought I hated it. But now, being older, re-reading it, I can't believe I didn't realize before what a beautiful book Emma is. It took me a little while to get into it, I just wasn't taking the time to read it, but as the story progressed I began to love it more and more. Volume III is especially sweet. My favorite thing about the book is that when Emma and Mr. Knightly finally get together, there are about 5 more chapters in which you get to see the two together, and happy. That was something I missed in Persuasion. Anne and Captain Wentworth got engaged, and then the book wrapped up. The end. No!!!! I want to see the two together, and happy, especially after the main character is miserable for almost the entire book. I even feel this way when reading Pride and Prejudice. When the main characters finally get together, the story ends. Not in Emma. You get to see the two happy together, and more stuff happens after their engagement. I love Mr. Knightly...you don't see him much, but he has such a presence in the book. He loves Emma, but that doesn't stop him from correcting her mistakes, even if that means losing her good opinion of him. And Emma, she grows so much. I went from hating her to loving her. She has her flaws, corrects them, and feels truly humbled by them. She's not perfect, but she overcomes her faults. And you can tell the entire Woodhouse-Knightly family love each other. Truly a fantastic book!

Disappointed with Cover

Wasn’t the cover I wanted. This is the 3rd time now where this has happened lately. Ive never had a problem before and the past few purchases the book covers I’ve been seeking and purchasing come in and they don’t match up. Also the quality of the book is really bad. The cover all around is torn as well as a lot of the pages. Again, this has happened multiple times now when I’ve selected good or very good. I never pick “acceptable”

Witty timeless social commentary, but nothing happens.

This book is kind of interesting to me, because it was well-written and clever and funny, but like 90% of the time I was reading it I would much rather be reading a different book. But like I don’t regret reading it. It was extremely boring at times and it took me a long time and lots of discipline to get through, but I had kind of a good time. The good outweighs the bad just enough to make it slightly higher than a neutral 2.5 stars. There was nothing that made me angry or irritated with the book, which is a fair enough feat in itself, and I really liked relating with the characters in such a lighthearted and stakes-free way.

Emma?

Ordered Emma, and received “Webster’s English Language Thesaurus”. Mildly disappointed.

Great!

Great quality book and amazing price. And the read is wonderful.

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Great!

Emma is a great classic novel and probably one of Jane Austen's best! If you like this book I also suggest the wonderful movie adaptations. Both the one starring Gwynneth Paltrow and the one starring Kate Beckinsale are quite lovely!

ONE OF JANE AUTENS BEST NOVELS!!!!!!!!!

This book is one of the best books by Jane Austen. It is well up there with Pride and Prejudice. This book clearly was one that glowed with the brightness of Austens fresh sence of humor. You will find yourself laughing out loud at almot all of the book. It is a little longer that Pride And Prejudice, but it still has the same magic that only Jane's books could produce. Emma Woodhouse is one that almost everyone can relate to. You cant help but learn to love her, laugh at her, and get angry with her, after she makes a couple of mistakes. She really is horrible at "matchmaking" and creates trobble when she trys it out on her friends. She is one with a kind soul, but still has weaknesses that all humans have, such as jelousy and pride. She also has the heart that will never fall for a man. (or does she?) You will be taken on a ride as Emma finds out what she can handle and what will happen when things go wronge. This book will take you into the hearts and minds of all of the charachters in the book. They will become a part of your life and you will find that you can not stop thinking of them until you put the book down after finishing it. It draws you in, as does every Jane Austen book, and it will not leave you disaponted in the end. This whole book is jam-packed with romance, humor, and social status. Did I mention that this book is very halarious???? It is a MUST READ for anyone out there that likes a good plot woven with love and friend ship. It will leave you smiling and sighing that it is over. It really is one of the best books written!...

MOTHS CRUMBLE (I JUST USED THAT TITLE TO GET ATTENTION)

Emma is basically a darling snob. She has a kind, loving heart, and really wants to do good, but makes a tangle of everybody's lives, including her own. I'm sick of flawless, shallow, empty heroines, so Emma's faults and conquering of faults endear her. The unabridged book is slightly complicated (such as old-fashioned language) but if you savor it slowly it is well worth it. The plot is clever, sweet, funny and leaves a satisfied, warm kind of glow in the pit of your stomach. The perfect ending makes you want to cry. Don't spoil THIS novel with any trashy sequels. TRY WATCHING the Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam "Emma."

A beautiful story about relationships

I definitely recommend this book to first time Jane Austen readers, and especially to young girls, for it is so cute and so amusing. I wish I were "forced" to read this in High School for I would have surely written good papers on it. I can't see how anyone can dislike this classic. Jane Austen's character "Emma" has her faults of course, be she is a true character that is amusing and utterly charming, unlike those characters in Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, which by no doubt are wonderful books, but Emma truly has to be my favorite Austen work. It is predictable, even without having seen the movie that was based on this work (that mind some of you was written over 200 years before Alicia Silverstone existed...gosh!) but the predictability of it made it all the more enjoyable, like a sort of mystery in romance. I definitely recommend this book to anyone over the age of 11 or 12. I know I'll make my kids read it some day. It is superb!