Jane Fairfax: The Secret Story of the Second Heroine in Jane Austen's Emma

by Joan Aiken

Book Overview

Jane Austen's Emma has been a favorite novel for Austenites since 1816.

But while the story of its heroine Emma Woodhouse is well known, the same can't be said for her childhood friend, Jane Fairfax. The turmoil underlying Jane's obscured background and reduced circumstances have always remained a mystery for readers of Austen's beloved novel.

Now, at last, we learn her whole story in Joan Aiken's superb retelling of Emma-this...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031215707X
• ISBN13: 9780312157074
• Release Date: March 1997
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Really enjoyed this well-written variation

This book was so well-done. Loved the character development of Jane Fairfax - she is much more appealing than Emma in this version. I actually wished Jane would pair up with Mr. Knightley. One of the best Jane Austen variations I’ve ever read. Will search for more of Joan Aiken’s books for my library.

Wish they'd make this into a movie!

What a wonderful book. No, it is not in the style of Jane Austen, but if that is not important to you then it is a great book for you to read. It takes you back into the beginning when Emma and Jane were little playmates. If you read Emma and wondered what her childhood was like, then you will love this book. You can discover the real reason why Emma dislikes Jane. What is so terrific about this book is that you fall in love with Jane, she really is the second heroine of the novel. It is wonderful to be inside her head and find out why she had a secret engagement with Frank Churchill. She is such a sweet and endearing heroine, and in addition she is strong, intelligent, and loving. You will grow to like her and grow to dislike Emma. Which makes you wonder, isn't that the way it is supposed to be? Jane Austen's own words were that she created a character that no one but herself will like. Furthermore, it follows Jane's life you learn what happened in Weymouth, and who the Dixon's are. You go on an emotional journey with her. Her struggle with being poor and her love for her aunts. If you root for the under dog then this is the book for you. Or if you loved the movie Emma, you love this too, you will wish that they will make it into a movie someday.

plausible and enjoyable pov-variant on the classic 'Emma'

Joan Aiken is a gifted writer, and she has chosen as her subject a wonderfully interesting incidental character from one of the best-loved novels in literature, Jane Austen's 'Emma'. The characters and plot are flawless; it was very enjoyable to have these beloved characters rounded out and delved into more, and Aiken accomplishes her most difficult task -- making Frank Churchill sympathetic and therefore worthy of Miss Fairfax's regard. I was thrilled by the time I got to part two, which begins and ends on the same timeline as 'Emma' -- for instance, do you remember when Jane accompanies her aunt, Miss Bates, to Hartfield in order to thank Emma and her father for the quarter-section of pork, and they bring the news that Mr. Elton has become engaged to someone in Bath? Well, here you are in the room when Jane and her aunt first get the news as they are leaving for Hartfield -- it is delicious! There are many such overlaps, and all are delightful. There are also lots of commas and semi-colons and other such idiosyncracies found in the works of Austen and her contemporaries, and the style rings true. I would say it comes very close to being an Austen novel, and is one of the best of the Austen homages, but the humor of Austen is not here. Also, the novel is so well-done that I would have enjoyed an account of events after the original timeline. One does want to know that Jane is happy and Frank is true and Emma's friendship continues.... Still, a very satisfying read, and I will definitely read more works by this author.

Quite a feat!

I am a fan of Jane Austen's Emma, and really enjoyed Hollywood's rendition of the novel, and came away from both sharing a bit of Emma's resentment towards Jane Fairfax. So it is quite an accomplishment to write a novel that so quickly and deftly turned my sympathies and interests towards a previously unliked character.Aiken's Jane Fairfax fleshes out the childhood histories of both leading ladies (Emma and Jane), and fills in the back story of their relationship and temperaments. It is fascinating to read the story that takes place prior to the time period where 'Emma' is focused, but even more interesting to read the shifted perspective once the two storylines sync up. Finally, the book is so well-written, so closely adhering to Jane Austen's own style, that you can convince yourself you are reading a long lost manuscript from Austen herself. And as the tale unfolds, and Jane's perspective reveals more of Emma's character than we even knew before, Austen's 'Emma' becomes an even better realized, more ironic, and wryer look at social folly.I definitely recommend this novel to any Austen fan, particularly those familiar with 'Emma.'

Extremely well written in Austen-like style!

Being the Austen fan that I am, I began searching for similar styles of writing and came across Joan Aiken's Jane Fairfax. I was delighted from the moment that I began reading this work and enjoyed EVERY WORD. I recommend this to anyone looking for an interesting viewpoint on the residents of Highbury and how Jane Fairfax's life unfolds.

Well done "behind the scenes" story of Jane Fairfax

If you enjoyed Emma, and wondered at all about how Jane Fairfax ended up in her situation then you'll enjoy this book. Aiken gives a clever story that covers all the reasons that Jane F and Frank Churchill act the way they do. And it is written in a true Jane Austen style. I really enjoyed it.