This is the third book by this author (after Notttenham Abbey and Pride and Prejudice). Reading Austen every time it seems that she always writes about the same thing, she just changes houses and neighbors slightly, and the main and secondary characters are all very similar, the topics for conversations at receptions are the same, the events and the inner world of the characters are not at all are changing. The neighbor is always a pompous snob, the vicar is always a slippery and narrow-minded type, the ladies have only gossip and idle gossip on their minds.
But this is only at first glance.
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.
Emma is Austen's longest-running novel. This was due to the fact that, having come to her brother in London, she was forced to stay there longer than planned due to her brother's illness and unsuccessful negotiations with her publisher. The works of Jane Austen were not popular during the life of the author. Publishers were very reluctant to publish her novels. She published them anonymously, and only members of the aristocracy knew who their author was.
Her books received neither praise from critics nor much excitement from readers. The public of that time preferred the works of Charles Dickens and George Eliot, a woman who took on a male pseudonym. But during the Industrial Revolution, the public began to treat Austen with more sympathy, during World War II, Winston Churchill even joked: "Antibiotics and Jane Austen helped me survive the war." Since then, Austen's popularity and critical acclaim has only grown, although many still consider Austen to be simply the progenitor of lightweight chick-lit literature.
Austen's main characters are usually so easy to love, but this is not the case with Emma. Clever and beautiful Emma at her young age is already an absolute mistress in her father's house. Mr. Woodhouse, although undoubtedly a good and kind person, is too prone to hypochondria, and intellectually Emma feels very lonely in her estate.
The only fun for Emma is playing matchmaker. Emma has a very high opinion of her perceptiveness and wit, thanks to which, she believes, she is good at understanding people. So far, her most important achievement in this field has been the marriage of her former governess, Miss Taylor, to their neighbor, Mr. Westen. The next victim of her beneficence was Mr. Elton, the local vicar.
Having lost her main friend, Emma takes under her wing the young Harriet Smith, who was brought up in a local boarding school. Who the girl's parents are remains a mystery, but Emma suspects that Harriet has a very noble lineage. Emma immediately draws up a program for Harriet on how to develop her to her level, and first of all, this program is played by lists of literature, in which Emma has reached such great heights. But the main problem is that although Emma has learned how to make impeccable book lists in terms of taste, she herself does not really like to read. It is much easier to walk around the neighborhood and pay visits to numerous neighbors.
What annoys me the most about Emma is that she thinks too highly of herself. How high she puts herself above everyone else, despite the fact that, due to her age, she is frankly stupid in love matters and does not see completely obvious things. Her manner of interfering in the lives of strangers is also terrible, sincerely believing that by doing so she is doing them good. She convinces Harriet to refuse a good and kind man, Mr. Martin, only on the grounds that he is not of a high enough position and imposes on her love for Mr. Elton, who generally despises Harriet and is in love with Emma herself.
Why did she choose Harriet as her friend at all?
Due to the fact that, unlike Jane Fairfax, she does not envy her at all, and looks more advantageous against her background.
I very well understand Mr. Knightley, who, from the bottom of his heart, is constantly trying to straighten young Emma's brains, seeing how Emma's pride and prejudice spoil all the good intentions that she tries to show to others (why does he still fall in love with her with all this? very well understood).
This novel has been filmed a lot of times, and if there is no desire to read, but the plot of the book is still interesting, then you can watch a fresh film adaptation of this novel to get no less pleasure from it (but it’s still better to do both to double it ).
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