Jane Austen

Emma Jane Austen

Publisher Marketing: Emma, by Jane Austen, is a novel about youthful hubris and the perils of misconstrued romance. The novel was first published in December 1815. As in her other novels, Austen explores the concerns and difficulties of genteel women living in Georgian-Regency England; she also creates a lively comedy of manners among her characters. Before she began the novel, Austen wrote, "I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like." In the very first sentence she introduces the title character as "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich." Emma, however, is also rather spoiled, headstrong, and self-satisfied; she greatly overestimates her own matchmaking abilities; she is blind to the dangers of meddling in other people's lives; and her imagination and perceptions often lead her astray. Emma Woodhouse, aged 20 at the start of the novel, is a young, beautiful, witty, and privileged woman in Regency England. She lives on the fictional estate of Hartfield in Surrey in the village of Highbury with her elderly widowed father, a hypochondriac who is excessively concerned for the health and safety of his loved ones. Emma's friend and only critic is the gentlemanly George Knightley, her neighbour from the adjacent estate of Donwell, and the brother of her elder sister Isabella's husband, John. As the novel opens, Emma has just attended the wedding of Miss Taylor, her best friend and former governess. Having introduced Miss Taylor to her future husband, Mr. Weston, Emma takes credit for their marriage, and decides that she rather likes matchmaking. Against Mr. Knightley's advice, Emma forges ahead with her new interest, and tries to match her new friend Harriet Smith, a sweet, pretty, but none-too-bright parlour boarder of seventeen -described as "the natural daughter of somebody" i.e. the illegitimate daughter of someone - to Mr. Elton, the local vicar. Emma becomes convinced that Mr. Elton's constant attentions are a result of his attraction and growing love for Harriet. But before events can unfold as she plans, Emma must first persuade Harriet to refuse an advantageous marriage proposal. Her suitor is a respectable, educated, and well-spoken young farmer, Robert Martin, but Emma snobbishly decides he isn't good enough for Harriet. Against her own wishes, the easily-influenced Harriet rejects Mr. Martin. Emma's schemes go awry when Mr. Elton, a social climber, fancies Emma is in love with him and proposes to her. Emma's friends had suggested that Mr. Elton's attentions were really directed at her, but she had misread the signs. Emma, rather shocked and a bit insulted, tells Mr. Elton that she had thought him attached to Harriet; however Elton is outraged at the very idea of marrying the socially inferior Harriet. After Emma rejects Mr. Elton, he leaves for a while for a sojourn in Bath, and Harriet fancies herself heartbroken. Emma feels dreadful about misleading Harriet and resolves-briefly-to interfere less in people's lives. Mr. Elton, as Emma's misconceptions of his character melt away, reveals himself to be arrogant, resentful, and pompous. He soon returns from Bath with a pretentious, nouveau-riche wife who becomes part of Emma's social circle, though the two women soon loathe each other. The Eltons treat the still lovestruck Harriet deplorably, culminating with Mr Elton very publicly snubbing Harriet at a dance. Mr Knightley, who had until this moment refrained from dancing, gallantly steps in to partner Harriet, much to Emma's gratification. An interesting development is the arrival in the neighbourhood of the handsome and charming Frank Churchill, Mr. Weston's son, who had been given to his deceased wife's wealthy brother and his wife, the Churchills, to raise. Frank, who is now Mrs. Weston's stepson, and Emma have never met, but she has a long-standing interest in doing so. Review Citations: Library Journal 02/01/1997 (EAN 9780745173658, Analog Audio Cassette) School Library Journal 08/01/1997 (EAN 9781565019669, Video, VHS Format) School Library Journal 07/01/1997 (EAN 9781565019669, Video, VHS Format) Ingram Paperback Advance 05/01/2005 pg. 63 (EAN 9781416500285, Mass Market Paperbound) Library Journal 03/15/1997 pg. 94 (EAN 9780679602576, Hardcover) Wilson Fiction Catalog 01/01/2006 pg. 34 (EAN 9780679405818, Hardcover) Wilson Fiction Catalog 01/01/2010 pg. 35 (EAN 9780679405818, Hardcover) Wilson Fiction Catalog 01/01/2014 pg. 27 (EAN 9780679405818, Hardcover) Library Journal 09/15/2012 pg. 71 (EAN 9780674048843, Hardcover) Shelf Awareness 09/21/2012 (EAN 9780674048843, Hardcover) Entertainment Weekly 12/07/2012 pg. 79 (EAN 9780674048843, Hardcover) Entertainment Weekly 12/09/2011 pg. 77 (EAN 9780143106463, Paperback) Voice of Youth Advocates 12/01/2011 pg. 487 (EAN 9780062065964, Paperback) Contributor Bio:  Austen, Jane Jane Austen s (1775-1817) works have enjoyed a renewed popularity in the last year with the film release of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility - both critically acclaimed. Sir Walter Scott said, Jane Austen had that exquisite touch which renders ordinary commonplace things and characters interesting.