0477 | Emma | Jane Austen

Probably one of the most accessible Austen’s brings my reading of her works to a close.

Emma wasn’t too bad actually. Of course, there’s the usual love triangle and convoluted misunderstandings of intent. But with a smaller range of characters than some of her others, I found this to be much easier to follow. The characters were more memorable for that too.

The eponymous heroine is of course stubborn, proud and can’t spot the obvious when it lives, walks and breathes right in front of her. But she loves assuming that everyone else around her has exactly that problem and tries her best to help them out. Occasionally these episodes, particularly with Harriet, have faintly amusing consequences.

I welcomed the focus on one particular character after all the rest of her novels spread the character development across a range of them. But it confirmed (again!) that Austen is one-trick pony. It’s a good trick if you like it, but it’s a bit yawn-worthy otherwise, much like Wilbur Smith or Dan Brown.

If you’ve never tried Austen before though, Emma would be a good starting point.

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Key: Legacy | Plot / toPic | Characterisation / faCts | Readability | Achievement | Style

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