Emma

Emma

Author: Jane Austen

Recommended Age: 15+

Date Published: 1815

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary: Emma Woodhouse is charming, witty, and a matchmaker. When she befriends a girl named Harriet, she sets her sights on the clergyman, Mr. Elton, as Harriet’s match. But the plot backfires and Emma finds herself the unwitting object of more than one man’s affections.

Notes From the Radical Reader:

  • Noble Characters: Emma Woodhouse certainly has her flaws. She’s proud, meddling, and certain that her opinion is always correct. When Mr. Knightley corrects her for being too engaged in Harriet Smith’s love affairs, Emma shrugs him off while insisting that she alone knows what’s best for Harriet. However, as the story progresses, we see Emma mature from selfish young girl to kind and caring woman. Much of this is due to Mr. Knightley’s strong friendship, and by the time the story ends, Emma has renounced her destructive match-making tendencies for a quieter and simpler life.
  • Captivating Plot: Hidden romances, mysterious pasts, unwilling partners. All of these come together into Jane Austen’s, Emma. As we watch a young woman explore what true friendship and love means, we discover the similar theme Austen uses in all of her stories. 
  • Elaborate Worlds: Bath. London. Hartfield. Donwell Abbey. All of these are locations (some true and some fiction) that decorate the beautiful setting this author has painted. Set during the Regency Era of England, Jane Austen has once again seamlessly twisted romance and conflict, wit and humor, suspicion and scandal into this delightful story. For fans of Austen’s other works, Emma won’t disappoint you.

Noteworthy Elements:

  • Profanity: A few times, Emma exclaims “My God” when learning of her various mistakes and others’ mishaps.