Beautiful,
clever, rich - and single - Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with
her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however,
delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But
when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr Knightley and
attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her
carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never
expected.
OK, I said Mr Tilney was my favourite Austen "hero" but I've changed my mind, Mr Knightley is now first on my list.
It was a re-read, I've read it last century in French, was reading it for the first time in English this time and absolutely adored it. I know, I know, Emma is not a very nice person, she's a spoiled brat but she has a good heart and she gets better. Everybody knows the story already, I guess ? Rich, beautiful said spoiled brat doesn't want to get married but does her best to marry people around her, whatever might be their opinion on the subject.
It's a sparkling novel, witty, hilarious, you read it the same way you savour a delicious cold cup of champagne. It also includes social criticism and the way Mr Knightley talks about Miss Bates, the immensely talkative Miss Bates, is poignant. I also loved the way Emma and Mr Knightley understand each other perfectly with short sentences and looks right from the start. His rant about Frank Churchill at the end made me laugh so much !
Come on, read it, or re-read it ! You will love to hate Mrs Elton and please, don't miss learning everything about Maple Grove, it would be such a shame if you didn't !
I watched 3 screen adaptations for Emma : the 2020 movie I didn't like (too cold - but I loved Miranda Hart as Miss Bates), the BBC 1996 adaptation was good but too short, that mini-series was absolutely excellent :
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