** spoiler alert ** Here, to those of you whose recollections might be fuzzy or otherwise desiring renewal - here are illustrated the two central moods evoked by Jane Austen:

Me on first paragraph: "Hee-hee-hee-hee."
Me on last paragraph: "Mmmm-aawwwwww."

Insightful and humorous by turn, and often at the same time - Austen, through Emma, proves herself artful in the way that only a close observer of society can be. Her figures learn, or don't, through their sorrows and trials and mistakes, and these are so far removed from our own that they're perfect Literary Escape material.

Really like the character development in several cases. Our heroine is quite insufferable in the beginning, but she grows a fair bit, as we'd expect an intelligent girl like Emma to do. All very well and good. Thank goodness. Reading a book named for her would seem an empty task if she remained so smug, prejudiced and foolish. Mr. Knightly proves that love must not be blind; he knows his beloved's flaws and loves her enough to not let her indulge them. And in himself, he's not surly or mysterious or haunted. Yes, he is certainly a refreshing figure in the world of regency-period protagonists. Mr. Woodhouse, on the other hand, is a timid, foolish hypochondriac who can scarcely bear to look beyond his own Hartfield gates - and we end up loving him regardless. He's classic - an exaggeration, as many such immortal characters must be. Sadly, both these men are rather static characters, which makes them less interesting, and which at least dudes like Darcy aren't. Jane Fairfax is nicely shaped over the course of the novel, as is Harriet. And heck, in the end, everybody ends up happy, which they HAD to be, right?

Even though the plot is fairly predictable, I'd like to point out what helps to remedy this (for me anyway): the moments of foreshadowing made hilarious by their embedment in the dialogue. Mrs. Bates types are especially useful for that purpose. Speaking of her, I really appreciated the way Emma's Bates-mocking fiasco was handled. (Knightly to the rescue. Boy, doesn't a man like him ever get sick of living among idiots?) It reveals Austen's essential compassion for the lives she depicts, a counterbalance to her continual satire not merely on class structure and attitude, but individual human foible. If beauty is not truly exalted in Austen's novels, intelligence is; Jane Fairfax is seriously hinted to be a far more appropriate companion for Emma's married future than Harriet, who is 'built to be satisfied by domestic pleasures' or something to that effect. People need to learn to employ their brains for good and truly benign purposes (yawn?!) but, nevertheless, the fact that one is gifted with whatever qualities count for superior intelligence sets one apart, or so Austen implies, more than does one's social standing. I believe it's true. How is this right, and how wrong? Certainly a question that's worth asking today. Either way, I feel Austen was thinking ahead of her time (well, she was by virtue of the fact she was writing novels at all).

Some favorite quotes - don't mind if I share:
Mr. Elton: "Charming Miss Woodhouse! allow me to interpret this interesting silence!"
Mrs. Bates: "My mother's deafness is very trifling you see - just nothing at all. By only raising my voice, and saying anything two or three times over, she is sure to hear...."
Emma: "I do not know whether it ought to be so, but certainly silly things cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way."
Narrator: "Instances have been known of young people passing many, many months successively, without being at any ball of any description, and no material injury accru[ing?] either to body or mind...."

I do treasure your nuggets of humour, Jane Austen. Please don't roll over in your grave at what pop culture is doing to your well-wrought works. As far as I know, the story of Emma remains basically untarnished.
NOTE: Since writing this, it has come to my attention that there are in fact poppy take-offs (or are there? I don't know if the similarities are deliberate) such as the tv show Clueless, which I haven't watched before. At any rate, Emma stands on its own, and more than most other Austin /Bronte are allowed to do. (I know it's off-topic, but NO, NO, NO; for me, Kiera Knightly will NEVER be Elizabeth Bennet. She has her own merits, but she will retain them strictly as Kiera. End of discussion.)