Emma in Reading the Classics

May 20, 2016 Caz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiogals, audiobook, favourites, 4-stars, classics

Alison Larkin's narration gets a B+

2015 marked the 200th anniversary of the publication of Emma, which is actually my favourite of Jane Austen’s books. The opening lines are simply brilliant, telling the listener all they need to know about the heroine

Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.

while cl Alison Larkin's narration gets a B+

2015 marked the 200th anniversary of the publication of Emma, which is actually my favourite of Jane Austen’s books. The opening lines are simply brilliant, telling the listener all they need to know about the heroine

Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.

while clearly indicating that what is to come is likely to prove both distressing AND vexing!

The story opens on the day of the wedding of Emma’s former governess, Miss Taylor, to a local gentleman, something about which Emma has mixed feelings. On the one hand, she will be lonely without her companion, but on the other, she cannot but be pleased, because she believes that she is responsible for making the match between them. Her lifelong friend, and neighbour, George Knightley assures her that the couple would have found their way together without Emma’s help. He has known Emma since she was born (there is an age gap of sixteen years between them) and is the one person in her life who will always tell her the truth and attempt to put her straight when others are busy deferring and toadying to her as the foremost person of consequence in the surrounding area.

Emma’s sense of self-worth leads her to make a number of mistakes through what she eventually comes to see as her own “wilful” blindness. Wanting female companionship, she picks, more or less at random, a young woman from a local school because she – Harriet Smith – is someone Emma will be able to “mould” and “guide” (or dictate to), without realising that by raising Harriet above her station, Emma is going to condemn the poor young woman to a life forever between classes. She dislikes another young woman who, by birth and intelligence, should have been a natural companion for her (obviously, because Jane Fairfax is beautiful and accomplished – and Emma doesn’t like competition!), insults a neighbour and long-standing family friend, flirts with and encourages the attentions of a young man who only seems to bring out the worst in her… her catalogue of mistakes could indeed make her a heroine “whom no-one but myself will much like”, but somehow, that isn’t the case at all. Beneath all of Emma’s polish and conceit is a good heart, someone who can laugh at herself when the occasion arises and who can also be brought to see when she is wrong. Because of this, when, late on in the story, Emma comes to the realisation that her arrogance and selfishness may have cost her the affection of the man she loves, the listener really feels her distress.

Alison Larkin is a performer about whom I’ve expressed reservations in my reviews of her romance narrations, but I’ve always found her to be a good choice for lighter stories and romantic comedy, and there’s no denying that Miss Austen could certainly pen a witticism. Ms Larkin’s portrayals of the various secondary characters in this recording are very good – Mr Woodhouse and Mr Elton especially, where she really brings out the pomposity of the latter and the selfishness of the former by means of varying timbres, and in the case of Elton, the application of a wonderfully apt, slightly nasal tone. Her pacing is very good, in terms of both narrative and dialogue, and she differentiates well between the rather large cast of characters. Some of the male characters can sound a little similar to each other, but that’s not too much of a problem, as they rarely all appear in the same scene, so it’s perfectly possible to work out who is speaking for the vast majority of the time. Her characterisation of Emma is excellent, however, perfectly bringing out the young woman’s self-assurance and her natural superiority without making her sound insufferable; and she is equally good in those moments when Emma has cause to doubt herself and expresses contrition. One thing to bear in mind, perhaps, is that this version uses short musical extracts between chapters. The pieces are obviously from the same period as the book, so there is no horrible cultural clash, but to have music suddenly appear can be a bit jarring if you’re not expecting it! ...more

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Jan 18, 2014 Susan from MD rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The underlying story is fun and clever: Emma believes herself to be so intuitive and perceptive about other people and their relationships, while the reader is seeing that she doesn't have any of it quite right. Some people she sees as cold are actually very nice, those she sees as clever also have a darker side, those she sees as silly or stupid can actually be quite perceptive and kind. She helps along one relationship (the Westons) and sees herself as a consummate matchmaker - unfortunately s The underlying story is fun and clever: Emma believes herself to be so intuitive and perceptive about other people and their relationships, while the reader is seeing that she doesn't have any of it quite right. Some people she sees as cold are actually very nice, those she sees as clever also have a darker side, those she sees as silly or stupid can actually be quite perceptive and kind. She helps along one relationship (the Westons) and sees herself as a consummate matchmaker - unfortunately she steers one friend away from the man who will eventually be her husband, encourages this friend to fall for a man who is actually in "love" with Emma and ends up marrying someone else once rejected, Emma thinks she loves one man and then (when she realizes she doesn't) again tries to match her friend up with him, and she completely misses the surprise relationship of the book. Seeing her miss the boat and yet somehow not doubt her matchmaking prowess was really entertaining.

It's always a little dicey to read about women in classic literature - they (and particularly the supporting cast) are often portrayed as silly, vain, petty, jealous and with an appalling lack of curiosity OR as saintly women with incredible grace, charm, patience and tolerance. The main character often has some mix of good and bad qualities and experiences growth through the book - Emma is generally a good person who sometimes gets caught up by her own jealousy or sense of superiority or self-confidence. She does grow into a more understanding and self-aware person by the end of the book, which was gratifying to see.

One of the nice things about the book, especially for a summer read, is that everyone ends up where they should be. It's nice to have a happy ending, especially during the summer! I normally start out thinking that a book will rate a 3/5 and adjust from there; since this was Austen, I started out with about a 2! In the end, I give the book a 3.5/5, so it really was much better than I thought, but it's still not my favorite.

I will read more Austen (Pride and Prejudice is on my list for this year) and hope for the best. I don't think I will ever really be a fan, but I enjoyed the writing and just need to read her books when I'm in the right mood, which is true of most books! ...more

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