DISCUSSION - Volume 3 (chapters 37-55/end)

[Rebecca]

All comments/questions/etc for the last part of the book, VOLUME 3 (chapters 37-end) go here.

Did you like it? Did it end the way you expected/hoped? Would you recommend it? How many stars? WHAT DID YOU THINK? ;)

[April Sarah]

I so enjoyed this read. With as many adaptations I have seen there really wasn't any surprises but I still enjoyed it.

It is a warm, light-hearted read that I would hand to anyone who wanted a good classic.

4 stars mainly because of Emma's silliness I had a hard time connecting with her, but the story wouldn't be the same if she wasn't that way.

[Rebecca]

I found it a bit slow at times, but switching over to the audiobook really helped with that; I found Miss Bates a lot funnier listening to her than just reading it dry.

I love Knightley, possibly more than Darcy, and am glad he and Emma finally realized what they wanted was right in front of them the whole time, too bad it took Frank Churchill and Harriet to help them, though it made it much more entertaining.

4 stars because of the slow parts but recommending it for the love story and silliness all around.

[Karen]

Emma was quite unlikeable at times, but then she would do something to be admirable again. I think it's amazing how Austen can write characters that can be so annoying to me and yet they're enjoyable (like Miss Bates or Mr. Woodhouse).
Mr. Knightley was wonderful.
What I like best about Pride and Prejudice is the humor and wit, which I wish this book had more of.
I also find audiobooks especially helpful when reading classics.

[Caitlin]

Rebecca, which narrator/audiobook did you go with? I tried switching to an audiobook back in volume 1 but found I couldn't really focus so I ended up re-reading everything I had listened to. It helped push me through Volume 1 thogh which I did really need.

I had a lot of feelings about this in general. Thanks to Pemberley Digital's modern adaptation on YouTube and long discussions of that with a friend I knew most of what was coming but was surprised by the details. I didn't realize Emma would be quite so rude to Miss Bates and Mrs. Elton was so much worse than I had thought. I also found myself relating to many of Emma's faults and few of her advantages.

One thing I really wondered about, as a modern reader I really responded to Knightley's lack of airs and relaxed social distinctions and bristled at Emma's attention to class but I wonder how much of that was related to there being more rigid social roles for women than men. I feel like in our patriarchal society men and women are rewarded or punished differently for breaking societal norms and I wasn't sure if the difference in their behavior was related to something similar.

Do any of you know? I'm sure there's gobs of scholarly stuff written on Emma, but can you think of something specifically looking at roles out there?

[Rebecca]

The narrator was Nadia May; it was the one available through the library, and while at times I found it hard to focus and follow, it was much easier than me trying to read it myself, since I kept wanting to fall asleep.

Emma Approved is a lot of fun, and I had a general idea of what was to come thanks to Clueless, which I absolutely love and was part of the inspiration for my wanting to actually pick up and read Emma (or listen to it, as it was). It helped me keep track of characters better, but like you, Caitlin, I also found Emma somewhat rude to some of the other characters, which surprised me, but she remained endearing for the most part anyway... which is perhaps why Knightley loved her.

I do wonder how this would have been received in Austen's time as opposed to current times as well and would be interested to hear more.