Jane Austen July 2025 discussion
2020
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Emma readalong (SPOILER FREE/in time with schedule)
@Sophie that is a really great point. I think my discomfort with the characters might have something to do with how real and unflattering their behavior is. As for the writing I would say it's some of her strongest work for sure.
@Sophie and @BookishBoricua I completely agree. I love the realness of these characters. They are infuriating and enduring at the same time. With Emma, I feel like I'm getting in the head of a highschool mean girl but humanizes her unlike most books and movies. Jane Austen is a genuis.
@BookishBoricua @Destini For example, when Emma visits Mrs and Miss Bates and they are spending too much time discussing the Jane Fairfax letter and other banal things which Emma isn't interested in hearing about made me think of all the times I've worked with or been stuck in conversation with somebody who is completely self absorbed and so interested in what they are talking about that they don't realise the other person is just humouring them until they can excuse themselves! I've also probably been Miss or Mrs Bates at some point without even knowing it.
@Sophie lol yes! I have been both Emma and the Bates I'm sure!
If Emma ruins Harriet's chances with the Martins again I don't think I can forgive her. How could she not see her mistake after her blowout with Knightley and the failed proposal?! Emma!!!!!! Ugh.
I just finished reading Jane Fairfax's backstory and the matter of her inevitable career, Now I wonder if this is why Charlotte Bronte disliked Jane Austen. It does make the role of a governess or child educator seem like the worst possible destiny.
Oh my, having to stop myself from reading ahead as the story hots up with Frank Churchill"s visit. And I know Mrs Elton will appear soon and she is such an enjoyable character to read. No spoilers though!
Reading Emma for the first time and I’m about halfway through. I think it’s a testament to Jane Austen’s skills that she can write a protagonist who is simultaneously likeable and unlikeable! Her qualities on paper are snobbish and narrow-minded, yet I keep rooting for her to do better and I understand her. These characters just feel like real people. Everyone has met an Emma before.
Victoria wrote: "Reading Emma for the first time and I’m about halfway through. I think it’s a testament to Jane Austen’s skills that she can write a protagonist who is simultaneously likeable and unlikeable! Her q..."Victoria, I'm reading Emma for the first time as well. Emma reminds me of Darcy a little, in the way she's being a busybody.
I didn't like the movie, (Paltrow version), but now I want to watch all of the versions to compare them to the book. =)
I love the drama so far! But I’m a little confused. Is Henry Mr Knightly’s nephew? It’s been so long since a Henry was mentioned that I was taken a little off guard.
@kelsey Yes he is Knightley and Emma's nephew. Knightley's brother is married to Emma's sister.
I really, really don't like Emma. I'm enjoying the re-read because Austen's writing and her ability to create engaging dialogue is excellent, but I don't forsee myself reading this again. I hoped a reread would help me appreciate aspects of Emma's personality, but it's just not happening.
Miss Bates can be so long winded! its amusing how a draft and warm bodies from dancing might lead to a cold. Harriet seems to have taken a back seat to the attention of the story. Now are main characters are Emma, Jane, Mr. Knightley, and Mr. Churchill.
Emma's sister, Isabella and Mr. Knightley's brother John are married and have 5 children: Little Henry, Little John, Little George, Little Isabella, Baby Emma. Little Henry is the heir to Donwell Abbey and possibly Hartfield as well. Jane Austen doesn't tell us the specifics of what will happen to Hartfield and Emma once Mr. Woodhouse dies.
I really struggled reading Emma when I was a teenager but I absolutely loved the recent film adaptation, I thought it captured the Austen wit perfectly so it made me keen to reread it. I'm loving it so far, the snobbery, humour, economic & social commentary is genius! I think Emma has knocked Pride and Prejudice down to number 3 in my Austen rankings which I never thought would happen
Chapter 28 is hilarious! Good old Miss Bates! I also love this building tension about the characters.
@BookishBoricua my #1 is Persuasion ☺
Kelsey wrote: "Chapter 28 is hilarious! Good old Miss Bates! I also love this building tension about the characters."
I love the sheer length and chaos of her dialogue - hilarious!
I love the sheer length and chaos of her dialogue - hilarious!
@Becky I love Persuasion too! As for the past few chapters. I have to say my dislike of Mrs. Elton is really putting Emma in a more flattering light. I just switched over to listening to the free audiobook version narrated by Elizabeth Klett. I'm enjoying it so far.
I thought Emma met her match with Jane Fairfax but Augusta Elton will vex her more it seems!
Loved the introduction of Mrs. Elton! A prime example of not knowing when to keep your mouth shut lol. Cant wait to see what her presence does to Emma's life.
Mrs. Elton is disruptive af and I'm loving it lol. She makes Emma seem like a peach!
I think many people dislike Emma because there are many annoying characters and there is not much plot. After the introduction of Mrs. Elton, I kind of start feeling sympathy for Emma. I didn't think I'd like this book, but I'm actually having a lot of fun reading it. Only Jane Austen can write these witty dialogues that might seem meaningless and empty on the surface, but they tell us so much about the characters.
That being said, my favourite character is Mr. Woodhouse, the hypochondriac. He's absolutely hilarious!
@Lana I'm with you regarding Mr Woodhouse, he honestly steals the show for me with how particular he is.
Mod
Mr Woodhouse really is the best.
I can’t express how much I adore Miss Bates, she made the ball scene so entertaining.
I have switched over to listening to this on audio and I am thoroughly enjoying it! Elizabeth Klett is a great reader! she's very animated.
just finished Emma and I loved it - my full review is on my goodreads and Instagram @bleadenreads!
Aww, poor Miss Bates. Shame on Emma!
Are the odd spellings like "Swisserland", "stopt", “chuse,” “scissars,” and “shew” intentional or mistakes?
Becky wrote: "just finished Emma and I loved it - my full review is on my goodreads and Instagram @bleadenreads!""Emma could not resist."
Jim wrote: "Are the odd spellings like "Swisserland", "stopt", “chuse,” “scissars,” and “shew” intentional or mistakes?"Not mistakes, no. Spelling wasn't standardized yet or spellings of certain words were different.
Rules for writing and learning to spell in Jane Austen's era
You'll see "chuse" right there in the dictionary.
Jim wrote: "Are the odd spellings like "Swisserland", "stopt", “chuse,” “scissars,” and “shew” intentional or mistakes?"They were Jane Austen's - I read that she had her own spellings. I think it was Kathryn Sutherland (editor of A Memoir of JA by James Austen Leigh) who said that.
QNPoohBear wrote: "Jim wrote: "Are the odd spellings like "Swisserland", "stopt", “chuse,” “scissars,” and “shew” intentional or mistakes?"Not mistakes, no. Spelling wasn't standardized yet or spellings of certain ..."
Thank you for that link!!
Just finished and this is probably my 4th reading of Emma. I stuck with the schedule which made the read slower and gave me time to think over each days chapters. Loved it even more then I did before, JA writes such great characters which are so relatable. I think Emma herself is wonderful, obviously conceited but given the era that seems fairly correct for her situation and she has so much personal development through the book - it’s wonderful.
Mod
Just finished! I'm so glad i followed the reading schedule. It was a lot of fun checking in with you all every day. Now I'm going to treat myself to the 2020 Emma. film and the 2009 mini series several of you recommended!
I just finished Emma, my first JA novel! Such a delightful reading experience! You can watch my review here: https://youtu.be/zhC7n6SiXKo
I've just finished my reread. I enjoyed how Knighley challenges Emma more than ever before, and noticing all the hints to the Churchill/Fairfax relationship. I'm still always saddened by the cooling of Emma and Harriet's friendship. It just feels that despite all of her other growth in the story, Emma has to remain firm in their class distinctions.
Just finished reading Emma for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed it. I watched the BBC adaptation as well and loved it.
I haven't been participating in this readalong but I have followed lots of comments on it (I read it years ago so it won't spoil anything for me as I read the comments). I'm glad lots of people preferred it to their first reading of it, like many I read it as a teenager and I must say I disliked it and haven't read it since. But people's views on here have made me think I'll definitely give it another try at some stage.I'm excited that the readalong has just finished though because I will be participating in the P&P readalong that you're doing next - so excited for that as it's my fave JA novel and I always love a reread. See you on that discussion thread :)
Hi all! I fell behind in the readalong. I am now on chapter 42 and confused. Is it now a summary of the end of summer? It doesn't fit after the previous chapter. I need help concentrating!
Ch. 42 begins with "After being long fed with hopes of a speedy visit from Mr. and Mrs. Suckling, the Highbury world were obliged to endure the mortification of hearing that they could not possibly come till the autumn. "
I think my confusion is about the Sucklings. Are they neighbors to Emma?
I am behind (currently on chapter 48), but I have to say that my favorite sentence so far is:"When she considered how peculiarly unlucky poor Mr. Elton was in being in the same room at once with the woman he had just married, the woman he had wanted to marry, and the woman whom he had been expected to marry, she must allow him to have the right to look as little wise, and to be as much affectedly, and as little really easy as could be."
I laughed out loud. Austen really knows how to contrive the most comically rich situations - not of the farcical or slapstick variety, but of the socially uncomfortable sort that are perfect for a comedy of manners.
Rachel wrote: "I'm glad lots of people preferred it to their first reading of it, like many I read it as a teenager and I must say I disliked it and haven't read it since. But people's views on here have made me think I'll definitely give it another try at some stage.."I have to join in to the re-evaluative bandwagon - while I didn't dislike Emma on my first read, it's never been up there with the others for me. However, I think what the second reading has done is helped put it in perspective: I read Emma right after P&P and just didn't get the same sense of sweeping romance that that novel has in spades.
On rereading, I've realized that, while all her novels have some measure of satire and comedy of manners, Emma seems to be more weighted toward satire and comedy than P&P, S&S, and Mansfield Park. Emma seems, if anything, more about thwarted romances than achieved ones (at least for most of the plot) and takes a more critical view of its characters than usual, which results in an at-first less likable set of characters but a viciously funny novel if you're in the right mood for it, which I was not on first reading. Oh, expectations! Would that we could be free of them! I've definitely enjoyed it a great deal more on the second reading.
Juan Manuel wrote: "It's always puzzled me what Mr. Knightley's relationship to the Woodhouse family had been before his brother married Isabella Woodhouse. It is said that he was an old friend of the family, but this..."I think the Wodehouse family would have bought the land on which Hartfield stands from the Knightleys a 'few centuries' ago, Hartfield being a 'notch' on the land surrounding it, all of which belong to Donwell Abbey.
I believe there are other gentry in the area but perhaps not intimate due to Mr Wodehouse's lifestyle. The former owners of Randalls for example would have been suitable acquaintances, as well as the present owners of ...Park, returning from which Mr Perry met Mr.E enroute to London with the precious commission.
Yes, I to think it’s hilarious!