Emma by Jane Austen - Restarting July 17th 2021

[Noella]

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. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen's most flawless work.

[Tessa]

Time for the classics ^^.

[Noella]

I'll start this on the weekend, hope that's ok!

[Tessa]

Noella wrote: "I'll start this on the weekend, hope that's ok!"

Same here. I'm behind with my reads *cry*.

[Noella]

Hey Tessa, would you be OK postponing this until 1 April?

[Noella]

10%
(view spoiler)[Mr Elton is approving everything Emma does. He's not interested in Harriet! (hide spoiler)]

[Noella]

20%
(view spoiler)[Emma's matchmaking of Mr Elton and Harriet is going to fail! (hide spoiler)]

[Noella]

40%
It's taking a long time to get through this book. I think it's because the language for me is a bit hard to understand and requires brain power to decipher :(

[Noella]

65%
(view spoiler)[I think Emma may be imagining Frank Churchills "love" for her. (hide spoiler)]

[Noella]

Finished
(view spoiler)[Lots of dialogue for a little bit of story I have to say. I did enjoy the interactions between the characters though. Emma did so much wrong to Harriet, playing with her love life like that with Mr Elton then Frank and then realising she had feelings for Mr Knightley when Harriet mentioned liking him. It's lucky everyone had a happy ending! (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date Changed. Restarting June 11th 2016. Happy Reading ☺

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[Drishti]

Volume 1, chapter 5: (view spoiler)[I'm not sure I like Emma for her flaws. Yeah, I know it makes her realistic. But for me, it's too much. She reaaalllly needs to think things through!

I'm totally on board with Mr. Knightley about Harriet and Emma's developing acquaintance. It's not gonna do any good. I can already see what a good match (I mean, Mr. Martin and Harriet) Emma is breaking. (hide spoiler)]

[Drishti]

Volume 1, chapter 10: (view spoiler)[I'm impressed by Emma's views on marriage. Not matchmaking, just marriage in general. When she tells Harriet that a woman does not need marriage to make her life meaningful and that she wouldn't regret a bit to be single all her life, I swear the feminist in me was literally dancing around! :p (hide spoiler)]

[Drishti]

Volume 1, chapter 15: (view spoiler)[Is it just me or Mr. Elton's proposal to Emma was really comical? I mean, I was laughing the whole time! :p But, I'm glad Emma has decided to quit matchmaking now. *relieved sigh* (hide spoiler)]

[Drishti]

Volume 2, chapter 2: (view spoiler)[Oh, God. Miss Bates talks a lot! Like a loooooottt!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Drishti]

Volume 2, chapter 7: (view spoiler)[The disapproval with which introverts were looked upon during that time really bothers me. Emma repeatedly mentions that Jane Fairfax's reserve is a big put off. Perhaps she is just another introvert trying to survive in a place where bring "cheerful and lively" is held in the utmost importance! Oh, God, that must be one hell of a struggle! (hide spoiler)]

[Drishti]

Volume 2, chapter 12: (view spoiler)[We have not even "met" Mrs. Churchill, but I already hate her! It's surprising what someone's actions can do sometimes! (hide spoiler)]

[Drishti]

Volume 3, chapter 5: (view spoiler)[I was right! Frank and Jane do have a "thing" going on! (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date changed. Restarting October 14th 2019. Happy Reading ☺

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[Claire]

Chapter 7
(view spoiler)[If I manage to make it through this entire book by the end of this month I'm rewarding myself with a ridiculous amount of food because wow, this is just so many words.

Also I feel personally called out by the description of how Emma would make big lists of books she wanted to read and then never read them. (hide spoiler)]

[Claire]

Chapter 18
(view spoiler)[Ok I'm still struggling a fair bit with the language but I am definitely enjoying the overall story and characters.

Mr John Knightley just wanting to stay home and being all whiny about having to go out for family events is actually so relatable 😂

Also Emma's views on marriage are actually my favourite thing in this book. GIRL 👏

Ending Spoiler: (view spoiler)[Yes, I know that she ends up marring that dude in the end but still, I'll take what I can get, the fact that she thought this way at all is pretty awesome to me. (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Neha]

Finished chapter 9. (view spoiler)[This is a reread for me (I was 11 or 12 when I last read the book), and I understand both the characters and the consequences of Emma's meddling a lot better this time around
(hide spoiler)]
Claire - (view spoiler)[ You know I feel called out by that too XD (hide spoiler)]

[Claire]

Chapter 36
(view spoiler)[Not gonna lie, I am getting a bit tired of reading this book, but I am determined to finish it!

All of this just reminds me far too much of when I'm forced to spend time with my parents' acquaintances, who never do anything other than spend hours and hours on end talking about and analysing all the small, boring details of their lives, and the lives of other people they all know, putting on the airs of being super polite to each other when in reality they're constantly judging each other for the tiniest perceived infringements.

... Did I get a bit too personal just now? Oops 😂

It is funny how little things have changed. (hide spoiler)]

[Neha]

It IS funny how little things have changed. I caught myself thinking how familiar some characters and situations felt multiple times while reading 😂

Also I'm SO annoyed by (view spoiler)[Miss Bate's long rambles, but there are important details hidden in some of them so you have to actually focus when you read them hahaha (hide spoiler)]

A little over 50% into the book right now, but this is a reread for me so spoilers for more than that - (view spoiler)[Frank Churchill encouraging Emma to think the worst of Jane is really awful, not because it's rude to Emma (it is, but it was wrong of her to mention it to him in the first place), but because of the rumours and gossip that could circulate about Jane. Emma hasn't said anything to anyone else, but what if she did? He doesn't know if she will or won't. (hide spoiler)]

[Claire]

Finished!
(view spoiler)[Ok so I absolutely understand why Jane Austen's writing is so loved and considered so timeless, archaic social structure and dialogue aside, the characters feel like real people who could exist today. I'm not overly eager to read more of her writing though, maybe in a year or so once I've recovered.

The age difference thing is gross and uncomfortable (He was in love with her when she was 13 and he was almost 30? How was this ever ok?) but their romance is cute now I guess, I like that Mr Knightley and Emma have such a long established relationship/friendship to build upon. (hide spoiler)]

@Neha (view spoiler)[Omg I know right I loved that there was literally 2 entire pages that were nothing but Miss Bates rambling on and on and on and on and I was just like... THE HECK? 😂 (hide spoiler)]

[Neha]

60% @claire (view spoiler)[ YES, two whole pages! And I see Mrs. Elton is the same in a FAR MORE ANNOYING way. XD (hide spoiler)]

[Neha]

Quick update @ 70% now. Hoping to finish this tomorrow!

[Neha]

Done! (view spoiler)[It's amazing to me how much more I got out of the book on this reread, compared to when I first read it as a kid. (hide spoiler)]

@claire (view spoiler)[ It's period appropriate I guess, but the age difference is definitely uncomfortable to read now XD Their romance now is pretty cute, yeah (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

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Date changed. Restarting July 17th 2021. Happy Reading ☺

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[Lydia]

Chapter 2
(view spoiler)[ so he pretty much has a son whom he completely ignores, yet wants to reap the benefits of him being a nice man to his fellows? +2 dislike points from me for him.
Also I was a bit confused about why Mr.Woodhouse had such a problem with cake lol.
Also, it seems pretty selfish of him to not want his daughter to marry and have a nice life.
So I thought I'd try to read an analysis at the same time with the book to make the most of it like they do in American movies (and I guess in real America too?). Should be fun. (hide spoiler)]

[Lydia]

Up to chapter 8
(view spoiler)[ I would admit Emma in a psych ward if I could, she's nuts. It's crazy how she probably thinks she is helping or something, but acts so manipulatively. I'm sort of confused about the book in general, cause the only character we are allowed to connect with through hearing her thoughts is Emma, but I actively dislike her, so is this supposed to be just a social commentary? Anyway, I'm having fun with the book just a bit bummed out that I can't connect with the characters (hide spoiler)]