Emma (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

by Jane Austen (Author), James Kingsley (Editor), Adela Pinch (Introduction)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Emma Woodhouse is the lovely, lively, willful, and fallible heroine of Jane Austen's fourth published novel. Confident that she knows best, Emma schemes to find a suitable husband for her pliant friend Harriet, only to discover that she understands the feelings of others as little as she does her own heart. As Emma puzzles and blunders her way through the mysteries of her social world, Austen evokes for her readers a cast of unforgettable characters and a detailed portrait of a small town undergoing historical transition. Written with matchless wit and irony, judged by many to be her finest novel, Emma has been adapted many times for film and television. This new edition contains lively notes and an introduction that shows how Austen brilliantly turns the mundane into the exceptional.

About the Author

Adela Pinch is the author of Strange Fits of Passion: Epistemologies of Emotion, Hume to Austen (Stanford UP, 1996) and numerous articles on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century English literature and culture.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (July 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192802372
• ISBN-13: 978-0192802378
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #58,292 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 6 stars for content, standard binding, good introduction, October 7, 2005

By	A. Woodley "Patroness, Janeites, the Austen list" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this book at all. It is a very good read, in a very standard binding. You get a good introduction to it and some nice notes which are helpful.

This is set in contemporary times to Austen, and was the heroine which Austen least liked. Emma Woodhouse is young, rich and single. She lives a life of wealth and privilege in a small village just outside of London. In her world, and in her village she is queen. However there are flaws in her character which will be tested.

Austen liked to write about small things, about daily life, and the petty things which people in small communities become obsessed with. And so into Emma's life come the scatter-brained Harriet Smith the daughter of "someone" who cobbles together what learning she might at a local ladies academy. Emma adopts her and tries to help her make her way in the world by finding her a good match.

Emma's fine world is disrupted when first Mr Elton moves to the village, and then marries a rather smart but upstart woman who wishes to manage everyone's life.

Austen's skill in reflecting Emma and her machinations for good, against Mrs Elton and her machinations for her own good are gloriously done.

Emma is a brilliant novel and its themes are universal and timeless, it is all about the things in life which never change - love, pride, marriage, status and money.

Don't watch dreadful movie adaptations of this book (like the one Gwyneth Paltrow did) the book is much sharper, wittier and subtler. It is greatly enjoyable reading. The introduction may (or may not) help you to greater understanding of her ability to write with a light, sharp pen. Hopefully the story will stand out for its brilliance.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, October 12, 2005

A Kid's Review

Emma is a great classic novel and probably one of Jane Austen's best! If you like this book I also suggest the wonderful movie adaptations. Both the one starring Gwynneth Paltrow and the one starring Kate Beckinsale are quite lovely!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read by Jane Austen, June 8, 2009

By	Kristen D. Rauscher "kdr" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Received book in excellent condition and fast shipping. I am enjoying this book, what a great read! Thank you.