Emma
by Jane Austen
Assigned by 3 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1815
- Form
- Novel
- Language
- English
- Length
- Long · 480 pp300 to 700 pages
- Difficulty
- Moderate2 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendEmmaPenguin Classics, 2003Fiona Stafford's edition, with good notes on the social detail the plot depends on.
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Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever and rich, has nothing to do in the village of Highbury but manage other people's lives. She takes up the illegitimate Harriet Smith, talks her out of a farmer's proposal, and steers her toward the vicar, who turns out to want Emma. She misreads Frank Churchill, who is secretly engaged to Jane Fairfax, and is cruel to the poor, talkative Miss Bates at Box Hill. Only Mr Knightley tells her the truth, and only slowly does she see whom she loves.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Emma are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
