Emma
by Jane Austen
I remember being warned about how dry and impossible Emma would be to get through. My mom said she put it down before the end of the first chapter. “She spends three pages saying how much she’ll miss her governess!” Mom lamented. So, for years, we just stuck with the 1996 Gwyneth Paltrow movie.
Then one spring, I decided I’d give the book it’s fair chance. I loved it! I didn’t find it dry at all! It helped that I’d seen the movie close to 20 times and could literally see each scene play out as I was reading the text, but I was also filled with admiration for writer-director Douglas McGrath’s adaptation. He managed to cut out unnecessary bits and keep all the humor, charm, and essence of the story. If you’re at all daunted by taking on the lengthy Austen novel, you might want to refresh your memory with the characters and plot points first. I can imagine it might be boring to someone who is completely new to the story.
If you do love the movie (or the other adaptations, as there have been many), I would recommend trying out the original text. It is very charming, and it’s so much funnier and whimsical than the other two Austen novels I’ve read (Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility). All the characters are vivid and easy to imagine, and even though the heroine forms definite opinions about her neighbors, the reader is free to form their own. For example, Mrs. Elton is always portrayed as unlikable and snobby; but in the book, you can see she just wants to make a good impression in her new environment. Through Emma’s judgment, we see her need for maturity – which in itself is a charming way to tell the story. Rarely are classic books written hundreds of years ago so delightful and sweet, especially with a heroine who isn’t perfect. If you like David Copperfield, in which the supporting characters leave an arguably bigger impression than the lead, try a female equivalent with Emma.
Be sure and check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of the 1996 film adaptation here!
Then one spring, I decided I’d give the book it’s fair chance. I loved it! I didn’t find it dry at all! It helped that I’d seen the movie close to 20 times and could literally see each scene play out as I was reading the text, but I was also filled with admiration for writer-director Douglas McGrath’s adaptation. He managed to cut out unnecessary bits and keep all the humor, charm, and essence of the story. If you’re at all daunted by taking on the lengthy Austen novel, you might want to refresh your memory with the characters and plot points first. I can imagine it might be boring to someone who is completely new to the story.
If you do love the movie (or the other adaptations, as there have been many), I would recommend trying out the original text. It is very charming, and it’s so much funnier and whimsical than the other two Austen novels I’ve read (Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility). All the characters are vivid and easy to imagine, and even though the heroine forms definite opinions about her neighbors, the reader is free to form their own. For example, Mrs. Elton is always portrayed as unlikable and snobby; but in the book, you can see she just wants to make a good impression in her new environment. Through Emma’s judgment, we see her need for maturity – which in itself is a charming way to tell the story. Rarely are classic books written hundreds of years ago so delightful and sweet, especially with a heroine who isn’t perfect. If you like David Copperfield, in which the supporting characters leave an arguably bigger impression than the lead, try a female equivalent with Emma.
Be sure and check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of the 1996 film adaptation here!