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A review by emmareadstoomuch
Emma by Jane Austen
5.0
(deep breath)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.com/2022/01/10/the-very-best-books-of-the-worst-year-yet/
Okay. Sorry about that. I just remembered the words "If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more," and any time that happens I'm obliged to find the nearest abyss and scream into it for the next 3-5 business days.
Now that we've wrapped that up, let's get to it:
This is a perfect book.
Is this the first Jane Austen book I've rated five stars? No. Is this the first time I've wished there was a sixth star I could apply to a Jane Austen book? Also no. But is this the most INTENSELY I've ever wished that? Hard yes.
This has EVERYTHING a Jane Austen book could possibly have. And also more. (Ignoring the fact that it is possible, since this book has it. Stop undermining my enthusiastic if illogical points, hypothetical person reading this. Meanie.)
It has:
- the beautiful writing, social commentary, and biting wit of all her books
- the actual hilarity of Persuasion
- the - and I hate to use this phrase, a phrase which makes me want to die of cringing, but it's necessary - swoon-worthy (gag) hero of Northanger Abbey (yes, Mr. Tilney is my favorite Austen hero, what about it)
- the I-am-going-to-scoop-my-heart-out-with-a-spoon level romance of Pride & Prejudice
- the perfectcomplicatedlovely family dynamics of Sense & Sensibility
- and the nothing of Mansfield Park, because that book is not good and we should all live to forget it.
On top of that, we have a heroine that makes all of our pal Janie's other protagonists look like cardboard cutouts of Girl Scouts. Just flat, nice girls. No depth to them. (This is a great simile, don't you think? I'm proud, personally.)
Emma is complicated, bratty, spoiled, a little dumb sometimes. She should be hard to like...and yet...
I loved her from page 1. Give me every stubborn but well-motivated funny girl with a sharp tongue. I'll take all of them, thank you.
And it's not name bias. Years of being in elementary school classes that forced me to be called by last name due to sheer number of Emmas has ensured that I will NEVER be predisposed to someone I have a first name in common with.
Ever.
Bottom line: I want to reread this already. And I'm actually writing reviews lately, so it hasn't even been that long.
----------------
pre-review
two things:
1) emma is a nightmare.
2) i'm not sure if i want to be her or marry her.
review to come / 5 STARS!!!!!!!!!!
----------------
currently-reading updates
okay, NOW it's time.
----------------
tbr review
me: i love jane austen
anyone: me too!! don't you love Emma??
me: uh... (long pause) i haven't read it
anyone: ...but -
me: yes, i know
anyone: your name -
me: yes, it's emma
anyone: ...
me: i'm saving it to be the last austen i read
anyone: ...
me: to me this is a normal, logical thought
anyone: ...
me: imagine living in my head
anyone: *collapses*
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.com/2022/01/10/the-very-best-books-of-the-worst-year-yet/
Okay. Sorry about that. I just remembered the words "If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more," and any time that happens I'm obliged to find the nearest abyss and scream into it for the next 3-5 business days.
Now that we've wrapped that up, let's get to it:
This is a perfect book.
Is this the first Jane Austen book I've rated five stars? No. Is this the first time I've wished there was a sixth star I could apply to a Jane Austen book? Also no. But is this the most INTENSELY I've ever wished that? Hard yes.
This has EVERYTHING a Jane Austen book could possibly have. And also more. (Ignoring the fact that it is possible, since this book has it. Stop undermining my enthusiastic if illogical points, hypothetical person reading this. Meanie.)
It has:
- the beautiful writing, social commentary, and biting wit of all her books
- the actual hilarity of Persuasion
- the - and I hate to use this phrase, a phrase which makes me want to die of cringing, but it's necessary - swoon-worthy (gag) hero of Northanger Abbey (yes, Mr. Tilney is my favorite Austen hero, what about it)
- the I-am-going-to-scoop-my-heart-out-with-a-spoon level romance of Pride & Prejudice
- the perfectcomplicatedlovely family dynamics of Sense & Sensibility
- and the nothing of Mansfield Park, because that book is not good and we should all live to forget it.
On top of that, we have a heroine that makes all of our pal Janie's other protagonists look like cardboard cutouts of Girl Scouts. Just flat, nice girls. No depth to them. (This is a great simile, don't you think? I'm proud, personally.)
Emma is complicated, bratty, spoiled, a little dumb sometimes. She should be hard to like...and yet...
I loved her from page 1. Give me every stubborn but well-motivated funny girl with a sharp tongue. I'll take all of them, thank you.
And it's not name bias. Years of being in elementary school classes that forced me to be called by last name due to sheer number of Emmas has ensured that I will NEVER be predisposed to someone I have a first name in common with.
Ever.
Bottom line: I want to reread this already. And I'm actually writing reviews lately, so it hasn't even been that long.
----------------
pre-review
two things:
1) emma is a nightmare.
2) i'm not sure if i want to be her or marry her.
review to come / 5 STARS!!!!!!!!!!
----------------
currently-reading updates
okay, NOW it's time.
----------------
tbr review
me: i love jane austen
anyone: me too!! don't you love Emma??
me: uh... (long pause) i haven't read it
anyone: ...but -
me: yes, i know
anyone: your name -
me: yes, it's emma
anyone: ...
me: i'm saving it to be the last austen i read
anyone: ...
me: to me this is a normal, logical thought
anyone: ...
me: imagine living in my head
anyone: *collapses*