Emma - Jane Austen

The third Austen novel to face the scrutiny of my unforgiving critical eye is Emma. The entirety of the plot and my opinion towards it could probably be summed up in a few ample sentences, but I shall endeavour to do it some justice with a thorough review. Following in the same vein as Austen's other Regency romances, the story is as typical as what one might expect, save for one deviation; namely the distillation of all serious drama. More akin to a light hearted comedy than a scathing social critique or desperate romance, the most perilous thing to occur in Emma is the cancellation of a ball, much to the disappointment of all involved. It is a nineteenth century romcom as the misguided and immensely dislikeable titular heroine blunders from one disastrous matchmaking fiasco to the next. A tale where the conflict arises from misunderstandings between characters is best left to the stage in my opinion, yet as Emma is still held in high regard by a great many readers, I seem to be alone in it.

Divided into the usual three parts and narrated in third person (although with frequent internal monologues), Emma is set in the sleepy village of Highbury. Unlike Austen's other heroines, Emma is rich and happily single at the start of the novel, ruling out social advancement and romantic attachment for character motivation. So far so good, something different for once. But no, Emma finds pleasure in forming unions between other characters and making a large mess of things in the process. All the usual typecasts are there; the hypochondriac, childlike parent, the quasi incestrous love interest, the naïve simpleton, the jovial neighbour, the flirtatious coxcomb, the domineering matriach and the condescending lady of fashion. Did I leave any out? I found the narrative pacing tediously slow; with no tantalising hook for the next chapter, one is apt to put the book down at any given moment and be loathe to pick it up again.

Although Emma can be said to accurately portray domesticity and convincing dialogue, it falls short in that there isn't really anything to keep the more discerning reader interested. One entire chapter for instance is devoted to the most exciting and outrageous scandal of Mr Frank Churchill going to London for a haircut! Other episodes of similar interest include a carriage ride through the snow to a dinner party, the anonymous gift of a pianoforte (gasp) and of course, the thrilling and climactic picnic to Boxhill where Emma hurts the feelings of a neighbour. As if these breathtaking events are not enough to tempt you, there are also the obligatory rejected marriage proposals and occasional scenes of social mortification. All in all, Emma is as dull a read as anyone could possibly wish for and I must have set a new record for the amount of times falling asleep whilst reading. Not only does Emma deal with mediocrity personified, but the leading lady is an arrogant spoilt brat who manages to shirk any kind of real repentance whilst ending up with almost exactly what she wants.

Before concluding this negative review on a sour note, I feel it my bounden duty as a fair and impartial judge to highlight some of Emma's good qualities. Some bits are, admittedly, quite funny and it definitely remains one of Austen's lighter, more frivolous works. There are some clever puns scattered throughout to reward those who attempt a second reading, but why anybody would want to commit themselves to such an undertaking is beyond my comprehension. I am perfectly aware that Emma was not written for the likes of me but at least now I can tick off another 'must read' classic and move onto better things. There are some people out there who would appreciate Austen's charming and subtle tale of social politics and it is to this elite bunch that I recommend the book. 

Rating: 1/5