My Experience with Emma by Jane Austen

As Valentine’s Day nears, I’ve turned my attention to matters of the heart and of love. I’m not likely to read a contemporary romance novel, but one placed in a fantastic or historic setting satisfies enough of my desire for wonder that it suddenly becomes much more enjoyable for me. Jane Austen is still considered one of the greatest authors of all time, and her novels remain heavyweights in both classic and romantic fiction. And so, I’ve turned my attention to Emma.

Emma chronicles the life of the mistress of Hartfield and her meddling in the lives of the people around her while avoiding any attachments of her own. Fancying herself a matchmaker, Emma nudges her company into couplings she judges to be favorable. Her mischief leads her to confirmation bias, and her bias leads to unfortunate mishaps.

According to the biography written by Austen’s nephew, the author’s approach to Emma began with the comment: “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” This is the second novel I’ve read from Austen, and knowing her humor, I can almost see her smirking with delight. True to her word, Emma Woodhouse is not as likable a character. She brilliantly combines a typical Austen leading lady and a side character played for jest in her work. But in that combination, it allows the reader a feeling of dramatic irony because we can see how things might fall apart under Emma’s influence.

I think Emma may be overlooked when compared to works like Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. While these stories are fantastic, Emma takes a different approach to romance. Both P&P and S&S wears its theme on its sleeve, placing flashing clues in the title itself. But Emma’s commentary on the protagonist is much more subtle. It begs the question: “If you do not know your own heart, how can you claim to know the heart of others?” 

If you’re a romance reader (or a historical fiction reader) who would like something interesting to check off for Valentine’s Day, I can recommend Emma as a delightful read.