Degrees of Affection and Murder by Death are doing a group read/re-read of Emma and would love anyone interested in participating to join us. (Also just a place to talk about your thoughts on the book.)

(No Spoilers please!)

This is a re-read for me, but my first go with the book was on audio; I wanted to see if I felt differently about it after reading the physical book.

Only one chapter in, but I am reminded how much I like Mr. Knightly - he doesn't let Emma get away with anything!

I'm in. I was wondering when we'd get to Emma. I've always considered it my favorite.

@ aka Grasshopper - Both of us are moving slow, so I think I can say for Murder by Death as well that it's okay to leave us in the dust. This week is crazy busy for me, so I'm getting through as I can.

I'm just about to start Ch. 4 and I have to say that I do like Mr. Knightly...and don't like Mr. Woodhouse. He reminds me too much of Mrs. Bennett, who is my least favorite character in Austen's works except for the actual villains! Though I laughed like crazy at the end of Ch. 2.

There was a strange rumour in Highbury of all the little Perrys being seen with a slice of Mrs. Weston's wedding-cake in their hands: but Mr. Woodhouse would never believe it. (p. 46)

The narrative style is what is really interesting me. The book calls it free indirect style, and I'm glad I read enough of the introduction and annotations to understand what Austen is trying to do. While a part of me likes it, as it makes the story more personal; part of me doesn't because it easily allows the author to show the reader only the magic going on in front of them and not the man behind the curtain. You don't realize at first that the thoughts and feelings of the character are inserted into the text and can easily allow your perspective of the characters to be shaped by it.

@aka Grasshopper - Degrees of Affection is right; please leave us in the dust if you want, but I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts about Emma too.

I'm just starting chapter 3 - I put Emma aside to get through a rather boring cozy mystery so I could hurry up and put it in the give-away bag. :)

DoA: You're right - I find Mr Woodhouse incredibly tiresome with all his made up maladies. At least he doesn't shriek and take to his bed the way Mrs. Bennett did. Her, I wanted to smack.

Slow works for me. I haven't read this in many years and I want to savor every word. Poor Mr. Woodhouse is the child in his relationship with Emma. Another imperfect father to add to Austen's collection. In his own way, he's as narcissistic as Anne Elliot's father.

Reply to post #6 (show post):
When I first read him, he reminded me of Mr. Elliot...but then the nerves and health stuff brought the specter of Mrs. B. "Quick, my smelling salts!" And yes MbD, I've pictured smacking her several times.

But you are right about the narcissism, I couldn't take one more iteration of "poor Miss Taylor" from him. It was lucky Mrs. Weston (?) at her time of life and to use the proper address. And to try to dictate to your guests what they should eat.

...is it bad I want Mr. Darcy there to look on him with disdain?

And I think this has been menioned before Murder by Death, but between your name on here and my initials...we clearly have murder on the brain! Too many mysteries, apparently!

Reply to post #7 (show post):
Lol... when I was typing my comment last night I *did* think to myself "DOA - Hah!!".

I'm probably going to be a bit of a dissenter here - but I'm still not liking Emma and I'm not entirely sure Jane Austen did either. Is it just me (it might be) or does the narration have a distinctly (but subtly) scathing tone to it? I might be projecting...

Emma has adopted her pet, er, Harriet Smith and is going about manipulating the poor girl six ways to Tuesday. I agree with Mr. Knightly - neither girl is going to come out of this the better for it.

Mr Knightly is always right, as in Father Knows Best -ancient American TV show-I read some place that Austen knew most people would find Enma unlikeable but I think she ended it by exceptinh herself. I'll look for the quote.

I found this on Goodreads. (It must have been from one of her letters) :“I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like”


― Jane Austen, Emma

Reply to post #10 (show post):
Ahh.. thanks for that aka Grasshopper. I underestimated Jane Austen's charity. :)

I was reading the part about Mr. Martin's letter right before bed last night and getting angry all over again at Emma's sly manipulation of Harriet.

That's a good way of putting it. I guess she had charity for all her characters-except maybe Lady Catherine; even Sir Walter had his defenders in Persuasion.

I have been caught up trying to shorten my TBR piles whilst I'm on school holidays (I work in schools - so when they're on holiday, so am I) so Emma's been getting a bit neglected. But I did pick it up last night and make solid headway and I've reached the point of Mr. Weston's son's arrival. I'm currently being pinned to my desk chair by a cat disinclined to move, but she'll have to eat eventually, and when she does I'll get up, fetch the book and post again - I have some quotes from Isabelle's visit to Highbury that made me laugh.

We are so very airy! ..we are so remarkably airy!

(Isabella talking to her father, trying to convince him London is safe to live in.)

This just cracked me up for some reason...

Interesting. I never thought much about Isabella. She and Emma never seemed to interact or have a conversation. According Carol Shield's brief bio. Jane and her sister were devoted to each other but interacted infrequently-one or the other was always on an extended visit. Thankfully, they wrote each other constantly...