Rating: Summary: Some people don't see good writing when they see it Review: Those who gave this book a three or lower must not know how to appreciate formal writing. I'M SORRY! MOST OF WHAT THEY SAID IN THE BOOK MUST HAVE GONE RIGHT OVER YOUR HEADS! Those who thought it was boring, it did have a plot because HELLO! that was the time period and that's what they did. Go out and learn something for once. Some people can be so stubborn. Hey, go out and read Remains of the Day. That was about a butler. And it was great. Emma was a good book. It's a good story. But I guess some people are to busy staring at the TV screen to notice. I recommend the movie Godzilla for you guys. Packed with action and (guess what?) no plot.
Rating: Summary: Fantastic!!! Review: I was amazed to read all those reviews by people who gave EMMA ratings of 1 and 2. they obviously missed the point of the novel and were too ignorant to understand it (which I find hard to believe considering I'm only 11 and I read it when I was 9). EMMA made me laugh, cry and everything in-between. It's a classic worth reading over and over again.
Rating: Summary: Annoyed and disturbed Review: I, unlike other readers, was forced to read this labouriously lengthy novel for my HSC prelimernary Related English course (fiction section). My teacher loved it and boasted about it's greatness. I was very disturbed because, I read it.....got through the first four chapters and went into a coma.... BORING! This story not only lacks any action or plot of sorts but insists on spending copious amounts of pages on meaningless blabber. I had to make a summary of the novel. It took only 1 page. My teahcer could not criticise my summary. I had covered EVERYTHING in the novel! I found Emma to be one of the most irritating characters ever created, for those who boldly state she is the greatest 'heroine', I will say, Joan of Ark was a heroine, Mary mother of Jesus was a heroine, Mother Teresa was a heroine, EMMA is a pretentios, self absorbed, controling, spoilt, BORING individual and should be left in her time and not studied in ours. In Austen's own words, "I am going to take a heroine whom NO ONE BUT MYSELF will much LIKE.", Here, here!
Rating: Summary: Thank God Somebody Else Likes This Review: If no one else liked this book, I would be responsible for keeping it a classic. I couldn't. As for the plot, I think it goes something like this -- they talk, they talk, they talk, then they shut up, and the book is over.
Rating: Summary: A young reader Review: As one of the few teenagers who will read Emma voluntarily, I'd just like to say that, thought the length is daunting, I loved reading it all the way through. I first found out about it through the movie and was hooked! I would recommend this book for anyone who likes a good plot with a good, happy ending.
Rating: Summary: Forget about Mars and Venus, read Jane Austen! Review: I was surprised by the rather divisive views expressed by other readers. Written at the height of her powers, Jane Austen's "Emma" boasts some of the most memorable charaters and the most lucid conversations in English literature. And such penetrative understanding of love and relationships! How they came to a woman who never married herself is always a wonder to me.
Rating: Summary: Relax and Enjoy Review: This book is one of many by Jane Austen that will put you into a total field of happiness. Emma's perilous journey towards understanding herself and her own wrong doings is funny and down to earth. The English is a bit hard to read but once you get into the book, the English becomes easy to read.
Rating: Summary: Austen at Her Best Review: Many writers and critics consider Emma, the last of Austen's novels published in her lifetime, the climax of her genius. Dominating the novel is the character of Emma Woodhouse--vital, Interesting, complex, and predisposed to playing power games with other people's emotions. Austen called her a heroine "no one but myself would like," but she endures as one of Austen's immortal creations. Charting how Emma's disastrous foray as a matchmaker precipitates a crisis in the small provincial world of Highbury, and in her own heart, this novel of self-deceit and self-discovery sparkles with intelligence, wit, and irony. In fact, as critics say,Emma is indeed a fine piece of work which was was written, surprisingly, by someone who lived a rather secluded life. It has all the Austen trademarks, as the constant concern over marriage and social status, which was a poignant and true characteristic of her time.
Rating: Summary: Charming, but overrated Review: I enjoyed the quaintness of Emma's society. The heroine, Emma, was hilarious, especially when her schemes backfired. However, Austen's EMMA resembles modern day soap operas. As an example the heartbreaks of Harriet and the maliciousness of Mrs. Elton can be found on any episode of _The Young and the Restless_(granted, though, without the strong sexual content). Just like a soap opera, EMMA and the contents wherein get tedious. Suggestion to the would-be reader: don't linger in Emma's world for too long; the story will be better if done so.
Rating: Summary: Fiona Shaw Takes the Cake Review: No one reads a book like Fiona Shaw. No matter what she narrates, her voice weaves a golden web, entrapping the listener with great charm and ease. Shaw's narration of Emma is no exception. Jane Austen's ambitious matchmaker and her circle of friends come vibrantly to life as Shaw's beautifully modulated voice gives each character his or her own pitch and tone. You hear Mr. Knightly chide Emma for her recklessness and "poor Miss Taylor" speculate that Miss Fairfax and Mr. Knightly are "a couple." Their voices come alive entrancingly. Austen's story is wonderful to read, but Fiona Shaw makes it an even greater treat to listen to. I give her narration the highest possible recommendation. Here's to more from Ms. Shaw!
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