Emma Turns 200
200 years ago this month, Jane Austen published the novel "Emma", a novel set in England about a young, privileged woman named Emma Woodhouse who spends her time arranging what she sees as suitable marriages. When she befriends Harriet Smith, she sees the shy woman as the perfect beneficiary of her efforts. Her matchmaking sets off a chain of misunderstandings that cause Emma to learn that she is not the best person to make decisions about other people's lives.
"Emma" was the last book to be published while Jane Austen was living. While many readers may prefer "Pride and Prejudice" or "Sense and Sensibility," many critics regard "Emma" as Austen's most carefully written novel. Jane Austen warned her readers that Emma was a "heroine who no one but myself will much like." Even though Emma's character is a little manipulative, spoiled and narcissistic, Austen has skillfully created a character that, in spite of her faults, was well intentioned, funny and endearing.
The Complete Novels by Jane Austen
A compilation of Jane Austen's published works including "Sense and Sensibility," "Pride and Prejudice," "Emma" and "Persuasion."
Emma Spin-Offs and Retellings
Emma and Knightley: The Sequel to Jane Austen's Emma by Rachel Billington.
It's a year later, Emma and Knightley are still living at Hartfield, surrounded by the Westons, the Eltons and the Bates family. But as events unfold, the couple must deal with the return of Frank Churchill, now widowed, and Knightley's apparently endless patience is tried by events in his brother's family, as well as his beloved Emma's whims and fancies.
Emma: A Modern Retelling by Alexander McCall Smith
Emma Woodhouse arrives home in Norfolk ready to embark on adult life. Her sister, Isabella, has been whisked away on a motorcycle up to London, and her governess, Miss Taylor is at a loose end, abandoned in the giant family pile, Hartfield, alongside Emma's anxiety-ridden father. Someone is needed to rule the roost and young Emma is more than happy to oblige. But there is only one person who can play with Emma's indestructible confidence, her old friend and inscrutable neighbor George Knightley.
Emma, Mr. Knightley and Chili-Slaw Dogs by Mary Jane Hathway
Caroline Ashley is a journalist on the rise at The Washington Post until the sudden death of her father brings her back to Thorny Hollow to care for her mentally fragile mother and their aging antebellum home. The only respite from the eternal rotation of bridge club meetings and garden parties is her longtime friend, Brooks Elliott.
The Matchmaker by Sarah Price
When Emma's interference in her friends' lives backfires, will the consequences be more than she bargained for? Set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, "The Matchmaker" is an Amish retelling.
Emma: A Latter-Day Tale by Rebecca Jamison
Emma's her name and matchmaking is her game! Quirky life coach Emma wants to help her first-ever client, a lonely nanny named Harriet. But all of her attempts at matchmaking result only in embarrassing miscues and blunders, leaving the pair disheartened and confused.
Books Exploring Jane Austen's Novels
Jane Austen Cover to Cover: 200 Years of Classic Covers
A compilation from two centuries of design showcasing one of the world's most beloved and celebrated novelists. This book contains over 200 images, historical commentary and Jane Austen trivia.
A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me about Love, Friendship and the Things That Really Matter by William Deresiewicz
An Austen scholar turns to the author's novels to reveal the remarkable life lessons hidden within. With humor and candor, Deresiewicz employs his own experiences to demonstrate the enduring power of Austen's teachings.
A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Reasons Why We Can't Stop Reading Jane Austen Edited by Susannah Carson
Why are readers so fascinated by Jane Austen's novels? In essays culled from the last 100 years of criticism, great authors and literary critics of the past and present offer insights into her writing and her unique appeal to readers across generations.
Film Portrayals
Emma A motion picture originally released in 1996 starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Toni Collette.
Emma: A television miniseries released in 1996 starring Kate Beckinsale.
Clueless: A 1990's retelling of Emma about Cher, a matchmaking 15-year-old Beverly Hills High schooler who has shopping and boys on her mind.
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