When her former governess finds happiness as the bride of a local widower, the brilliant and beautiful Emma Woodhouse — one of Jane Austen's immortal creations — flatters herself that she alone has secured the marriage and that she possesses a special talent for bringing lovers together. The young heiress next busies herself with finding a suitable husband for her friend and protégé, Harriet Smith, setting off an entertaining sequence of comic mishaps and misunderstanding in this sparkling comedy of English-village romance. Beneath its considerable wit, the novel is also the story of a young woman's progress toward self-understanding.
Emma abounds in the droll character sketches at which Jane Austen excelled. In addition to the well-intentional heroine and her hypochondriacal father, the village of Highbury during the Regency period is populated by an amusing circle of friends and family — kindhearted but tedious Miss Bates, a chatterbox spinster; ambitious Mr. Elton, a social-climbing parson; Frank Churchill, an enigmatic Romeo; Mr. Knightley, Emma's brother-in-law and the voice of her better nature; and a cluster of other finely drawn, unforgettable personalities.
The author's skill at depicting the follies of human nature in a manner both realistic and affectionate elevates this tale of provincial matchmaking to the heights of scintillating satire. A classic of English literature that has delighted readers since its 1816 publication, the novel is now available in this high-quality, inexpensive edition sure to charm a new generation.
- American Crime & Thriller Writers
- Amish Romance
- Armchair Athletes
- Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City
- Aye Write! 2019
- Aye Write! 2020
- Aye Write 2021
- Aye Write 2022 Fiction
- Aye Write 2022 Non-fiction
- BBC - The Novels That Shaped Our World
- Big Jubilee Read
- A Bit of Light Relief
- Book Week Scotland 2021
- See all
- A little romance
- Audio Featured Author - Anne Tyler
- ...and relax
- Laugh loudly and often!
- Newly Added Audiobooks
- Science Fiction
- Staff Recommends
- Travel Through Time - Historical Fiction audiobooks
- 20th Century Classics
- Masters of Suspense
- Try Something Different
- MORE LIKE: Karin Slaughter
- Top 100 Audiobooks 2019
- See all