I have picked up Emma again. I do this frequently, opening it to favourite scenes when I do not feel like rereading it in its entirety. A chapter before bed one day, another completely different one the next night and I am well set for another few Emma-less weeks. It is rare that a month goes by without me making at least one foray into its pages. I do not need to be reminded of what comes before or after to delight in the Weston’s Christmas party, to be both horrified and amused by Mrs Elton, or to blush with and for Emma over her behaviour at Box Hill.
Part of the delight of reading Speaking Jane Austen by Sheila Kaye-Smith and G.B. Stern recently was that they share my high opinion of Emma; I finally found a book about Austen that lavishes enough praise and attention on my favourite book to satisfy even me. They find enjoyment in contemplating the fates of their favourite characters and, goodness knows, like G.B. Stern I have spent enough (and probably will spend many more) nights lying in bed, trying to fall asleep, worrying about how poor, dear, exasperating Mr Woodhouse handled his daughter’s marriage:
I was lying awake and worrying over my personal life and affairs, when a semi-conscious longing arose to worry my mind instead, over something which need not worry me at all. Which sent me pondering on the life of Emma and Mr Knightley when they were married and lived, according to plan, with Mr Woodhouse at Hartfield. How did it work out, especially for Mr Knightley? (I wish he may not sink into “poor Knightley” at once.) How much did he linger at Donwell regretting that he could not live there with his young wife, master in his own home like other men? How soon came the first row, when Knightley forgot the respect due to his father-in-law? And on whose side was Emma then? Did Mr Woodhouse continue to insist on “wholesome” meals and “reasonable” hours? Was it gruel, gruel everywhere and not a drop to drink? Did he fuss in and out of season over possible damp airs in the warm evenings when husband and wife lingered where the sitting-room fire could not oppress them? – “but it is never safe to sit out of doors, my dear.”
No careless joy for them without loving reproaches and timid warnings of disaster. And who sat with Mr Woodhouse and soothed his fears, while his beloved daughter was bearing her first child (that knock-out for little Henry as Donwell’s heir)? Was that, too, to be demanded of Mr Knightley in the name of duty?
Oh, Miss Austen, it was not a good solution; it was a bad solution, an unhappy ending could we see beyond the last pages of the book. There was no solution here for the most ingenious novelist except a gentle painless death-in-his-sleep for dear old Mr Woodhouse.
…So there I lay, and worried over them.
I love Mr Woodhouse, Emma and Mr Knightley as I love no other characters in literature. To me, Emma will always be a perfect book and there are few reading pleasures as great as revisiting it.
I wish I could share your love. I had ‘Emma’ destroyed for me by a careless ‘A’ level teacher. It was a standing joke in our house that it took me almost a year to batter my way through it. Over forty years later it is the only one of Austen’s books that I don’t love and the only one to which I never voluntarily return.
Oh no, Alex! I am happy to say that I have never had any books ruined for me by a teacher but I am angry on your behalf that you had such a bad experience, especially since it made you never want to try reading it again.
Almost you persuade me to try Emma.
Only *almost*? I must work harder then! 😉
I have never tried to read Emma. In fact I have only ever read one Austen. I am determined to read more this year!
Austen is one of my greatest loves, Marg, so I do hope you read more of her, this year or any year!
I have never been able to read Emma. It was our ‘set’ book for O-Level English at my grammar school in the late 1950s. Having to read a classic book, especially a book written for adults which children are obviously not, put me off reading it forever. I still can’t read it. I love other Austen books but not this one. I can’t read David Copperfield for the same reason … we read this out loud in class and I became nervous when I could see my turn looming and I prayed that the bell would ring before the teacher stopped the person before me and asked me to continue. I would lose my place, stammer over words that in the normal course of events I have no problem with. Reading out loud in class was my worst nightmare (well, not quite as bad as having to do gym, which filled me with horror!) It’s all very well to imbue children with the love of the classics, but perhaps more suitable books should be considered. In those days, our English teachers were free to choose whichever set books they could find with sufficint copies in the store cupboard for all class members. I expect today the children would be expected to find a paperback copy themselves!
I completely disagree about teenagers being too young for Austen (or teenagers being more like children than adults) but I am so sorry that studying this is school ruined it for you. The only Austen we ever studied in school was Pride and Prejudice when I was fifteen; we all loved it but by that point I had already read and fallen in love with several of Austen’s other books (including Emma) so there was no chance, even if we hadn’t had an extraordinarily wonderful teacher, that I wasn’t going to adore it. I did share your hatred of reading aloud, though in my case it was more because I thought it took up too much time that could have been spent discussing the book rather than from any fear of performing in front of the class!
PS Sorry, as with Alex, this was my A-level set book. The Trumpet Major was the O-level set book. For that I simply listened in class to what was discussed. I never read the blimmin’ book. But I passed my O-level English Lit exam nonetheles!
The Trumpet Major seems an obscure choice but at least it was somewhat cheerful compared to Hardy’s most famous novels!
I think the nicest thing about having read all the Janes is that I can read them again now the way you are — dipping in and out, and not missing a thing! I’ve been thinking that I should leave a book on the kitchen counter, and not my laptop!!, and read even a page or two with my morning coffee. Wouldn’t that be a great way to start the day?
A perfect way to start the day! I have always been an early riser, which has given me many delightful hours of early morning reading over the years. Nothing makes the working day ahead more palatable than a chapter or two of a great book at the start of the day!
Just to remind you you’re not alone, Claire: I have read Emma twice, on my own ticket, and I like it very much.
*****
Have I shared here the time I went to see the Gwyneth Paltrow movie, and was surprised my partner wanted to come with me. Norman? Wanting to see a Jane Austen movie?
The credits begin, and he whispers, “This looks old….”
Me: Yes, it’s Emma. Jane Austen.
Norman: Oh. I thought it was about Emma Goldman.
Hahaha, I love that story, Susan. I was taken to see the 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility in theatres but was only nine at the time and far too young to have any interest in what was going on. I do remember being impressed by the curliness of the Dashwood sisters’ hair, though…
I often reread Emma too; it’s one of my favorites. But do you really think that it would have been so hard for Emma and Mr. Knightley to live with Mr. Woodhouse? They both seem to manage him so well before they get married. I do feel bad for little Henry, though.
I think it would have been frustrating at first, definitely. Mr Woodhouse, delightful though he is, worries over everything and tries to prevent everyone from doing the quite harmless things they wish to. No one on earth can handle him as well as Emma, but I fear Mr Knightley might have felt the strain. And how did Emma, whose attentions were always so focused on her father, juggle her affection with him with her desire to spend time alone with her husband? Nevermind what might have happened once she began having children…
I love Emma and re-read bits much in the same way as you do. Whereas Miss Bates if terribly irritating is nevertheless loveable, I’ve never liked Mr Woodhouse very much I must admit. Still I think Emma and Mr Knightley together would manage him very well!
I adore both Miss Bates and Mr Woodhouse but have to say that living with either of them would drive me mad! Emma is a far, far better woman than me for being able to do so.
Wow! I can hardly wait to dig in to all my newly purchased Austens!
You have such treats in store, Belle!
Emma is definitely one that has risen in time for me (I did not like it at all when I first read it in my early twenties). I doubt it will ever top Persuasion or Pride & Prejudice for me, but who knows.
And I agree it is perhaps the best one to visit in bits and pieces, although I’ve never tried that. Plus, with Clueless, it has one of the best modern resettings I’ve ever seen for a classic.
Persuasion is a close second for me, but Emma wins for having the most captivating supporting cast. For all of Persuasion‘s brilliance, it does fall apart a little with secondary characters who never quite achieve believability. Anne, though, is perfection.
I think Emma is the novel of all the Austens that best rewards rereading. I adore it, despite studying it for A level (luckily I had a fabulous teacher) and like you, I dip in and out often. I am loving these Sheila Kaye-Smith quotes…Claire, you are causing me to want to buy more books very badly right now!
I think I would put Persuasion and Mansfield Park up there too, Rachel. For me, Emma is the one I have the most fun reading but the other two are equally fascinating and I seem always to appreciate something new each time I reread them. I’ll never like Edmund or Fanny in MP but there is so much to love and admire about the rest of the book. And Persuasion, well, you of all people know how perfect that is!
To give credit where it is due, this quote is actually from G.B. Stern but Sheila Kaye-Smith’s contributions to the book are just as delightful. I have pages and pages of quotes from both of them that I want to share with everyone. Expect many Austen-themed posts this year!
Lovely!
Would you believe that I have only read Emma once, and that was ten years ago? But I still loved reading SKS and GBS talk about it.
What?!? Simon, why? How? And, again, why? Still, glad to hear you could enjoy SKS and GBS’s thoughts on it.
I am currently reading Emma for the first time (though I am familiar with the movie versions). I had never thought about the way Mr. Woodhouse took Emma’s marriage. Interesting point!
Oh, to be reading it for the first time! I love it more with every rereading but there is nothing quite as joyous as reading those lines for the first time, discovering every neat turn of phrase, every perfect exchange of dialogue. I am intensely jealous.
I think that ‘Emma’ is the perfect novel!! Not one word of it could be changed to improve it in any way. I read it at least once a year and I adore it more every single time.
I have just written a book called ‘Happily Ever After: Celebrating Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice’. I adore P & P and I loved every minute of writing my book, but ‘Emma’ is still my favourite novel in the world.
I have read both of GB Stern and Sheila Kaye-Smith’s books about Jane Austen and so enjoyed them (I refer to them in my book). Reading their books is like having conversations with good friends about Jane Austen’s characters. However, I did not know Sheila Kaye-Smith had written a book called ‘All the Books of my Life’ so will try and find copy of that straight away as it sounds wonderful! Thanks for informing me of its existence.
We are in complete agreement then, Susannah! Each line, each word is perfect.
Having now written about P&P, is there any chance of you writing about Emma? The world could use more books about Emma!
I would adore to write a book about 200 years of ‘Emma’. However, I think my publisher would feel there is not enough of a market for it. ‘Persuasion’ is always voted the 2nd most popular Austen novel after ‘ P & P’, so that might be the other book I write to celebrate a bi-centenary.
Can I suggest that those who have been put off an Austen novel at school try listening to that novel on an unabridged audio version. It is easy to find audio books in libraries. If read by a fine English actor, they are sheer delight to listen to. Listening to Prunella Scales reading ‘Emma’ was one of the great pleasures of my life!
I will settle for a book on Persuasion, if I must. 😉
I really like your suggestion about the audiobooks for people who have been put off Emma. It was actually the first book I ever listened to as an audiobook, though I listened to the Juliet Stevenson edition.
It’s not my favourite Austen but Emma has a corner of my heart because of the problem ending, without Emma Austen always let the heroine’s happy ending save the day rather than show a hint of possible discord. Speaking Jane Austen sounds really interesting, I wonder how I’d never heard of it before? 🙂
It is interesting that you see it as a problem ending, Alex. With Mr Woodhouse as the only barrier to “the perfect happiness of the union”, I think their happy ending is assured (though not without a few tiresome arugments over gruel, I’d imagine).
Talking of Jane Austen/Speaking of Jane Austen has been out of print for seventy-odd years so it is not all that surprising that you haven’t heard of it. There are so many wonderful books and pamphlets about Jane Austen out there that have sadly never been reissued (Margaret Kennedy and Sylvia Townsend Warner’s writings included).
A household favorite here – even among the teenagers. 🙂 The girls and I pulled out the 2009 version of the movie last weekend just to “bask” in it while the boys were away. And, to our great surprise dh quoted it in his sermon Sunday. It was quite the serendipitous weekend.
What a nice girls’ weekend, Susan! The 2009 miniseries aired while I was sick with appendicitis so was timed perfectly; too sick to focus on books, it was the perfect distraction for me. I still love it and have been thinking about pulling it out this weekend for a rewatch.
Matthew Crawley must feel something similar (to Mr. Knightly) living at Downton Abbey.
Perhaps. I think the real difference is that Mr Knightley has a home and estate of his own, one that remains an everyday part of his life even after he marries and moves to Hartfield, and one he hopes to return to after Mr Woodhouse’s eventual death. Matthew only has Downton.
_Emma_ is one of my favourites too, and I have also worried about precisely what Kaye-Smith is worrying about there. Also, I have worried that Emma would be a terrible mother (because it’s not like she’s going to stop contriving plans) and Mr Woodhouse an appalling grandfather (because it’s not like he’s going to stop fussing). This puts rather a burden on poor dear Mr Knightley. It’s funny how everyone writes P&P sequels but nobody has done _Emma: The Next Generation_.
I wish there were more Emma sequels and spin-offs! There seem to be only a handful and they are truly awful.
I am not worried about Emma as a mother. I think (like any parent) she will have plans for her children and will be sad when things do not go according to them but I think that will be it. By the end of the novel she is no longer the girl who thinks she can know and control everything. On the other hand, I completely agree about Mr Woodhouse being a tiresome grandfather. It was bad enough when his grandchildren were only visiting from London but just think how worried he shall always be for Emma and Mr Knightley’s children, living in his house!
Emma’s my favorite of the Jane Austen books, I think, but I too wish she had had a better ending. Living with Mr. Woodhouse would be awful! Just awful. For Emma and for Mr. Knightley. Though Mr. Knightley is also not my favorite of the Austen heroes.
Emma is the member of the trio I worry about the least; after all, she has spent her whole life living under her father’s roof and knows how to handle all of his moods. Still, the competition for her attention between her father, her husband, and eventually her children could be very difficult!
Alas, Emma has never been my favourite Jane, largely because of my uncharitable suspicions that after his marriage and forced cohabitation Mr Knightley might very well slowly but surely turn into his father-in-law. Any Jane however remains my very favourite re-reading material, an apparently inexhaustible pleasure, as you say.
(Obviously the dream conclusion would be Emma and Mr Knightley combining their formidable matchmaking powers to entangle Miss Bates and Mr Woodhouse and all concerned living Happily Ever After… no?)
Interesting. I don’t feel that way at all. Mr Knightley’s sense of humour is far too good for him to ever turn into a Mr Woodhouse-like neurotic.
And as for a match between Miss Bates and Mr Woodhouse…no. Just, no. I can’t imagine anything more horrifying!
Claire, I just found your blog and have enjoyed it so much, especially after realizing that you also love Emma. Like you, I reread portions of the novel on a regular basis. There is so much insight and wisdom in the book, every character is so clearly drawn and so easy to find the parallel person in our own lives. And as for romance–the proposal scene never fails. Thank you–I look forward to reading future posts.
Welcome, Kim! I am so glad you found your way here and that I have another Emma-loving reader.
Oh, I love it when I know a book so well that I can pick it up, read any passage and know exactly what came before and what comes next. Emma is one the books that I can do this and so is Pride and Prejudice and Northanger Abbey. I haven’t read Speaking Jane Austen, but you got me interested enough!