Emma by Jane Austen

[King Bob]

I thought I would re-read this since there is a movie coming out early next year, and I have to say I couldn't really remember much of it - although I do remember Legally Blonde (despite my growing dislike of Reese Witherspoon). The movie with Gwenneth (sp?) Paltrow was bad, but in a way she was perfect for Emma, since both she and Emma are shallow and self-centered.

So I'm only halfway finished, but I have things to say, so I thought I'd post. I think this is the weird Jane Austen book. You could say it's kind of a spoof of her other books. Several of the main characters are somewhat unlikeable, including Emma, who is shallow and spoiled. But one might just see it as upping the ante of the other books, since there is always some misunderstanding at the center of her plots. Here the question of perception vs. reality is explicit and central. Anyway I'm finding it slow going, and only reading a bit at a time.

Will update this when I finish.

[King Bob]

So finally finished and have to say it's my least favorite Austen book. As I said above, it can bee seen as a culmination of the earlier books, since the question of perception vs. reality is central to the whole thing, and it's coming from several directions at once - but the book was less enjoyable to me. She did accomplish the feat of making Emma go from ridiculous to reasonably likeable in the course of the book, which is something. I found it hard to get started, but after about a third it picked up and went smoothly.