...happily ever after (aka: 3 weddings and a baby)
I have finished Emma! And it was lovely! And so much better and involved and funnier and heart-wrenching than the movie! (I know, I know. You're shocked to hear it. *g*)
For example: Based on the movie I'd disliked Frank Churchill. He seemed like a thoughtless boy caught up in his own games and not caring how he affected those around him. But reading about him made for a completely different experience. He was still a bit too enamored of his own cleverness, but I picked up on him thinking Emma had figured it all out waaay before she actually did. (Which made his near-confession scene make a whole lot more sense. And also, hilariously underlined Emma's actual lack of getting... well, anything really.) And that made his behavior a lot more understandable. He thought Emma was an ally and certainly not at risk of falling in love with him.
And the toxic atmosphere of the picnic on Box Hill was so obvious in the book. Frank was practically manic and Emma wasn't too far behind. Which made the lash-out at poor Miss Bates that much uglier. Especially as Emma missed what she'd done until Mr. Knightley let her have it. Regency-style.
Emma definitely earns a place on my "loved books" list, and shoots towards the top of my "favorite Austen" list (duking it out with Pride and Prejudice - a contest that will probably depend a lot on my mood at the time).
I shall close with a link to a lovely review (not mine) in which Emma is compared to math.
For example: Based on the movie I'd disliked Frank Churchill. He seemed like a thoughtless boy caught up in his own games and not caring how he affected those around him. But reading about him made for a completely different experience. He was still a bit too enamored of his own cleverness, but I picked up on him thinking Emma had figured it all out waaay before she actually did. (Which made his near-confession scene make a whole lot more sense. And also, hilariously underlined Emma's actual lack of getting... well, anything really.) And that made his behavior a lot more understandable. He thought Emma was an ally and certainly not at risk of falling in love with him.
And the toxic atmosphere of the picnic on Box Hill was so obvious in the book. Frank was practically manic and Emma wasn't too far behind. Which made the lash-out at poor Miss Bates that much uglier. Especially as Emma missed what she'd done until Mr. Knightley let her have it. Regency-style.
Emma definitely earns a place on my "loved books" list, and shoots towards the top of my "favorite Austen" list (duking it out with Pride and Prejudice - a contest that will probably depend a lot on my mood at the time).
I shall close with a link to a lovely review (not mine) in which Emma is compared to math.