Welcome back! In today’s post I’m going to dive deeper into one of my favorite books at the moment; ‘Emma’.

Emma is a novel written by Jane Austen and published in the year 1815. It is divided into three volumes and it tells the story of Emma Woodhouse, a young woman whose trust in her matchmaking abilities lead to several misadventures. Emma is quite overconfident and believes she is never wrong, normally this kind of quality would be extremely irritating in a character but I found that Austen tells her story in such a way that you realize Emma has no ill intentions and her matches are made out of genuine concern and affection; she recognizes how privileged she is to not have to marry and wants her friends to achieve happiness in their own station.

My favorite character in this book was actually Emma’s father; Henry Woodhouse; he is extremely eccentric and provides a unique kind of comedy throughout the novel with his complaints about slight breezes and wedding cake. Weirdly enough, I believe he is a revolutionary character. During the time period, ‘Emma’ is set in, it was uncommon for women to not marry and it would normally be their own father who arranged matches for them but here, Mr. Woodhouse has no intention of marrying Emma off and regards her as an important member in the family and society -he respects her- and believes she is free to make her own choices.

Moreover, I believe that this book showcases the theme of friendship wonderfully. I will center on the main friendship that the book explores; Emma Woodhouse and Harriet Smith. Mrs. Smith is a young girl who resides in the boarding school of the town, her parentage is unknown except for the fact she is a lord’s daughter. Emma initially takes Harriet under her wing as a ‘project’ to prove just how proficient she is at match-making. As the story progresses the reader appreciates the connection that they develop up to the point that Emma does not believe anyone is good enough for her friend. Their social difference does not deter them from seeing each other as equals and recognizing the qualities they each possess.

There have been many adaptations of this literary work but my favorites are ‘Clueless’ (1995) and ‘Emma’ (2020). The first one is a movie that adapts the story into a modern setting, it follows a teenage drama/coming of age story with characters and storylines inspired by the novel in a satirical style. For example, the main character is named Cher (Played by Alicia Silverstone) and she tries to help the new girl in school, Tai (Played by Brittany Murphy), fit in and date a popular boy. The original story translates surprisingly well and the result is a fun comedy worth watching.

On the other hand, ‘Emma’ (2020) is an adaptation that stays true to the book. It relates Emma’s story with literary and historical accuracy. This film’s cinematography is one of the best I have seen to date. This movie does not significantly change the original story or dialogues but it does translate it to film in a way that feels dynamic and witty. The main character is played by Anya Taylor-Joy and her performance really depicts Emma as the book portrays her; she is overconfident and stubborn but her only goal is to ensure her friend’s happy ending.

This book explores friendship, love, and family through the lens of a young girl still discovering herself and her flaws. It is a beautiful story told flawlessly.