Emma: Novel Review By Grace Bertram
REVIEW: by Grace Bertram Jane Austen’s Emma is an ongoing delight today, just as when it was penned two centuries ago and first published in 1816. Snugly fitted into the novel genre, EMMA’s various subgenres are proof of the writer’s multi-talented genius. Ronald Blythe described EMMA as “the happiest of love stories, the most fiendishly difficult of detective stories and a matchless repository of English wit.” The narrative structure of Emma is strictly linear - from start to finish, we see events unfold in a chronological order. As with all Austen’s works, the brilliance of the story lies in the strength of character development. It’s been said that the reason why Jane Austen’s books have stood the test of time is because they are more about the people than the events - events change, but people are still the same. This means that her character arcs, poignant messages, witty irony and humourous satire are largely relevant even today. We can all learn something from Austen’s chara