Reader discussion: Emma

Public reader discussion about Emma in the WeRead Catalog by Jane Austen.

American literature's influence, or lack of, globally?

By cipherSail937

This is mostly for non-US folks, but if anyone has thoughts, I’d love to hear them. How “classic” is American literature really on a global level? Like, sure, tons of books from everywhere get big worldwide—One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Waste-Land, all that. I’m sure some American stuff has crossed over hard too (Moby-Dick, Faulkner, etc.), but I keep wondering how much of it is more of a “native” thing. For example, Whitman is basically a household name here, and most schoolkids read him at some point. But if you said “Whitman” in, say, England, would people immediately connect it to Walt? Same question for Dickinson or Hawthorne or even Uncle Tom’s Cabin—would it ring a bell right away? I also feel like there’s this default assumption that Americans assume their culture is more widely known than it actually is. The US is super varied, so literature can be too, and even inside the States it seems regional sometimes. Like Eudora Welty feels like someone who’s way more popular in the South than elsewhere. I’m American, so it’s hard to tell what’s actually popular outside the US when it’s really easy to go your whole life without leaving your state(s), or even without visiting another country. Curious what you all think.

Booktubers (hope this channel is the right place to ask about this)

By StillCamera4275

Sorry in advance for my English — I really like using YouTube to find new books, and I follow a couple channels that cover the kinds of genres I’m into. But I’m kind of struggling to find booktubers who *don’t* mostly review YA. Like, there’s nothing wrong with YA booktubers at all, I just don’t really enjoy it. Does anyone here have suggestions for booktubers that aren’t focused on YA?

[Discussion] Evergreen | Emma by Jane Austen, Book 2 Chapter 6-15/ Chapters 24-33

By Superuser

Oh wow, it feels like we just saw each other and it’s already been a week—so I guess it’s time to see what’s going on with the folks in Highbury. If anyone wants it, here’s the schedule, plus the marginal notes. There’s also a summary over on LitCharts. Extras: - Broadwood pianos - Robin Adair apparently played on Jane Austen’s piano? Also, there’s that “Elegy Written in a Church Graveyard” thing. Next week we’re doing Book 2 Chapter 16 through Book 3 Chapter 8, or alternatively Chapters 34–44. The questions are in the comments.

I got a copy of The Jane Austen Book Club for Christmas from my mom and have yet to read any Jane Austen. Should I read this book first, or some of her classic works first?

By drifts-teacup2

I’ve been reading a bunch of classic stuff lately, so my mom grabbed this for me and even threw in the movie version. I don’t actually have any Jane Austen in my collection yet, and now I’m kinda wondering if I should learn more about her first before I start.

Can a piece of literature ever be truly timeless, or is it just a product of its era?

By FootnoteNarrow1983

Lately I’ve been thinking about whether books can really move past when they were written and still feel relevant to people years later. Like, do some stories just keep connecting no matter the time period, or is every book basically stuck with the culture and history it came out of, so future readers just won’t get the same thing? I lean toward thinking a lot of literature won’t be understood the same way by later generations, but I’m not sure that automatically makes it pointless or less important once time passes. It kind of comes down to “universal stuff vs. specific-to-its-era stuff,” and whether truly great writing can still say something about the same kinds of human experiences—or if it’s forever tied to its original place and moment. Also, what books do you think are actually “timeless”? And are there any you hope will turn timeless over time? On the flip side, what do you think will eventually feel dated? Edit: I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s answers, even the rougher ones—thanks for all the different takes! :)

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub… what a struggle.

By StrangeMoose1998

My friend was really into this one, and I thought it sounded promising too, but wow… I’m struggling to get through it. Does anyone else feel like this story is just painfully boring? I’m like 80% done and I keep waiting for it to turn a corner, but it’s not. At this point the ending feels pretty obvious, unless there’s some crazy twist. Also, I couldn’t get over the part where she’s having sex with 16-year-old Tommy while she’s sort of “in” the headspace of a 40-year-old woman. That whole setup just really didn’t sit right with me. Curious what everyone else thought of the book.

Short book club books!

By happyhawk

I run a book club and we usually pick stuff under 300 pages. Lately, the books we’ve chosen have felt kind of boring, and we don’t really have much to talk about. Any recommendations for short books (<300 pages) that are actually interesting and lead to good discussion? We had one of our best conversations after reading *Crying in H Mart*. Thanks!

Would you recommend Jane Austen's Emma to an anti-Austen reader?

By ProudPocket3

I’ve never really been into Jane Austen. Most of what I’ve read/seen just felt kind of boring to me, so I’ve mostly avoided her stuff. I haven’t read *Emma* though, and I keep seeing really good reviews for it, so now I’m wondering if it might actually be the kind of thing I like. But I also don’t want to waste my time if it’s still going to feel dull. I’m asking because I’m currently juggling three other books, and once I finish one, I want to pick something new without ending up stuck in another slow read. So—does *Emma* end up being worth it?

Review of "The Girls" by Emma Cline

By hareStill1977

Emma Cline’s debut with *The Girls* absolutely blew me away. I knew it was kind of inspired by the whole Manson-cult thing in California in the late 60s, but it still felt really unsettling in the best way. It was dark and gripping, and I kept catching myself wanting to hear Evie’s version of everything firsthand. The way it starts is creepy right from the moment Evie (she’s 14) spots the girls in the park. You can tell something’s off, but you also get why she can’t stop staring and why she ends up getting pulled in. She’s already dealing with a lot—her parents are splitting up, and she gets betrayed by her childhood best friend—so it makes total sense that she’s quietly desperate for somewhere to belong. And yeah, that need basically just leads her straight into the ranch world. As the summer drags on, Evie gets more involved, starts messing with the psychedelic stuff, and even ends up breaking into places and stealing just to help Suzanne. Then the book starts showing you more about Suzanne through flashbacks, and it’s like… oh, so she’s tied up in the horrific murders that kick off around a semi-famous musician’s house. Suzanne almost becomes Evie’s “guide,” and there’s this awkward, growing sense of something more between them. That’s part of why Evie doesn’t want to leave even when they get caught and she’s sent to live with her dad in Palo Alto. But even after she runs away to find Suzanne again, tags along on some secret thing Russell sends them on, and even after Suzanne basically kicks her out of the car, Evie still can’t shake the pull she feels toward her. The morning the news about a gruesome murder comes out, Evie’s back at her dad’s place feeling totally wrecked, but still trapped in the memory of Suzanne. The rest of the story is basically her trying to rebuild her life and move on from that summer that wrecked everything. I seriously can’t give this book enough credit. The writing is super vivid and detailed, and it makes that era feel real, but it also has its own momentum because Cline changes some things from what you already know. I’d give *The Girls* five out of five wine glasses, and I’m already impatiently waiting for whatever she does next.

I really enjoyed Emma by Jane Austen, but I might DNF Pride and Prejudice - would love some advice

By luckywindow1990

I’d love some advice on whether I should keep going, based on where I’m at. I really liked *Emma*—the writing felt strong, and I enjoyed the messy, imperfect characters and how their choices cause all kinds of trouble (Emma meddling especially got me). Now I’ve started *Pride and Prejudice*. I’m only at the part where Elizabeth goes to visit Jane at Mr Bingley’s house because Jane caught a cold, so I’m not far in yet. Right now I’m kind of on the fence. I’ve got a huge TBR, and if a book doesn’t grab me pretty quickly, I usually end up dropping it. My main issue so far is that *Pride and Prejudice* feels like it’s moving faster than *Emma*. The chapters seem shorter and more punchy, and there’s a lot of new people being introduced and sort of summed up quickly. It doesn’t really hang around to let you sit with what’s going on. With *Emma*, it felt like it lingered more on the conversations and the whole vibe with a smaller group. Like, I was a bit thrown by how quickly we hear that Darcy doesn’t really care for Lizzie, and then it feels like he’s already shifting his opinion. So does the book stay this fast paced the whole way through, or does it slow down at some point and get more into the characters, their thoughts, and their conversations? If it ends up doing more of that later, I’ll stick with it.

The Girls - Emma Cline

By beansparrow

A few people kept recommending this to me, saying it was really strong at showing the world through the eyes of a 14-year-old girl who’s kind of floating through the aftermath of a really awful family situation. Her mom is far away and doesn’t exactly help things, so Evie just gets stuck trying to deal with all of it. Then summer break hits and she ends up getting drawn in when she spots Suzanne, this cult’s main girl, hanging around town. Evie’s basically mesmerized by her, and before she knows it she’s hooked by Russell and Guy too, joining them at their messy little house they use as the cult base. Watching how the cult members are trying to survive, Evie really throws herself into their world… and yeah, the stuff in here might make some people uncomfortable with the language and the way it ends. But I honestly found it kind of refreshing. It’s coming-of-age, but not the usual “teen angst” version—more like it shoves her into a bunch of situations you’d think she had any control over, and then she doesn’t. What really got me was the last stretch when Evie starts realizing what Russell and Suzanne want is shifting. Even knowing how it all turns out from modern-day perspectives, her helplessness still hits hard. I’d say this is a must-read.

[Announcement] Evergreen | Emma by Jane Austen

By curious-pages

Seems like it’s basically a given that everyone here loves Jane Austen and is always trying to fit in another read of hers! We’re kicking off one of her most talked-about books in March, right after *If on a winter’s night a traveler is wrapped*, so keep an eye out for the schedule. Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors, so I’m honestly really excited to go through this with you all. Are you joining us? Goodreads page Also, I keep seeing people call *Emma* the best of the best—this funny, romantic story about love and marriage. Emma Woodhouse is rich and single and totally happy with her life, until she starts getting way too involved in everyone else’s relationships. Even when Mr. Knightley warns her to slow down, she tries to set up Harriet Smith anyway… and it all goes sideways in ways she didn’t expect. The heroine is supposed to be imperfect but pretty lovable, and there’s a lot of sharp but subtle stuff about relationships.

“As a middle-aged man, I would’ve saved loads on therapy if I’d read Baby-Sitters Club books as a kid” - article

By Bottle66

This was a really interesting piece about how gender kind of shapes what books people are “supposed” to read, and all the weird little taboos around it. I’m curious if anyone else has gone into a series even though it was aimed way outside what you’d expect for you, and how it actually turned out. Did it feel fun, or did it get kind of awkward weird?

Emma - Jane Austen

By paperbackcougar1984

I don’t have some super deep literary analysis or anything, but these were just the thoughts that kept popping into my head while I was reading. I’m curious what everyone else thinks too! - Austen is honestly hilarious. A lot of the jokes still land, and the way she slips them in kind of casually, with that dry, wry tone, makes it feel way more lifelike than I expected. - The voices of the characters are so clear. Like, you could grab a random line of dialogue and pretty easily tell who it belongs to, and that feels like a big deal to me. - Emma is such a compelling character. Watching her grow without losing what makes her her is really satisfying. I like that she’s proud of herself but still genuinely cares about other people, and it feels real. Also, she’s basically the kind of personality trait a lot of people try to ignore in themselves… and I find that relatable in a weird way. - I thought the whole class/social setup was really interesting. Austen doesn’t do society critique in the same loud way Dickens does, but I still feel like there’s plenty to talk about with how the non-genteel characters get treated. Like, it’s not the main theme, but it’s there. - It’s way more readable than some older classics. I’m used to the writing style in general, but Austen specifically feels easier to get through. That said, it’s not just “light”—there are moments that really hit, and I definitely paused and re-read some passages because they were that good. - The ending is the part I’m still stuck on. I could tell where it was going, but I don’t totally love how it plays out. I get that everything’s totally different back then, but I kinda wish Emma had stayed single. It also doesn’t seem like she really works through her feelings about Harriet and Knightley, though maybe that’s the point? I’m not far from being done, so I might just need a little time for it to settle. Anyway, thanks for reading—would love to hear what you all thought!

so, I'm going to read 100 "classic" books, and To Kill a Mockingbird was the first on the list

By annotationcrescent

Okay but yeah, it was actually really good. I was hyped to read it since I kept hearing people bring up Boo Radley. That said, I was kinda let down by how it ended. I’m wondering if I set my expectations a little too early just from what I’d already heard. I will say I really liked Atticus though, so now I guess I just need a calm, well-behaved pet to name after him 😅 Next up I’m going with Pride and Prejudice! Also, this was just me posting casually at first and it somehow turned into way more comments than I expected. I’m reading a bunch of them, but honestly I might be spending my time better just reading a book. I am still taking note of the recommendations, though.

What’s the best obscure book you’ve read this year?

By WalletRed

When I say “obscure,” I just mean something you basically never see people chatting about. Bonus points if it has like under 100 reviews. Mine was *Jo Who Died*. It follows a family where all the kids share the same name, and the whole thing is told through one of the daughters—who has since died—basically recounting her mum’s life. I finished it in one go. It’s pretty short, but it’s still an easy read, and somehow it still deals with really heavy stuff like addiction and grief. Also, it’s genuinely funny at points, which sounds weird given the topics, but it works. The vibe felt a little like *Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine* and *The Curious Incident…*—not in plot, just in how the voice feels. Only complaint: near the end there’s a section that drags compared to the rest. Nothing awful, it’s just that the earlier parts were so good that the slowdown stood out. I think I was equally invested in the dead daughter’s side of things as I was in the mum’s, so when the mum’s storyline got way more attention, it made the other part feel a bit less even. Still, the final chapter was really beautiful and kind of heartbreaking. I sobbed. I mostly picked it up because a friend ARC’d it, so now I’m wondering what other great books I’ve totally missed. What are yours?

Question about Emma by Jane Austen

By StoneWrites2004

I guess this is a spoiler-y question, sorry. Does the book actually get better? I’m only in book one, around chapter twelve, and I’m really not having a good time. I’m tempted to DNF, which I almost never do. Emma is coming off super arrogant and kind of manipulative to me, and I really hate her dad’s whole vibe—everything he says just feels miserable. I usually read for fun and also to get something out of it, but I don’t want to slog through forty-something more chapters if it’s just more misery. Without spoilers, does it improve?