Emma

Dive into a world of romance, village life and even a little silliness in Jane Austen's timeless novel.

Despite the fact that Jane Austen set out to write a story with heroine whom she said that "no one but myself will much like," Emma has resonated with readers since its original publication in 1815 and has been retold many times for television and movies.

Self-satisfied Emma Woodhouse thinks she is above romance of any kind, but when she decides she is a great matchmaker and sets out to find a wealthy husband for her friend, the sweet yet pitiable Harriet Smith, she crosses paths with the charming Mr. Knightley. Even though Emma tries to ignore her feelings for him, she ends up marrying him and realizes that "Perfect happiness, even in memory, is not common."

Beyond the romance, Emma is full of humor and wit and is also a commentary on upper-class social manners at the turn of the nineteenth century. The title character herself, rather you love her or hate her, is both inescapably self-delusional and rather fun to imagine.

Complete and unabridged, this elegantly designed, clothbound edition features an elastic closure and a new introduction by Alison Fraser.

Jane Austen was born in 1775 at Steventon, Hampshire. She was the seventh child of the local rector and her life, by modern standards, was uneventful. In 1801 she moved with her parents to Bath but returned to Hampshire when her father died, settling in the village of Chawton. She remained there until 1817, when she moved to Winchester to be within easy reach of her doctor. She died that year, at age forty-one, and is buried in Winchester Cathedral, which also contains a plaque in honor of her memory. Four of her novels were published anonymously in her lifetime; two more, one of which was Persuasion, appeared posthumously.

Alison Fraser is a PhD candidate in the Department of English at the University of Buffalo, where she teaches courses on literature and film and curates the Helen Adam Digital Collection for the University Libraries.