Jane Austen is one of my favorites. She just wrote so well, and was witty and charming, all while showing how human her characters were and could be.
Emma has always been a great book, but I have to say that Pride and Prejudice is my favorite Austen book. I know those characters much better than I know most of her others, which is why I liked reading Knightley's perspective of the whole affair.
Emma Woodhouse, for those not familiar with the original story, is a young 20-something year old girl who feels and thinks that she knows best regarding everything. She's a matchmaker in the community, even though she hasn't had such great experience with it. George Knightley is her neighbor, oldest friend and brother-in-law. Mr. Knightley's Diary is the story of Emma told from his perspective.
It's been a little while since I've read Emma , and I had somewhat forgotten how self-centered and self-contained she is. I had also forgotten how Mr. Knightley feels it within his duty to bring her back down to Earth. Honestly, at different points of the novel, I was exasperated with one (or both!) of them for something that they said or did.
Generally with Emma, it was at the usual parts where she felt that she knew better than most. However, reading Knightley's take on the whole thing, I was somewhat put out with him for feeling that she was getting too many compliments, and as such, he must remind her that she was human. No one likes a Debbie Downer. It was nice when Knightley finally realized he was in love with Emma (with a little wink, wink, nudge, nudge) from other characters. He finally started to see her for all of her, including those faults that he had previously found somewhat annoying.
What was great about reading the book from Knightley's point of view was to see and judge the characters the way that he saw and judged them. Harriet when from someone who was always around in an annoying fashion to someone, he felt, who had bettered herself. Miss Bates and Mrs. Bates, while somewhat chatty all the time, were people he felt the need to check in on, protect, and care for. John, Knightley's brother, who I have never really felt as I have gotten to know, was much more fleshed out for me. His crabbiness and Mr. Woodhouse's dire outlook were funny to me, especially when they competed for Isabella's attentions.
All in all a good book. Anyone who has read Emma would like to read this book, as it gives the reader the whole story.
Emma has always been a great book, but I have to say that Pride and Prejudice is my favorite Austen book. I know those characters much better than I know most of her others, which is why I liked reading Knightley's perspective of the whole affair.
Emma Woodhouse, for those not familiar with the original story, is a young 20-something year old girl who feels and thinks that she knows best regarding everything. She's a matchmaker in the community, even though she hasn't had such great experience with it. George Knightley is her neighbor, oldest friend and brother-in-law. Mr. Knightley's Diary is the story of Emma told from his perspective.
It's been a little while since I've read Emma , and I had somewhat forgotten how self-centered and self-contained she is. I had also forgotten how Mr. Knightley feels it within his duty to bring her back down to Earth. Honestly, at different points of the novel, I was exasperated with one (or both!) of them for something that they said or did.
Generally with Emma, it was at the usual parts where she felt that she knew better than most. However, reading Knightley's take on the whole thing, I was somewhat put out with him for feeling that she was getting too many compliments, and as such, he must remind her that she was human. No one likes a Debbie Downer. It was nice when Knightley finally realized he was in love with Emma (with a little wink, wink, nudge, nudge) from other characters. He finally started to see her for all of her, including those faults that he had previously found somewhat annoying.
What was great about reading the book from Knightley's point of view was to see and judge the characters the way that he saw and judged them. Harriet when from someone who was always around in an annoying fashion to someone, he felt, who had bettered herself. Miss Bates and Mrs. Bates, while somewhat chatty all the time, were people he felt the need to check in on, protect, and care for. John, Knightley's brother, who I have never really felt as I have gotten to know, was much more fleshed out for me. His crabbiness and Mr. Woodhouse's dire outlook were funny to me, especially when they competed for Isabella's attentions.
All in all a good book. Anyone who has read Emma would like to read this book, as it gives the reader the whole story.
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