Of all Jane Austen's heroines, Emma Woodhouse is the most flawed, the most infuriating, and, in the end, the most endearing. Pride and Prejudice's Lizzie Bennet has more wit and sparkle; Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey more imagination; and Sense and Sensibility's Elinor Dashwood certainly more sense--but Emma is lovable precisely because she is so imperfect. Austen only completed six novels in her lifetime, of which five feature young women whose chances for making a good marriage depend greatly on financial issues, and whose prospects if they fail are rather grim. Emma is the exception: "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her." One may be tempted to wonder what Austen could possibly find to say about so fortunate a character. The answer is, quite a lot.

For Emma, raised to think well of herself, has such a high opinion of her own worth that it blinds her to the opinions of others. The story revolves around a comedy of errors: Emma befriends Harriet Smith, a young woman of unknown parentage, and attempts to remake her in her own image. Ignoring the gaping difference in their respective fortunes and stations in life, Emma convinces herself and her friend that Harriet should look as high as Emma herself might for a husband--and she zeroes in on an ambitious vicar as the perfect match. At the same time, she reads too much into a flirtation with Frank Churchill, the newly arrived son of family friends, and thoughtlessly starts a rumor about poor but beautiful Jane Fairfax, the beloved niece of two genteelly impoverished elderly ladies in the village. As Emma's fantastically misguided schemes threaten to surge out of control, the voice of reason is provided by Mr. Knightly, the Woodhouse's longtime friend and neighbor. Though Austen herself described Emma as "a heroine whom no one but myself will much like," she endowed her creation with enough charm to see her through her most egregious behavior, and the saving grace of being able to learn from her mistakes. By the end of the novel Harriet, Frank, and Jane are all properly accounted for, Emma is wiser (though certainly not sadder), and the reader has had the satisfaction of enjoying Jane Austen at the height of her powers. --Alix Wilber --

Reserved for Everybook VBB at Bookobsessed.com

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Enjoy your reading! :-)

arrived safe at my house, thanks

update:
Great read as always, ready to move on as a RAY it FORWARD book

I'm going to share this book as a "Ray it Forward." I borrowed the idea from crrcookie as well as her explanation of this type of ray.

Let me try and explain what a "Ray It Forward" is. More or less it is the lazy way for me to set up a common BookRay. Ordinarily a BookRay has a list of participants and it gets mailed down the line to the last person who does whatever they wish with the book. Well, I have no desire to maintain a list so this is what I figure. I’ll find the first person that wants this book and send it to them. I just ask that they pass the book along "BookRay" fashion when they are done with it.

If you are in possession of this book then please look for another BookCrosser to pass it to. Check the wish lists, the forums, a yahoo group, the BookRelay, or offer it at a meeting …whatever way you choose to pass it on is up to you. If it seems that no other BookCrossers want it then send it along its way as a wild release but this should be a last resort.

What are the advantages of Ray it Forward?

Time frame – I ask that you pass the book along in a couple months or so but because there is not a "waiting list" the time is a little more relaxed than a standard BookRay.

Shipping Preferences – Choose your own. If you need to post within your own country then do so. If you choose to send international that is great too. If postal costs are a problem right now then hand it to another BookCrosser at a meeting, release to an OBCZ, ask for postage from the receiver or find some other way to get the book in the hands of another BookCrosser.

***Please note that it would be polite to let the next person know that this is a Ray It Forward book before you pass it along to them so that they will know that they will be expected to pass it on in a couple months.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Please read and pass on...

First book in the package, that arrived safe and sound! Thanks a lot nikel27! I'll make sure to Ray it Forward!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to the winner of the February RABCK by lucy-lemon! Have fun with it!

This looks like a great edition of the novel, I already have my own copy so I'll make sure to RABCK to someone else. Thanks for sending it

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sent to Lucy, hope you enjoy

Oh wow, thank you! I've already had a quick look at the essays in the back and they look really interesting. I'll try to read it asap and keep it moving.

Well, so much for reading it asap! I am keeping it moving though - it's next reader will be lamelemon in Romania. Will be posting in the next couple of days.

Picked it up this morning from the post office. Thanks for sending it, Lucy!
Wow, I guess it's the first book with more than two JEs that arrives to me. So lovely to see it touching so many hearts - and travelling for so long!
This goes to mount tbr, but its turn will soon come!

Well.. so much for "soon", but I will definitely try to find a suitable match for Emma now that I'm done reading her story!

I know this may sound unbelievable, but this is the first of Jane Austen's novels I read, my best excuse being that I am a non-native English speaker. "Emma" was charming and witty, with such a fine irony and such well-rendered characters to make it hard to put the book down. Still a very entertaining read, considering it was written a little less than two hundred years ago. Childish with all her sentimental ping-pong and knack for match-making, I was glad to learn the way things sorted themselves out with Emma, her friends and even with those she favoured less. Really enjoyed it, even if finishing it took me more than I expected.

Thanks again for sharing, let's see where Emma winds up next!

Off goes Emma on her way to meet her lovely next reader :)

Happy BookCrossing!

This release also counts for katrinat's 1001 Release Challenge, as Emma is featured on all three editions of the 1001 BYMRBYD so far.

This arrived in the post today! Thank you for sending it to me.

I just found this whilst clearing out some books and realised I won’t read it so am going to release to a community book shelf for others to enjoy.

Left in the blue community bookshelf, enjoy!