Check yer Blindspots! Lucas Blogs About Emma

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Everyone has literary blindspots. For example, I read The Forever War more than ten years before I read Starship Troopers (For the record, The Forever War is a much better novel, as far as I know it's not intended as a direct response to Starship Troopers, but it definitely answers the question: "What if Starship Troopers had been a good book?"). But you know, sometimes checking in on a book that you'd previously dismissed is rewarding, so it never hurts to give something a chance. Previously, I'd dismissed the work of Jane Austen as "rich people socializing" without ever reading it (okay, I'll own up to the fact that there was also more than a little casual sexism involved). But the trailer for this year's film adaptation looked pretty funny. I still haven't seen it, but I've read the book, so let's see how that turned out.

Now, remember, the works of Jane Austen have definitely passed the statute of limitations on TEH SPOILARZ! With that in mind, here's a quick recap of Emma:

Volume I

Emma Woodhouse is a spoiled 21-year-old dilettante whose father is rich enough that she doesn't have to worry about getting married if she doesn't want to. She also fancies herself something of a matchmaker, having convinced herself that her efforts brought about the marriage of her neighbor, Mr. Weston, and her former governess, Miss Taylor (now Mrs. Weston, obvs). So Emma decides it's up to her to find a match for her friend, Harriet Smith, "the natural" (read illegitimate) "daughter of somebody." There's one problem: Emma assumes that Harriet's father must be pretty highly placed in society, and Harriet has big crush on Mr. Martin, a local farmer. This will not do.

Emma contrives a courtship between Harriet and Mr. Elton, the handsome vicar of Highbury (a fictional village in Surrey). Emma's neighbor — and brother-in-law — Mr. Knightley thinks that Harriet is beneath Mr. Elton, but would be a good match for Mr. Martin. Emma thinks Mr. Elton is super into Harriet; that is, until he gets a drunk at a Christmas party and confesses his love for Emma in a twist that nobody — except for the reader — could see coming. Following Emma's rejection, Mr. Elton goes on holiday to Bath while Emma foreswears matchmaking.

Volume II

Look out, there are three new arrivals in Highbury. First, there's Jane Fairfax, the granddaughter of Mrs. Bates and the niece of Miss Bates. She and Emma have never really gotten on, but Mr. Knightley thinks it's because Jane's exactly the type of "accomplished young woman" that Emma believes herself to be (negging much, Mr. Knightley?). Meanwhile, Mr. Weston's son, Frank Churchill (Frank was adopted by Mr. Weston's in-laws after the first Mrs. Weston (née Churchill) died) is visiting for the first time in years, and Emma convinces herself that she's a little in love with him. Not enough to want to marry him or anything, just enough that she wouldn't want to hurt his feelings by having to reject him outright. A few weeks later Mr. Elton returns with his new wife, Augusta. Mrs. Elton manages to put everyone off by being overly familiar and calling her husband "Mr. E." The plot takes a break so that everyone can enjoy some rich people nonsense.

Volume III

The plot comes to a head when Emma says something rude to Mrs. Bates at a dinner party. She resolves to treat people better but also decides that she should play matchmaker again when she believes that Harriet has a crush on Frank Churchill, who drove off a troop of "gipsies" who were accosting her. However, the reader will notice that Emma has misread Harriet's feelings. Clearly, Harriet has a crush on Mr. Knightley because he asked to dance at a ball after Mr. Elton pointedly refused to. In any case, Jane Fairfax announces her intention to take up a governess position, but it's later revealed that Jane and Frank have been secretly engaged this whole time because Frank's aunt wouldn't approve. Fortunately, she's dead now, and everyone else does approve, and everyone realizes that they've been misjudging their behavior because, you know, they've been acting weird because of their secret. The only problem Emma sees is how will she break the news to Harriet, who's copacetic because, you know, she likes Mr. Knightley.

This revelation triggers in Emma the realization that she, too, is in love with Mr. Knightley — who is sixteen years older than she is. And wouldn't you know it, almost immediately afterwards, Mr. Knightley confesses that he's in love with Emma, and has been since she was thirteen — a time when he was a mere twenty-nine years old! Where was I? Oh, right. Harriet goes off to London to spend some time with Emma's sister, Isabella, who is married to Mr. Knightley's brother, Mr. John Knightley. And wouldn't you know it, while Harriet's there she happens to run in to Mr. Martin who's still in love with her and proposes. And everyone lives happily ever after, even the hypochondriac Mr. Woodhouse, because Mr. Knightley agrees to move from stately Donwell Abbey to the slightly less stately Hartfield and live with his father-in-law.

The End

So, yeah, if I wanted to be dismissive, I could say that this book is about rich people socializing. Because it definitely is about that. I mean, there's a subplot about trying to unravel the mystery of who gave Jane Fairfax a pianoforte. But right there I'm also pointing out that several of the characters are not wealthy, because there's no way that Mrs. Bates, Miss Bates, or Jane Fairfax could have afforded to purchase a pianoforte. That's why it's a mystery. It's also why Emma is so concerned about finding a suitable match for Harriet, since the marriage prospects for a young woman with no family were pretty slim and marriage was pretty much her only option for social advancement.

So maybe not just about rich people socializing. Maybe more along the lines of "non-destitute people socializing" or "comfortable middle and upper class people socializing." But even then that feels too dismissive, because the way in which the class system affects these social interactions is the actual point of the novel.

But before we get into that: if the point of this exercise is for me to broaden my horizons and check out a book that I didn't think I would like; maybe I should talk about my actual reaction to the book.

I like it. It's a good book.

But for serious, Jane Austen is both an incisive humorist and a keen observer of human behavior. I can't say that I ever lol'd while reading the book; but it did frequently provoke smiles and even a few wry chuckles. The whole book is narrated in a manner that is slightly arch but never obnoxiously so. Austen clearly has an affection for these characters but one that is tempered with an awareness of their faults. Emma's a judgmental control freak who sees people the way way she wants them to be rather than as they are. Mr. Woodhouse cares deeply about his friends and family, so much so that he frequently bemoans their very happy living situation because he wouldn't like it. Mrs. Elton seems friendly enough, until you realize that her compliments are actually pretty back-handed. Mr. Knightley is the kind of creep who insists that there's a meaningful difference between pedophilia and ephebophilia. Okay, maybe that last one is values dissonance. But he is the kind of person who hides his attraction to someone behind aloofness and putdowns. The important characters are all brilliantly realized and I can see why Emma remains a popular subject for adaptation.

The novel's greatest weakness is the plotting. While Volumes I and III move along at a respectable clip, Volume II is somewhat listless. It's not so much that nothing of note is happening, but that what is happening feels more like Austen pushing pieces around on the game board so that everything will be in place for Volume III. If Volume I is about Emma realizing that she doesn't know what's best for everyone and Volume III is about her realizing that she isn't always honest with herself; Volume II seems to be about introducing new characters to complicate the existing character dynamics. Which isn't a bad thing on its own, it just sorta drags in a way that you don't want a romantic comedy to.

Let's jump back to Austen's style for a moment. She undoubtedly writes in a manner that is . . . outmoded feels too strong, but her authorial voice is definitely one that is not favored in contemporary fiction. Plenty of telling rather than showing, occasional unexpected shifts in perspective. The narrator mostly follows Emma's point of view and internal monologue but will sometimes tell you what Mr. Knightley is thinking. However, purely on the level of craft, Austen writes clearly and with intent. You may have noticed that the reader will see many of the twists in the narrative coming, but I don't think that's a fault in Austen's writing. It's partly due to her influence — like how the adaptation of A Princess of Mars (confusingly titled only John Carter) felt a bit like a re-tread of Star Wars and other fantasy films — but also because she's so precise with what details she does and doesn't include. You might even say that Volume I is a mystery where Emma solves the case of "Does Mr. Elton like Harriet back?" How could she not want an attentive reader to notice that every time Mr. Elton seems to be showing Harriet favor, Emma is involved? Mr. Elton insists on framing a portrait of Harriet, drawn by Emma; he contributes a riddle to a compilation that Harriet and Emma are writing together; whenever Emma contrives a way to leave the two of them alone, he contrives a way for her to catch up. Clearly, we're supposed to see dramatic irony. That can be hard to pull off, and Austen nails it.

So yeah, Jane Austen is a good writer, I don't like everything about Emma, but Austen's clear affection for her characters, awareness of their faults, and skillful comic writing made this book a pleasure to read. But let's get back to the way that the novel handles class. And I know what you're thinking (not really), "Oh, here goes Lucas, about to judge a 19th century novel by 21st century standards." Yeah, maybe a little, but, you know, that's part of my reaction.

It's not that I think the novel is classist or anything (at least, not any more so than any novel of its time). Austen shows a keen awareness of the ways in which class constrains people and makes them unhappy. Jane Fairfax doesn't seem to have any marriage prospects and seems ready to run off and be a governess when her secret fiancé flirts with Emma and embarrasses her. Her engagement to Frank Churchill is a secret because his guardians wouldn't approve of the match. Harriet lets Emma tell her that Mr. Martin isn't good enough for her. Emma tells herself that she doesn't want anyone to marry Mr. Knightley so that their nephew can inherit Donwell Abbey. Emma doesn't want to go to a party that will include people who made their money in their own lifetime. (Seriously, WTF is up with that, Emma?)

There's also the issue of Mr. Knightley, who spends a lot of the novel talking down to Emma. And while she sometimes deserves it, it makes an Emma and Mr. Knightley endgame feel a little icky (and not just because, and I can't stress this enough, he professes to have been in love with Emma since she was thirteen and he twenty-nine). Emma may be full of herself, but she deserves to be with someone who doesn't look down on her. Maybe I'm being too harsh there too. After all, Mr. Knightley is willing to reëvaluate his opinion of Harriet because Emma thinks so highly of her. And he does admit that he's been too harsh with her. Still, though.

So yeah, it's good book. It got me thinking about things. There's a lot going for it. I can't say that I'm gonna rush out to read the rest of Austen's work, but I'm glad I gave Emma a try. So, you know, check yer blindspots once in a while. Your literary blindspots, that is. You should always check your blindspots while driving. I learned that one the hard way. Don't worry, no one was hurt except for the cars. But I was late picking up my buddy from work.

Emma by Jane Austen, Penguin Classics trade paperback edition, 2015 (originally published 1815), 453 pages, pairs well with too much punch and an ill-advised love confession

Oh, and I couldn't find any place to insert this naturally, but this is novel is such a product of the Regency, that it's dedicated to the Prince Regent.

Links:

You may be surprised to learn that Jane Austen, who died in 1817 at the age of . . . Jesus! only 41, does not have a website. But her profile on the British Library website does include a sketch of her drawn by her sister, Cassandra.

There is a Jane Austen Centre in Bath. It's even got Regency Tea Rooms. It is currently closed, for obvious reasons.

Another thing I learned while reading this book is that while the village of Highbury is fictional, the town of Dorking is very real.