My Thoughts While Rereading Emma by Jane Austen || Book Discussion 

Whenever i re-read Emma i always picture her as Romola Garai. I just adore her tv adaptation.

Hello, Sister Jerome! I watch your videos because you're fun to watch, pleasant, enthusiastic, with the ability to transmit that enthusiasm to others. I look forward to seeing you every week.

Time for some book reading! Love your reviews on them Jerome💚

I enjoy your reviews/discussions even if I'm not very familiar with the topic. I've only seen the Gwyneth Paltrow adaptation and haven't read the book. Congratulations on 15K subscribers very well deserved!

Wow, Rome, tell us how you REALLY feel. These insights into the various characters add up to the best prompting I've ever had to check out this book. Thanks.

Miss Jerome,your audience will ALWAYS be interested in anything you want to share with us,your videos are always wonderful,witty and very insightful.I get your views and it helps me to decide if I'd want to see or read whatever your topic is, Please keep up the Awesome work,and Please don't ever stop - you are a shining light in this dark world.

Great video JW. My first attempt to read Emma, I didn't even get to the introduction of Jane Fairfax before my exasperation with the lead character made me give up. When the 1995 P&P came out, I was working with a huge Austen fan. She encouraged me to read the books. So I read P&P, S&S, and Northanger Abbey, and loved them all. My coworker then suggested Emma should be next, saying I would really like it. So after the failed attempt, she told me to try again, and be patient, because even if I didn't grow to love the character, by the end I would love the story. She was right. Early on, Emma's dealing with Harriet made my blood boil. Then Jane Fairfax entered the story, and I immediately fell for her. On the first readings, my favorite young female characters were Jane Bennett, Elinor Dashwood, and Eleanor Tinley. So this was sort of a pattern for me. I just read the rest of the book as if Jane Fairfax was the heroine. And it did make the story more enjoyable. But I did come around on Emma, the character, and it was the aftermath of Box Hill that did it for me. I suppose my softening toward her started when Mr. Knightley danced with Harriet. But it was how she handled the aftermath of Box Hill that made me see the underlying goodness of her character. As you said, she owned her mistake. From there to the end, I genuinely liked her, and was happy for her finding happiness with Mr. Knightley. On subsequent rereads, and many rewatches of the various adaptations, I've grown to adore Emma. I think my adoration began with the Kate Beckinsale version. The Paltrow version didn't work for me. More because of Harriet's portrayal than Gwenyth, but that's a whole other story. While I may love other heroines more, namely Anne, Elinor, and Lizzy, I do think very highly of Miss Emma Woodhouse. As for Mr. Knightley, I can't blame you for liking him so much. He is just about the perfect gentleman. A lille surprising since pictures of perfection made Jane sick and wicked. 🙂 But despite being almost too perfect, he manages to retain an incredible likability. And having thought about it, I think it's his treatment of Miss Bates. There is no hint of condescension. At all times, he displays a genuine friendship toward her. And for me, that makes his perfection more relatable, even if I could never hope to be that perfect myself. Again, really wonderful video JW. Your reviews are so insightful, thoughtful, and engaging. I'm always happy when I see you're reviewing a book or movie that I love.

Emma is my favourite of Austen's books, Mr George Knightley and Emma Woodhouse are my favourite characters. My favourite adaptation which I've seen so far has been the Kate Beckinsale and Mark Strong one, both of them giving great performances in my opinion, I know that many others don't share my view which is fine. I have yet to see the 2009 TV version and the 2020 film version, but I have seen all the others including "Clueless", which for a modern adaptation is quite good if a little glib.

"Emma" is the only Jane Austen novel I have read. Since I mostly read non-fiction on occasion I will attempt a classic. I must admit I found it a tad tedious and your review helped me to appreciate, understand and enjoy it more. Thanks.

The only Jane Austen novel I've read is "Mansfield Park", but your videos have gotten me interested in reading more of her books.

It's clearly the 2009 Romola Garai version for me, she's spot on as Emma.

Loved this review! I'd love to hear your thoughts on every Austen novel; if you ever want to turn this into a series, I'll be here to listen! I've read Emma three or four times, my last reread was last year and with every reread I like the book - and Emma herself - more and more. This last time I picked up more hints about Mr Knightley's feelings and I was also surprised by the commentary about governesses awful situation which I have never specially noticed before. Have you ever considered on doing an adaptation comparison as you did with Jane Eyre? Perhaps Emma would be a good material for another series 😉

Don't be frightened, but there's a stuffed Godzilla glaring at you from behind.

My intro to this story was the movie Clueless.

Thank you for this excellent review! It's very interesting to hear your view of Frank Churchill. In the script directions for the BBC Kate Beckinsale 'Emma', scriptwriter Andrew Davies makes it very clear that he thinks Jane will have a very unhappy time being married to Frank, and that at the end (the scene of the harvest supper at Donwell), Emma is well aware of that too.

Badly done Jerome, badly done indeed. Wait... I mean well done, well done indeed! The classism you can never separate from Austen's works - it was the reality of life for her so her characters are full of it. My fave 'Emma' is the Beckinsale one.

Hey Jerome, love your book reviews! Do you have any recommendations for a book, any Western or any books that have to do with 1800's time.

Thanks for this neat book discussion!

I agree frank Churchill I found very annoying so smug

Thank you so much! I too have read Emma more than once, and I have seen all of the adaptations, I think! (Some more than once).

I read The Amazing Mr. Blunden last week… I guess at 76, I’m reverting back to children’s books…smile

It’s been a while since I’ve read the book and knew i wouldn’t manage a reread before watching this video so i rewatched Emma (1996) last night instead, perhaps a pointless decision because some of the characters you discuss and sub plots were cut down to fit the film but it was still very enjoyable to see it again, I’ve always liked it a lot, i do wonder if my thoughts on these characters would change after a reread. Miss Bates. I almost shed tears when reading or watching the box hill moment, I think about Miss Bates having to go home and tell her mum about the day she had and the embarrassment of it and the sympathy and heartache it would cause her mum. I feel like Miss Bates mum worried about her daughter and was a little suspicious of Emma’s character, mums know. What Emma said was so cruel, so hurtful and I’m sure it’s something that would hurt Miss Bates for years to come, she’d think of it whenever in the company of Emma, Knightley and the others, I’m sure she’d feel it’s a story that would be passed amongst the community too, in time it would be forgotten by everyone but Miss Bates would probably remember. It was also sad how Emma would attempt to avoid Miss Bates and look down on her excitement about the letters she received from Jane Fairfax. I find it to be a very joyful thing to listen to someone be excited about something that brings them happiness, to see a nice caring soul be happy and want to share the reason they’re happy with you is a wonderful thing, even if it’s a letter from Jane Fairfax lol. It was mean of Emma, like Mr. Knightley had said, with her situation being in every way below you should secure compassion, badly done Emma. Emma Woodhouse. Although she could be unkind and made poor choices I’ve never disliked her character, maybe it’s because i feel we can see and understand her through George Knightley’s eyes, he’s a good man, decent and honourable and would stand up for what’s right even if it’s against the actions of someone he cares about and does do that in the story, if Emma was a truly terrible person I’m sure Knightley would not give her the time of day, he knows and understands her better than anyone, he sees her heart, the love and care she has for her father and for others suffering, he knows she can be unthinking but with a little nudge from him will quickly see how her actions can be hurtful, i feel the disappointment and upset Knightley expressed to Emma after the box hill situation was empathy for Miss Bates but also for Emma because he knew once it sank into Emma’s head what she had really done it would hurt her heart and she’d struggle to cope with it. I don’t understand the dislike about the Knightley and Emma relationship as they’re probably the best suited of all the Austen couples, he balances her and she appears to understand herself better when speaking to him and Emma brings Knightley to life, he’s more witty, thoughtful and chirpy when communicating with her. It would’ve been nice if Emma had apologised to Miss Bates, it may have helped some readers forgive Emma and like her a little bit more. George Knightley. He’s a gentleman, has patience, kindness and empathy. Some of his views on class and friendship are a little Victorian but he’s a good egg lol. The term gentleman probably fits Mr. Knightley more so than most of the other suitors from Austen’s books, if Knightley had been a friend of Mr. Darcy and Bingley and accompanied them to the ball where Darcy hurts Elizabeths feelings Mr. Knightley would’ve made Darcy apologise and recommended they dance and their courtship would’ve gone a lot smoother lol. John Knightley. I liked him when i read the book but perhaps my opinion would change after a reread. Your points on the negative aspects of his character are valid, i guess he is a “poop” lol. Perhaps I ignored those traits or maybe didn’t have the maturity to really see them. Frank Churchill. “ poop” lol, His treatment of Jane was horrible, he had no consideration for her feelings at all and if he doesn’t care about the feelings of the girl he wants to marry or his family what chance does anyone else have. Jane Fairfax. She is an interesting character and could be a main character in an Austen book but so could almost every other Austen side character because so many of them are well written and interesting, I don’t really understand how some readers think she should be the protagonist of this story over Emma because Jane has similar traits to other Austen characters. Emma is a very different character and that’s why she’s a great protagonist, Emma probably has similar traits to characters like Darcy but every Austen fan loves him and forgives his flaws and the hurtful things he says but Emma is never given the same understanding, forthright Elizabeth who believes herself to be a good person that wouldn’t intentionally hurt the feelings of others falls in love with Darcy, a man of harsh words and who has looked down on Elizabeths circumstances, this is romance, it’s beautiful! Elizabeth will bring the best out of Darcy, but Knightley, a good man, a kind man that would not like to hurt the feelings of others can’t fall for Emma, a woman of harsh words who on occasion has looked down on others because of their circumstances, this can’t be! This isn’t romance! I’ve never understood that way of thinking. The man can make mistakes and be forgiven but the woman must have very few flaws or we can’t like her, it’s strange. Mr. and Mrs. Elton. He’s “poop” and she’s fun to read, I’m probably meant to find her disagreeable but she’s entertaining. Harriet Smith. The ending to the friendship between Harriet and Emma was very sad and cold, it was a bit like the ending to The Fox and the Hound lol, we should end our friendship because you’re a fox and I’m a hunters hound, the end! :( you feel when reading the interactions between them that Emma and Harriet cared for each other and valued their friendship and I’m sure both would’ve felt it’s absence and the reason for it was silly class rules, not laws just people worried about how neighbours and passing acquaintances would look upon them, it’s sad. I loved hearing your thoughts on these characters and how your opinion on some of them may have changed over time, your videos have a way of making me think about the subjects you’re discussing more deeply, I found myself contemplating if literature is the truest form of art from listening to you speak so eloquently on these characters. Much like you i believe there’s more to Austen’s stories than the dream like romance those who haven’t read the books imagine them to only be, there is often romance and it’s very sweet but the books are character studies, the characters are deeply written humans with flaws and all and reflect those reading the stories, shy, confident, awkward, abrasive, characters who manage to say the right things or characters that often say the wrong thing. It’s one of the reasons I’ve always been drawn to Austen and Brontë, the male characters are also written with the same depth as the female characters and i feel men are usually written better by female writers, it’s interesting to read a male character fumble over his words and make bad choices and other characters who are honourable like Mr. Knightley, plus the female protagonists and supporting characters are so well written that it’s easy to identify with them and their situations too. I’m sure I’ve posted so much more than three dull things in comments over the years so i thank you for your patience lol. ~ Thank you Ms Weiselberry ~ :)

See, this is why I really wish I had learned to read. I needed more gooder teachers, I guess.

What novel have you read the most times in your life? For me, it is a vintage ghost story: The Uninvited by Dorothy Macardle, published in 1942. The writing is lively and fun and there is a bit of life philosophy thrown in. I've read the 300+ page novel at least 8 times over a period of 25 years. I probably need to get a life...

You tempt me to read Emma, or at least to watch one of the movie versions. I read P&P when I was a young man several decades ago. Jane Austen made me crack open a dictionary more times than D. H. Lawrence.

Not much of a bookworm, but I enjoy your movie reviews.

Do you have too many playlists? Noooo. Playlists are there so we can follow our special subject. You have a lot of videos, 595 of 'em! In other statistics, you have 1,972,103 views and you're coming up to your 10th anniversary!!!

Interesting reflections on Emma! Due to Emma's social standing her circle only includes Harriet because Emma is attempting to move Harriet up the social scale. Otherwise, she wouldn't be someone Emma would ever call upon. Robert Martin is outside her circle, if he were among the parish poor, Emma could condescend to visit his family with offers of assistance. However, he is in the middle as a prosperous tenant farmer, and Emma (as a Woodhouse) could never be a friend of his, or his family . On the other hand, the Knightleys can freely mix with Martin because of their landlord-tenant relationship. Once Emma is married to Mr. Knightley,she will have much more leeway to visit Harriet and Robert because Emma will have the Knightley landlord status. Harsh, but Emma isn't the creator of the social structure, she's moving within it, at times clumsily, but I don't find her at fault for accepting the social structure as constituted.

I think Emma will be the next Austen book I will read after I get done with Pride and Prejudice. I started reading it on April 1st, and I 've been reading a chapter a day, so I'm twenty chapters in at this point in time. I'm also watching the Lizzie Bennett Diaries as I go along so I can get a sense of the modern-day parallels. Overall, I am enjoying the experience, although Pride and Prejudice will never take the place of Jane Eyre in my heart. Do you have a favorite Jane Austen novel? I can't remember if you have ever said or not.

So I made a point of watching Emma after your book review, got about 10 seconds in and realised I watched it after your Paltrow review. So I said to myself, "Self, let's watch it again!". So I did and I enjoyed it second time around also. I'm sorry but we're gonna have to agree to disagree on Toni Collette.

I've never read Emma, but I do own the Marvel Comics adaptation. Which I also have not read - it was part of a lot that I bought. Marvel did a run of literary adaptations including Jane Austen, L. Frank Baum, etc.

Even if Emma isn't my favorite Austen currently, I do feel it is the work that has the most nuanced/balanced characterization for the widest range of characters. For example, it is true that John Knightley belongs to the category of the snarky dads with Mr Bennet and Mr Palmer, but unlike them, he does love his wife, and loves spending time with her and his children: the novel calls him domestic, and we have details like that bit at the Hartfield little party, where it says that he paid Mrs Elton enough attention so that he could tell Isabella all about it when he went back home. He sometimes has a bad temper, and Isabella's shortsightedness does make him impatient sometimes, but in the end he never wilfully engages in the kind of despective, bitter, spiteful behavior Mr Bennet and Mr Palmer do to put down their wives. Jane Fairfax is also another interesting case that way. We know her to be accomplished, hard working, elegant, conscientious, down to earth... but she also did end up consenting to a secret engagement and did return home in the expectation of meeting Frank, in a kind of similar way to why he finally visits his father because she will be there. Emma often gets a lot if not all the blame for her failed relationship with Jane, but Jane herself seems to blame Emma for Frank's behavior. This shows specifically when after the Box Hill incident, a penitent Emma tries to see her several times, and when she realizes that it is that Jane doesn't want to see her, she sends her a peace offering in a gift of arrowroot, and Jane sends it back. That's so rude and unnecessary in context! She's making a petty pointed gesture of rejection, that we at first imagine is about Miss Bates, because what else could it be? but in fuller context... she's mad about Frank flirting with Emma, and she's taking it out on her instead of him. So, yeah, on one hand Emma jumps on the Dixon affair wandagon very easily (though she defends Jane at other points), on the other, Jane shows that she can be pretty hurtful towards Emma too with as little motivation. The apology to Miss Bates' thing... I have always wondered if it wasn't a matter of the mores of the time that would have made a full apology awkward, as perhaps it was only expected in contexts of greater intimacy? Emma apologizes to Harriet elsewhere, Darcy and Lizzy apologize to each other, Emma apologizes to Mr Knightley... IDK I think there's nuance to the class thing in the Emma/Harriet plotline. On one hand, yeah, Austen upholds the stratification, and the one character that does jump class through marriage in this way in her novels is... Lucy Steele. Which is an indictment in and of itself (surely, Marianne, Lizzy, Jane, and Fanny marry men of higher status than themselves, but it remains as something either within their general class or justified by family ties). On the other hand, as the Lucy Steele example shows, it takes a certain kind of personality to change your social strata, and a very thick skin. Harriet doesn't have either thing, and it is reasonable to assume that she would have been miserable in a high class setting, similarly to how protagonist feels in Rebecca (though of course I'd argue that protagonist's discomfort is mainly fueled by jealousy and pride, things that are completely absent from Harriet's character). In that way Mr Knightley is right that Emma's friendship would be a bad thing for Harriet (and indeed, it is a lucky scape that things don't end up really sad for her). It doesn't erase the classism, but lends some nuance to it. The dance XD I mean, that's how Austen is most of the time. I feel like the rather descriptive bent one finds in Persuasion is part of her evolution as a writer, but it only starts coming on its own in Sanditon and Persuasion (which is one of the reasons why I feel people who think of Austen's novels as a monolith of writing completely isolated from the rest. To me it clearly begins in the full on comedy of manners with stock-ish characters, and ends in something that is clearly on the way of what later became Victorian naturalism).

If you're interested, Japanese merchant Arksquare announced remastered soundtracks of the Godzilla movies (and also THE MYSTERIANS and BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE). Unfortunately I can't post a link directly to their website, but this is their official announcement: "Universal (Japan) label has announced: [Godzilla 70th Anniversary Godzilla Complete Works Remastered Series] The original soundtracks "Godzilla Complete Works", which were originally released in 1993 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first Godzilla film and are now out of print, has been remastered and re-issue for the 70th anniversary this year. Release on May 29, 2024: 15 titles of the Showa series Release on June 26, 2024: 7 titles from the Heisei series 2024 Digital remastering (MONO/ STEREO) 20-sided fold-out booklet (6-sided mini-poster on one side) The "theater window billboard jacket" design is based on the image of each era: the early Showa era series, the late Showa era series (after "GODZILLA VS. THE SMOG MONSTER"), and the Heisei era series. The Heisei series has a reversible jacket with two versions of the poster (photo and illustration). [SHM-CD] Price: $13.30 each Pre-orders are now being accepted!"

Hi. Just curious, do you take movie review requests? Curious on your take of a couple. Thanks. Peace. Captain Ray-Aeromexico (yeah, i fly for Aeromexico, live in Las Vegas, based in Los Angeles. Figure that out ;) )

Ever see The Barchester Chronicles (1982)? It's on Dailymotion now

Does Mr. Knightley ever roll up his sleeves?

Can't speak for anyone else but I watch your channel just to see you.❤❤❤

I re-read Emma for the 3rd or 4th time about a year ago, and for me I like Emma's character less and less each time I read it. I do appreciate all of the observations you made about her growth, but her treatment of Harriett on my last read just left me cold. The passage where Emma tells Harriett that they can no longer be friends if she marries Robert Martin was perhaps even crueler than her treatment of Miss Bates, and felt like intimidation. She never apologizes for this. And doesn't John Knightley have dinner with Mr Martin in London (I think)? So is Mr Martin really out of Emma's sphere? Also that Frank Churchill letter went on for ages & ages (ok, pages & pages)--just way too long. OTOH, I think more than any of Austen's novels, Emma is the most suitable for movie adaptation (and 20th-21st century audiences) and that's why there are so many good ones. Always love your thoughts on Austen and the Brontes.

Interesting comments from a woman's perspective...and is there any other on Austen? (I came here for Roger Corman and stuck around for Jane; don't tell my old frat brothers). I think any discussion of Emma has to begin with the author's stated intention to create an 'unlikeable' character- although these days, especially, Fanny Price certainly takes a worse beating. But given that premise, the question is- is Austen really obliged to gratify us with these flawed characters? I think the films are more concerned with that, and with the dances and clothes, than the author is. You talk about reading her outside a romantic context, but since that's the most inevitable of qualities in her work, there's a peril of limiting her with it. I would add one observation: the most consistent themes in her work, I think, are the inner emotional lives of women (the most interesting aspect to me), misunderstandings and hidden circumstances, and money and rank. Emma is perhaps the only one of her novels to wander out of Austen's own bubble world, and is the least concerned with money and property. That she reveals a deeply flawed and outmoded culture is (to me) more a feature than a bug (as the kids like to say these days).

You do look like the type of person who have read a couple of Jane Austen books in her life.

I'm curious as to why you won't watch Night of the Demon. You're missing a really scary treat which survives Dana Andrews' wooden performance and the late addition of a fairly ropey puppet demon Niall McGinnis as Karswell, the genially sinister warlock, who finally realises he's in over his head, is worth the price of admission all on its own. I confess that since being totally terrified by The Haunting, over 40 years ago, I've refused to ever watch it again, so I know how you feel.