Rickman (and back to: Spin-Offs)

[Carol]

Mike wrote:
> <snip> I'm reading "Emma" right now, a little more than a third of
the way through. A quick question, without giving away anything there
might be to give away; does Emma stay the whiny, self-centered, rich
brat  that she is fo far, all the way through the book? I now know why
I  didn't read any of Austen before - I don't like *any* of the 
characters, so far. I hope that changes, John Knightley shows *some* 
promise. 
> 
> Mike, who has a few other classics on his shelf that he's never read
but intends to read 'em ;-)

Carol responds:
Funny--I'm also rereading "Emma," though I know how it ends so I'm not
in any hurry to finish and I keep getting side-tracked. I don't
consider Emma to be a typical Austen character; certainly, she's an
atypical Austen heroine. I wouldn't call her whiny, but she certainly
does think nothing of minding other people's business and her view of
her own intelligence rivals Dumbledore's.

As for whether she stays that way, consider the genre, romantic comedy
(with elements of the comedy of errors and comedy of manners thrown
in). If you've watched or read any of Shakespeare's comedies, you can
guess how this book ends. If not, keep reading, anyway. I think you'll
like the ending. And, BTW, if you decide to read another Austen novel,
I suggest "Pride and Prejudice," the most famous of her books with
good reason. If you don't like Lizzie Bennett better than you like
Emma, I'll be very surprised.

Carol, imagining Emma with a mother like Mrs. Bennett--or, heaven
forfend, Lady Catherine