By Jane Austen , 1817

Emma is a comedic novel by Jane Austen, generally regarded as the most perfectly constructed of all her works, concerning the perils of misconstrued romance.

The main character, Emma Woodhouse, is described in the opening paragraph as "handsome, clever, and rich" but is also rather spoiled. As a heroine, Emma herself is more likeable because she is more believable than those of Austen's other novels. Contrary to Austen's expectations (she wrote prior to starting the novel, "I am going to take a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like"), Emma is one of her best-loved characters, precisely for her faults. 

Jane Austen's novels were witty, warm and ironic portraits of the privileged classes of 18th- and 19th-century England.

Useful Links:

The text is now in the public domain.

• Emma, available for free via Project Gutenberg
• Emma – complete book in HTML one page for each chapter.
• Emma - in easy to read HTML format.

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