Good Reads / Community Library Notes
Emma
Alexander McCall Smith
Review by Priscilla Comen
Emma
Alexander McCall Smith
Review by Priscilla Comen
Emma, by Alexander McCall Smith, is a modern -day retelling of a story by Jane Austen that is delightful. Emma’s father, Mr. Woodhouse, became very rich after inventing a valve for a liquid nitrogen canister. After his wife died, he hired a governess for his two daughters. Although he is pursued by numerous women, he declines all invitations. He hires Miss Taylor in a minute, assured of her qualifications.
Emma wants to control people as she does her dolls. Mr. Woodhouse wants to send his girls to a boarding school as he fears they will become pregnant at the local high school. Miss Taylor disagrees. So Emma and her sister, Isabella, go to a day school. They have a loving relationship with Miss Taylor. Isabella, at age seventeen, wants to live in London and get a job. “Boys are her destiny,” says Miss Taylor. Father decides he must marry her off as soon as possible. They submit a good photo of her to the editor of Country Life magazine to feature her in a future issue. She could be leaning on a mansion’s pillar or hugging a horse.
George and John Knightley live nearby in one of the largest houses in the area, twenty-four bedrooms. George is handsome and popular. He is a success with his inherited farm. He thinks Emma is “interesting.” John is a photographer for slick magazines, and Isabella is pleased that he’s going to photograph her. He arrives for the shoot on a fancy motorcycle. He has long wavy hair and wears a leather jacket with tight pants. He has a tattoo on his wrist. Afterward, Isabella goes off with him on his motorcycle. Soon after, they are married and later, Isabella has twin boys. Emma says, “Ick.” She will never marry and never get pregnant. A year later, Isabella has twin girls.
Emma graduates from high school and goes to University in Bath. She is interested in design and envisions her own business. Because the girls are no longer at home much, Miss Taylor becomes Mr. Woodhouse’s secretary to keep her employed there. Emma plans to have a dinner party. She invites Philip Eton, the handsome vicar, and Miss. Bates, who has no money.
Money and social status were the main themes of Austen’s book on Emma. McCall Smith does the same. She also invites James Weston. When his wife died, he had given his son Frank to the Churchills to be raised. When they move to Australia to manage a vineyard, they take young Frank with them. James thinks this will be a good move for Frank. Emma also invites George Knightley, but considers him her father’s friend. He’s a dozen years older than Emma. At the dinner party she watches Harriet Smith and is surprised she is interested in meeting a new person.
Two weeks after the party, Miss Taylor announces she and James Weston are engaged to be married. Emma thinks she has done this. She feels like God, who created the world, as she has brought them together. She wants to do this again, and thinks of someone for Harriet Smith. Harriet has a date with Robert Martin, but he is only a waiter at his mother’s B and B. He’s not good enough for Harriet, thinks Emma. She decides to match Harriet with Philip Eton. When George hears of this, he calls Emma a snob. He tells her how Harriet came to be born, the result of artificial insemination. Emma and George argue, but George likes Emma’s sense of humor. He sees how she controls people and thinks that if she had a job, she wouldn’t have time to do this.
George and Mr. Woodhouse talk of things like television and fast sports cars. This sets this novel in current times, unlike Jane Austen’s story. Emma plans another dinner party and seats herself next to Frank Churchill. He flirts with her, but tells her he is going to travel with a male friend. She understands
On his way home, Philip ends up in a ditch and is arrested for DUI after a breathalyzer test. Mr. Woodhouse says everyone makes mistakes and insists Emma invite him to a picnic. When Emma visits Miss Bates, she notices the shabbiness of her house. It has a worn door mat and peeling paint. Emma gives her a gift of four bottles of lavender cream. George commends her for her good deed. On her way home, Emma gives a ride to Jane Fairfax, even though it is out of her way. Is Emma changing, becoming more caring about her friends? Does moral insight come to her? Do Robert and Harriet get together after all? Do George and Emma find each other more compatible? Find out in this delightful book on the fiction shelf of your Mendocino Community Library after it re-opens.
Emma wants to control people as she does her dolls. Mr. Woodhouse wants to send his girls to a boarding school as he fears they will become pregnant at the local high school. Miss Taylor disagrees. So Emma and her sister, Isabella, go to a day school. They have a loving relationship with Miss Taylor. Isabella, at age seventeen, wants to live in London and get a job. “Boys are her destiny,” says Miss Taylor. Father decides he must marry her off as soon as possible. They submit a good photo of her to the editor of Country Life magazine to feature her in a future issue. She could be leaning on a mansion’s pillar or hugging a horse.
George and John Knightley live nearby in one of the largest houses in the area, twenty-four bedrooms. George is handsome and popular. He is a success with his inherited farm. He thinks Emma is “interesting.” John is a photographer for slick magazines, and Isabella is pleased that he’s going to photograph her. He arrives for the shoot on a fancy motorcycle. He has long wavy hair and wears a leather jacket with tight pants. He has a tattoo on his wrist. Afterward, Isabella goes off with him on his motorcycle. Soon after, they are married and later, Isabella has twin boys. Emma says, “Ick.” She will never marry and never get pregnant. A year later, Isabella has twin girls.
Emma graduates from high school and goes to University in Bath. She is interested in design and envisions her own business. Because the girls are no longer at home much, Miss Taylor becomes Mr. Woodhouse’s secretary to keep her employed there. Emma plans to have a dinner party. She invites Philip Eton, the handsome vicar, and Miss. Bates, who has no money.
Money and social status were the main themes of Austen’s book on Emma. McCall Smith does the same. She also invites James Weston. When his wife died, he had given his son Frank to the Churchills to be raised. When they move to Australia to manage a vineyard, they take young Frank with them. James thinks this will be a good move for Frank. Emma also invites George Knightley, but considers him her father’s friend. He’s a dozen years older than Emma. At the dinner party she watches Harriet Smith and is surprised she is interested in meeting a new person.
Two weeks after the party, Miss Taylor announces she and James Weston are engaged to be married. Emma thinks she has done this. She feels like God, who created the world, as she has brought them together. She wants to do this again, and thinks of someone for Harriet Smith. Harriet has a date with Robert Martin, but he is only a waiter at his mother’s B and B. He’s not good enough for Harriet, thinks Emma. She decides to match Harriet with Philip Eton. When George hears of this, he calls Emma a snob. He tells her how Harriet came to be born, the result of artificial insemination. Emma and George argue, but George likes Emma’s sense of humor. He sees how she controls people and thinks that if she had a job, she wouldn’t have time to do this.
George and Mr. Woodhouse talk of things like television and fast sports cars. This sets this novel in current times, unlike Jane Austen’s story. Emma plans another dinner party and seats herself next to Frank Churchill. He flirts with her, but tells her he is going to travel with a male friend. She understands
On his way home, Philip ends up in a ditch and is arrested for DUI after a breathalyzer test. Mr. Woodhouse says everyone makes mistakes and insists Emma invite him to a picnic. When Emma visits Miss Bates, she notices the shabbiness of her house. It has a worn door mat and peeling paint. Emma gives her a gift of four bottles of lavender cream. George commends her for her good deed. On her way home, Emma gives a ride to Jane Fairfax, even though it is out of her way. Is Emma changing, becoming more caring about her friends? Does moral insight come to her? Do Robert and Harriet get together after all? Do George and Emma find each other more compatible? Find out in this delightful book on the fiction shelf of your Mendocino Community Library after it re-opens.