EmmaEmma
Score Classic
What it's about
Emma Woodhouse is handsome, clever and rich, and at twenty-one she has hardly been crossed in her life. Bored in her small village, she takes up matchmaking, especially for her sweet, naive friend Harriet, and gets almost everything wrong, including about her own heart. Only her old friend Mr. Knightley tells her the truth.
Why it's worth reading
It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read and is often called Austen's most perfect novel. Emma is a heroine who learns from her mistakes, and the comedy is sharp.
You'll love it if you liked
Pride and Prejudice
Persuasion
MiddlemarchGood to know
It's longer and slower than Pride and Prejudice. The film Clueless is a modern version.
By the numbers
- Readers54 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller51 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Jane Austen
Pride and PrejudicePersuasion
Sense and SensibilityIf you like this, read next
The Age of Innocence
David Copperfield
Love in the Time of Cholera
The Color Purple
Lonesome Dove
I, ClaudiusExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Emma worth reading?
Yes. It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read and is often called Austen's most perfect novel. It ranks #988 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 73.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Emma about?
Emma Woodhouse is handsome, clever and rich, and at twenty-one she has hardly been crossed in her life. Bored in her small village, she takes up matchmaking, especially for her sweet, naive friend Harriet, and gets almost everything wrong, including about her own heart. Only her old friend Mr. Knightley tells her the truth.
How long does it take to read Emma?
About 13 hours (512 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Emma?
If you liked it, try Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Persuasion by Jane Austen or Middlemarch by George Eliot.