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Title: Excellent, but falls short of Pride and Prejudice
Review: When Jane Austen sat down to write Emma, she had a tall order. Her previous work, Pride and Prejudice, is one of the great masterpieces in English literature. Unsurprisingly, Emma does not measure up to P&P, but is still a delightful read in its own right. The same themes that readers have come to associate with Jane Austen are all present in Emma: courtship, marriage, Victorian reserve, and, of course, social status. The biggest problem I had with Emma is that the characterization is not near as solid as in Austen's previous work. The only truly interesting character is the main protagonist, Emma, whose wit and vivacity sparkle throughout. The only fair way to read Emma is to do so without comparing it to Pride and Prejudice. Doing so, this book stands just fine upon its own merit. Just don't expect lightning to strike twice.
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