Emma by Jane Austen (1816). The story of Miss Woodhouse—busybody, know-it-all, and general relationship enthusiast—is a comedy of manners deftly laced with social criticism. The charm largely inheres in Emma’s imperfections: her slightly spoiled maneuverings, her highly fallible matchmaking, her inability to know her own heart. Emma teeters from lovable one moment to tiresome and self-centered the next. In writing her story, Austen found an ideal venue for her note-perfect, never-equaled archness.
Total Points: 69 (SCraw 8) (CS 10) (EDon 8) (MD 9) (AFilip 2) (KJF 5) (GG 9) (AG 2) (DLod 6) (BAM 1) (JR 9)