A beautiful unabridged 200th Anniversary Edition with 40 original illustrations by Hugh Thomson
Emma is a delightful novel about youthful hubris and misconstrued romance. The story takes place in the fictional English village of Highbury and the surrounding estates. The novel was first published in December 1815 with its title page listing a publication date of 1816. As in her other novels, Austen explores the concerns and difficulties of genteel women living in Georgian-Regency England. Emma is spoiled, headstrong, and self-satisfied; she greatly overestimates her own matchmaking abilities; she is blind to the dangers of meddling in other people's lives; and her imagination and perceptions often lead her astray. Written after Austen's move to Chawton, this was the last novel to be completed and published during her lifetime. This novel has been adapted to film, TV, and stage.