I know it's probably hard to believe, but I have never read Emma by Jane Austen. As an English literature major, the only Austen I was ever required to read was Northanger Abbey. This novel follows Emma, a young, single woman in a small English village who imagines herself to be a gifted matchmaker. She successfully pairs her governess with a local widower, and attempts to make love matches for other young women around town. However, things start to go awry and she convinces her friend Harriett to turn down a proposal from a kind man in order to try and win the affection of a wealthier suitor instead. He ends up being interested in Emma, not Harriett and she is left humiliated.
Emma then begins to fancy Frank Churchill, the son of her governess' husband. But it's uncovered that he is secretly engaged to Jane Fairfax, a newcomer to the village. All's well that end's well, and Emma eventually discovers her feelings for Mr. Knightley, her brother-in-law and they end up happily ever after, as does Harriett to Mr. Martin, when he proposes to her a second time.
Austen is a master at weaving tales of love and intrigue. She suggests that trying to marry too far above your station causes strife and struggle. Thankfully, the class system is something that we don't have to worry about anymore. But every new relationship still carries its own amount of excitement, which is something that hasn't changed from Austen's time.
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