Emma

Stroll into a world of romance, village life, and even a little silliness, with Jane Austen's Emma.

Despite the fact that Jane Austen set out to write a story with heroine whom she said that "no one but myself will much like," Emma has resonated with readers since its original publication in 1815 and has been retold many times for television and movies.

Self-satisfied Emma Woodhouse thinks she is above romance of any kind, but when she decides she is a great matchmaker and sets out to find a wealthy husband for her friend, the sweet yet pitiable Harriet Smith, she crosses paths with the charming Mr. Knightley. Even though Emma tries to ignore her feelings for him, she ends up marrying him and realizes that "Perfect happiness, even in memory, is not common."

Beyond the romance, Emma is full of humor and wit and is also a commentary on upper-class social manners at the turn of the nineteenth century. The title character herself, rather you love her or hate her, is both inescapably self-delusional and rather fun to imagine.