Reading Austen in America by Juliette Wells

In the Austen canon, what would you say makes EMMA special and unique?Įmma is special because it’s the capstone of Austen’s career as an author. You can immerse yourself in Austen’s world and also have, right at your fingertips, explanations of some of the elements of the novel that tend to trip up or puzzle today’s readers. I think this gives us the right to celebrate for a whole year!Īnd what better way to celebrate than to re-read Emma, or read it for the first time? Our 200 th -anniversary annotated edition has everything you need, all in one place, to help you appreciate this wonderful novel. The date of publication is a little confusing because “1816” was printed on the title page of the first edition of the novel, but it was actually released in December, 1815. We’re celebrating the 200 th anniversary of Emma’s original publication, in London in December, 1815.

When we celebrate the 200 th anniversary of EMMA, what in particular are we celebrating? What’s new about this edition?

For there is enough substance in this annotated edition to enlighten and entertain not only novice readers, but Austen devotees.Īs an object of beauty, this book deserves high marks as well, with its eye-catching graphics that express both contemporary relevance and period authenticity, its textured, matte apricot-colored background, and its deckle-edged pages that remind us of the days when books had uncut pages to be opened by their first readers.Ī conversation with JULIETTE WELLS, Editor and Introducer of EMMA: 200 th -Anniversary Annotated Edition Now, thanks to this lovely new edition, there is even more. A great part of Austen’s genius is that there is always something new to be discovered in her novels, no matter how many times one reads them. There are tips for first-time readers of Austen, a series of short pieces that illuminate aspects of everyday life that Austen’s contemporaries would have taken for granted but which often elude today’s readers, a glossary of words that are now either obsolete or have evolved in meaning, plus maps, illustrations, and more.ĮMMA is a novel that, like all of Jane Austen’s major works, I have read at least twenty times. Wells has included in this edition an abundance of extras that make EMMA’s world and its language as accessible as possible. This luxurious new edition of EMMA features a series of pieces by Austen scholar and professor Juliette Wells, who informs us in her introduction that this is “a reader’s edition, not a scholarly one.” With the needs and wishes of her students in mind, Dr.

Reading Austen in America by Juliette Wells