Emma

Emma is a comic novel by Jane Austen, first published in December 1815, about the perils of misconstrued romance. The main character, Emma Woodhouse, is described in the opening paragraph as ""handsome, clever, and rich"" but is also rather spoiled. Prior to starting the novel, Austen wrote, ""I am going to take a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like."" When her former governess finds happiness as the bride of a local widower, the brilliant and beautiful Emma Woodhouse - one of Jane Austen's immortal creations - flatters herself that she alone has secured the marriage and that she possesses a special talent for bringing lovers together. The young heiress next busies herself with finding a suitable husband for her friend and protégé, Harriet Smith, setting off an entertaining sequence of comic mishaps and misunderstanding in this sparkling comedy of English-village romance. Beneath its considerable wit, the novel is also the story of a young woman's progress toward self-understanding.