Emma (1816) is Jane Austen's most characteristic work. Written with irony, wit, and faultless control, it is both a novel of intense emotional power and a comic masterpiece.
Convinced that she understands the world, Emma rules over her invalid father and the small social circle of Highbury with well-meaning tyranny. But she is highly fallible where love is concerned, and her failings there cause many misunderstandings - as well as giving the reader much enjoyment as order is restored.
