What do you get when you combine a world-renowned economist and a food lover? A must-read book that uses economic principles to create new rules for foodies.
The book, An Economist Gets Lunch: New Rules for Everyday Foodies, is from Tyler Cowen, a leading economist at George Mason University.
He writes a column for the New York Times and his economic blog, Marginal Revolution, is one of the most influential in the world. If you're interested in finance or economics like me, be sure to check out his work. Cowen is also a passionate foodie on the hunt for great food globally, which you can follow at Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide.
I highly recommend reading this book. You'll gain a greater understanding for our food system through the intersection of food and economics.
What I found most interesting were all the tidbits about finding great food when traveling and creating memorable food experiences.
Let me know what you think if you read the book. Knowing many of you might just prefer a Cliffs Notes version, here are the 29 best things I learned about food after reading the book.
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1) An Economist Gets Lunch in a nutshell. The book is about how to find great food, create better eating experiences, understand quality food experiences and feed nine billion people effectively.
2) Skip the concierge. When you're in a new place, do not ask the hotel concierge for help because they have preconceived notions about who you are and what you want. Instead, ask a local where he/she eats - cab drivers are great because they stop for quick meals all the time. Cowen tells the story of finding an excellent quesillo stand in Nicaragua using this method.
3) Find competition. If you can't get a recommendation, search for multiple restaurants close to each other that serve similar things. Competition is a sign of good food because bad places go out of business.
4) Eating fish in emerging countries. Where donkey carts are common and women carry baskets on their heads, eat your fish by the ocean or lake. Proper refrigeration is lacking in poorer countries,which limits the ability to transport food. Eat fresh!
5) Cheap food is not bad food. We confuse cheap food with unrewarding junk food. Not true. You can find excellent cheap food at food stands or crowded markets.
6) The food economic principle. Food is a product of economic supply/demand. Try to figure out where the supplies are fresh, the suppliers are creative and the demanders (consumers) are informed.
7) Blame World War II for bad food. The blame for bad food is most often assigned to the commercialization of food and the movement away from local. Cowen says this is partly true, but it ignores WWII's push for high volume, low quality food during a time of rationing. Further, our eating habits struggled to adapt to demands of two income households, which led to food of convenience rather than food of quality.
8) Immigration equals great food. The demise of food in the U.S. also follows immigration restriction from the 1920s to the 1970s. When immigration from Asian and Hispanic countries was eased, the food boom began as more of us were introduced to new flavors and meals.
9) Climbing the supermarket Great Wall. Most Americans are lost in an ethnic supermarket because we are creatures of habit. Conversely, Cowen found some of his Chinese students could not navigate a U.S. supermarket, especially the cereal aisle. His solution is to try shopping at an ethnic supermarket for one month. It will be difficult, but you'll broaden your food expertise.
10) How to find an authentic and cheap Thai restaurant. Since immigrants often look for the cheapest rent, Cowen suggests finding a family that owns a motel and operates a family restaurant on the side. Because they do not have to appeal to large numbers to pay rent, the food is cheap and authentic. Skip Thai restaurants with large bars and those serving a lot of drinks. And never eat at a Thai place that serves sushi.
11) What to eat in London. Skip the fish and chips (the best are actually in New Zealand according to Cowen). London has some of the best Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian restaurants in the world. Head to North London for the best of the best. (Note: we 100% agree with this. Try either Tayyabs or Lahore Kebab House).
12) The best tacos in Maryland. Cowen raves about R&R Tacqueria, located in a Shell gas station off route 95 in Maryland. The owner is a former airplane pilot from Mexico who makes some of the best authentic Mexican food he has found anywhere.
13) The strip mall creed. Look for ethnic food in strip malls without a well-known chain such as Wal-Mart. Because such locations have low rent, the owners can focus on great food of their culture rather than appealing to the masses.
14) What's best? Waiters are incentivized to push dishes with the highest profit margin or that are most expensive. Therefore, never ask "What should I get?" Instead, be an informed consumer and ask "What's best?" A good waiter will list one, maybe two, items.
15) Eat what the locals eat. If you're not sure what to order in another country or in an ethnic restaurant, look to see what the locals ordered and ask for the same.
16) Buy frozen, not fresh. Unless it's locally grown, frozen food is fresher than raw fruits and vegetables. Frozen food is often immediately frozen after picked. Who knows how long "fresh" produce took to get from the farm to the store.
17) Understanding loss leaders. Every restaurant or supermarket has a loss leader to get you in the door to buy more things. At most Chinese markets, greens are the loss leader, which is why they're cheaper than in American markets.
18) Why hospital food is bad. Are hospitals in business for healthcare or to make great food? It's little wonder why hospital food is terrible then – their incentive is not to make great food. When searching for food, search for places with an incentive to make great food.
19) Where to find great BBQ. Cowen says the best BBQ places open early in the morning and are in towns with less than 50,000 people. BBQ is ideally suited for professional amateurs who concoct their own special sauces and serve a limited number of customers.
20) Mexican BBQ rocks. The San Agustin Oapan region in Mexico serves some of the best open pit BBQ in the world. Cowen recommends a place called Cucina Economica Lupita in the town of San Juan del Rio.
21) Utilize Vietnamese condiments. Try all the condiments when eating at a Vietnamese restaurant. If you're not sure which one to use ask the host or go with an all-everything sauce called nuroc mam mam pha.
23) Chef vs diner. Economics dictates that the quality of the customer matters more than the quality of the chef. Informed customers force chefs to be great, not vice versa.
23) Reducing your carbon footprint. The buy local movement is not as green as many think because the carbon costs associated with travel outweigh the benefits, even when local. A more effective strategy is to eat less red meat and processed food high in sugar.
24) Get away from the city center. If you can't spot a famous landmark it's probably a good food location. City centers are tourist traps in most cities, most notably in Italy.
25) Learn to love Mexico. Cowen raves about the food in Mexico. He claims it's because Mexico has just the just the right level industrial food production with still-intact artisanal roots to create excellent food. (And yes, Mexicans use corn tortillas over flour).
26) Think food stalls in Singapore. The so-called hawker centers in Singapore have amazing food.
27) Finding food in Japan. Japan has great food, but it's not an easy city to navigate. A food friend, Jodi Ettenberg, told Cowen that Izakaya bars in Japan are some of the best places to get food (and sake).
28) Indian hotels? Most of us have been trained to think hotel restaurants are not the best place to get a great meal, especially in an ethnic country. On the contrary, Cowen says he's had some great meals at hotels in India. The chefs are usually local and have access to the necessary ingredients and staff.
29) Head to Corleone Country. Sicily is Cowen's favorite place to eat in Europe. The blend of European, Arabic and Medieval makes the food standout from other countries.
I'll leave you with a quote from Cowen, which I think sums up the book and certainly our mindset when we travel or are just looking for a great experience in Philly.
Eating out in a different country is not about the food, it's a quest. It's a chance to create an adventure or a memory or connection to local culture. Eating is creative art.
P.S. I'm a junkie for books, e-books, articles, essays, etc. on food, farming, the food system, cooking, etc. I thought I'd start sharing some of my favorite reads on the blog, which is the genesis for this post. Please share with me any books or articles you think I should read.


The San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter is the center of a massive redevelopment kicked off in the mid-1980s with the opening of the Horton Plaza shopping complex; now, it's a cluster of renovated historic buildings housing, San Diego hotels and some of the city's best restaurants and clubs.
After decades of intense development and restoration beginning in the 1980's, San Diego's Gaslamp has developed into a flashy upscale neighborhood with exciting sights and sounds that last into the night. San Diego's city center is now a popular destination for travelers, meeting attendees and locals alike. The restaurant, boutique, shopping, condo, and entertainment hub of the city, includes Horton Plaza, the Gaslamp Quarter, the Embarcadero, Shelter Island Hotels, the Convention Center, and historic Little Italy. Southeast of the Gaslamp Quarter is PETCO Park, home of the San Diego Padres. There is also a renaissance going on in Little Italy, a charming and historic neighborhood down India Street between Cedar and Hawthorn at the northwestern edge of downtown. It's a great place to find a variety of restaurants, boutiques and art galleries.
As the West Coast's premier entertainment district, guests can immerse themselves in our rich Victorian architecture and history, dine with world-renowned chefs, and dance the night away at nationally-recognized nightlife venues. Tucked tightly into 16 ½ blocks, the Gaslamp Quarter is a walkable urban playground located in Downtown San Diego adjacent to the Convention Center, Petco Park, and Horton Plaza. And getting here is as easy as a Southern California breeze. The Gaslamp area is accessible via the freeway and several trolley and bus lines. We invite you to explore the district for yourself and find out what makes it unforgettable!


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Q: How to get slider images on fancybox popup, how to work on this? I have a question on my project,
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Hohensalzburg Castle

Salzburg, Austria

Isolated sandy cove

Zakynthos island, Greece

A view from the Old Town

Herceg Novi, Montenegro

Walls of the Old Town

Kotor, Montenegro

Boat in the port

Sousse, Tunis

Wall of the Jain temple

Jaisalmer, India

City park

Negotin, Serbia

Taj Mahal mausoleum

Agra, India

Zante Port

Zakynthos, Greece

Rustovo Monastery

Budva, Montenegro

The Mezquita, Cathedral and former Great Mosque

Cordoba, Spain

Wine Cellars

Rajac, Serbia

Zante Port

Zakynthos, Greece

Rustovo Monastery

Budva, Montenegro

The Mezquita, Cathedral and former Great Mosque

Cordoba, Spain

Wine Cellars

Rajac, Serbia

A: Here is what your HTML should look like with your fancybox code. Since I can not see your site, I have no idea if you are loading javascript and css files correctly, or what versions of these files you are using etc.

Hohensalzburg Castle

Salzburg, Austria

Isolated sandy cove

Zakynthos island, Greece

A view from the Old Town

Herceg Novi, Montenegro

Walls of the Old Town

Kotor, Montenegro

Boat in the port

Sousse, Tunis

Wall of the Jain temple

Jaisalmer, India

City park

Negotin, Serbia

Taj Mahal mausoleum

Agra, India

Zante Port

Zakynthos, Greece

Rustovo Monastery

Budva, Montenegro

The Mezquita, Cathedral and former Great Mosque

Cordoba, Spain

Wine Cellars

Rajac, Serbia

Zante Port

Zakynthos, Greece

Rustovo Monastery

Budva, Montenegro

The Mezquita, Cathedral and former Great Mosque

Cordoba, Spain

Wine Cellars

Rajac, Serbia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


that made their life appear harmonious.
escaping the hotel, at last broke free.
God, Freud, and Antonio Gaudí.
of anfractuous ravines and random spikes.
withdrawal from the snares of worldly love.
of feminine reproaches and bitter bedroom fights?
incessantly shifting as it is.
and from then on I saw a different way.
the bleak terms in which I figured it.
a thing of weird yet captivating shapes.
is forever being weathered splendidly down.
Ben Downing's Queen Bee of Tuscany: The Redoubtable Janet Ross was published in 2013 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.


If there's an upcoming wedding, the bride and groom and a few other family members usually take care of preparations. All the decisions have to be made, such as how many guests should be invited or where the reception is going to be. There are also other meticulous details such as what color scheme should be used and whether to hire a wedding planner or not. Even with a wedding planner, the couple-to-be-wed still retains a certain level of control. One question, though, is consistent in every planned wedding: how is it going to cost?
This is the reason why some would plan their own weddings. Wedding packages from planners may be cheap, but add all the planning and the logistics can skyrocket the costs. Sometimes, it's cheaper to arrange the whole wedding yourself, or at least take some aspects of the wedding out from your agreement with the wedding planner. Whether you'll go semi or full DIY on your wedding, here are a few things to consider.
The traditional wedding colors are white, and almost any color can look good when paired with it. If you choose to go with multiple colors, make sure that these colors blend well. For instance, brownish colors give off a dark and gritty look despite it being a neutral color. Lighter shades of brown can be paired with just about anything, as long as the other colors are not too strong. Sometimes figuring out a color motif for your wedding is hard enough, and then color combinations make it even harder. You can refer to the color theory for inspiration.
Flowers are an important part of any wedding, and if you want to have your own floral arrangement you can take this off your wedding planner's hands too. There are a few things you'll want to consider when it comes to flowers. The first is where to get them. Typically, floral arrangements are done a few days before the wedding, but this doesn't necessarily give you the reason to order them from a too-far of a source. It is best to buy your flowers from where you can pick them up easily or at least get them the same day you ordered them. This ensures the flowers are fresh until your wedding day. If the wedding is a few days ahead, you can simply water them to prevent wilting.
Invitations are another part of the wedding planning you can undertake yourself. It's fairly easy to create one as long as you have a computer, some art skills, and a printer. The biggest concern would be what to print it on. Still, this is one of the simpler tasks that you can handle and get at least a few savings.
If the secret of French cooking is butter, the secret of decors regardless of occasion is ribbons. Pick up a few bendable twigs, form them into a circle, attach a ribbon, and you have yourself a wreath. Take empty bottles and wrap them in cardboard or colored paper, stack them together to form a tree shape, add some ribbons and you have a décor. Get creative with ribbons!
Giveaways don't have to be super elaborate. A friends' wedding's giveaway was a small glass cup. Attached to it were small pictures of the newlyweds and two cheap rings. Inside the cup was a handkerchief. Everything was mundane but when combined made for a nice giveaway.
If you can't handle going full DIY, try hiring a wedding planner and do some jobs by yourself. While it'll give you a lot more work to do, it'll be more satisfying when your wedding comes.
Florence Jones is a full-time mom who enjoys writing about parenting and relationships. She also writes for RoseOnly, which offers Singapore flower delivery same day.


A Fine & Rare Queen Anne Oak Armchair of generous proportion and excellent patina. This chair is virtually identical to one sold at Christie's King St, lot 154, Nov 17th 2016, differing only in the other being of walnut and with a dipped toprail, and sold for £3750 including premium. Notable features are the shepherd's crook arms and "Chinese" form splat.


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4 Stars / Austen, Jane / Classics / Emma (Jane Austen) / Literary Fiction
Emma by Jane Austen
November 10, 2014 FictionFan57 Comments
Big fish in a small pond…
Emma Woodhouse is unusual amongst Austen heroines in being independently wealthy and therefore with no need to marry. When we meet her, she is twenty-one, still untouched by love, and determined to remain single. This is a small society with a tiny number of gentlefolk, so that everyone knows every detail of each other's lives, and the main interest of the book is in the descriptions of the society – in this case showing the very limited and somewhat dull life of young gentlewomen in small towns where they are socially superior to all their neighbours. Emma lives with her elderly father and, as the book begins, has just lost the constant companionship of her long-time governess, Miss Taylor, who has married Mr Weston, another resident of the town. The only other person in the neighbourhood who matches the social standing of the Woodhouses is Mr Knightley, owner of the neighbouring estate and friend of Emma's father. He has known Emma all her life and has taken it upon himself to guide her intellectual and emotional development since her early childhood.
The plot, such as it is, is a simple comedy of manners. Although she still sees Mrs Weston nearly every day, Emma feels the loss of female companionship, so takes under her wing young Harriet Smith, the illegitimate daughter of a father of unknown identity. The small cast of characters is further enhanced by the arrival of Jane Fairfax, niece of the impoverished but voluble Miss Bates. Soon after, Mr Weston's son Frank also comes to visit – after his mother's death, Frank was adopted by his wealthy aunt so, despite his relationship to Mr Weston, he is a stranger in Highbury. These young people are to be the pawns in Emma's matchmaking games, leading to many misunderstandings and much heartache all round before we reach the traditional Austen happy-ever-after.
Any regular reader of the blog will be aware of my ardent devotion to Jane Austen (not to mention my even more ardent devotion to Mr Darcy). So it might come as a surprise to know that I really don't get along with Emma. Let me try to explain why.
NB There be mega-spoilers ahead…
Apparently before beginning to write Emma, Jane Austen said "I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like." And this is the fundamental problem. The delicacy with which Austen normally handles the subtleties of class seems to have deserted her almost entirely in this one – Emma is an arrogant, self-satisfied snob who expects everyone to toady to her, not because of her own talents or character, but simply because she is the daughter of the richest man in town. And none of the other characters are much better.
Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma
There's the annoying Mr Woodhouse, a selfish hypochondriac, whom everyone kowtows to because he is rich. Frank, a selfish pleasure-seeker, whose behaviour to Jane and Emma shows a complete disregard for anyone else's feelings, but still isn't as bad as his unconcealed delight at the death of the wealthy aunt who brought him up. Jane, who has to be the most boring character in all of English literature. Harriet, who has fewer braincells than the average amoeba and about as much personality. (Why would Robert love her? It's inconceivable…)
Then there's Mr Knightley. He's thirty-seven. Emma's twenty-one. He has shown an interest in her since she was a child, so let's say since he was twenty-four and she was eight or thereabouts. He has brought her up to be what he wants a woman to be, and now he's going to marry her. I know middle-aged men married young girls back then, but young girls they had been involved in bringing up? Yes, Colonel Brandon and Marianne had a greater age difference, and yes, Mr Jarndyce was way too old for Esther, but at least they both met these girls once they were women. Colonel Brandon and Mr Jarndyce leave me a little uneasy, but Mr Knightley makes me positively queasy. And did, even when I was seventeen.
Mr Elton…
Mr Collins…
(Mr Elton and Mr Collins…or is it the other way round?)
And that just leaves us with Emma. Fans of the book may wish to look away now, because I'm going to say something you may find shocking – it is my belief that by the time she is fifty, Emma will have transmogrified into Lady Catherine de Bourgh. What is different about them other than that Emma is young and pretty? They both think themselves above the need to learn the skills that other young women have to master in order to secure a good marriage. They both think they have the right to interfere in the lives of the people around them because they consider themselves to be intellectually and socially superior. They both expect the local parson to suck up to them (is Mr Elton really significantly different to Mr Collins?). They both resent anyone who shows any kind of independent spirit or who outshines them at any skill. (Is Jane Fairfax not the closest the book has to my beloved Lizzie? Except Jane is insipid and dull, where Lizzie is strong and witty. And look at Emma's reaction to her…)
Lady Catherine de Bourgh…or future Emma?
All of this would be fine if Emma developed during the course of the book and learned from her mistakes, but she is still just as egotistical and condescending at the end as she is at the beginning. Thrilled to get rid of the now inconvenient Harriet to the farmer she once despised, but determined to drop her friendship as soon as she does because the connection will be too lowly for Emma's exalted position. Still expecting Jane to toady to her despite Emma's appalling behaviour to her throughout. Still as dismissive of Miss Bates as ever she was (one visit after the Box Hill incident can't be seen as a serious attempt to make amends). If only Austen had made Emma suffer – cast her into poverty or broken her heart. But no, she gets everything she could possibly desire and is left basking in a glory that Austen seems to think is as deserved as I think it undeserved.
Emma and Mr Knightley lead the dance…
The book is as well written as all of Austen's, and is therefore eminently readable. There is some humour, though not as much as in some of her other books, and her characterisation and depiction of society is as insightful as always – all of which explains my four-star rating. But the fact that in this book Austen openly upholds the strict class and wealth divisions in society makes me wonder what happened to her since she taught Mr Darcy not to look down on other people because of their position in society. Is this the same author who had Lizzie declare "He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman's daughter; so far we are equal."? Is Miss Bates then not equal to Emma? Apparently not, and there is the main reason that for me Emma is not equal to Austen's other books.
Please feel free to tell me why I'm wrong… 😉
Aah, that's better!
book review, classics, emma, jane austen, literary fiction
Tuesday Terror! Sredni Vashtar by Saki
57 thoughts on "Emma by Jane Austen"
booksandbuttons.com says:
Why have I read "Emma" three times? I think I like the
very edginess in the story. It's not quite predictable
Austen, and maybe I like the static of an unlikable
I've read it many times too, and I do enjoy it – just not as much as her others. I don't mind an unlikebale character, but only if there's someone else I can root for, or if the main character is given some trials that allow her to learn or else gets her comeuppance. I'd love to see Emma lose her money and her man – see how she copes if she ended up like poor Miss Bates…
FictionFan – Now, how did I know, right from the start, that there'd be a 'photo of Mr. Darcy somewhere in this post?? 😉 – As to Emma, I agree that she's not easy to like. I've met 'Emmas' in real life, and they're just as annoying as she is. It's hard to fall deeply in love with a novel if you don't care about at least one (or better yet, more than one) of the characters. So I'm not surprised that Emma isn't tops on your Austen list. As you say though, it's well-written and I do like Austen's wit. And Austen at her weakest is heaps better than a lot of people at their best. And she created Mr. Darcy.
Haha! Well, I'm not going to miss an opportunity like that, eh? 😉 Yes, I suppose Miss Bates is the one I sympathise with most in 'Emma', but even she is too much of a toad-eater to be likeable. How I'd love for her to give Emma a piece of her mind! But I agree – still loads better than most books, and if I didn't have P&P and S&S to compare it with, I'd probably like it better. Emma would despise Lizzie, I feel, and be determined to win Darcy for herself…grrr!
Reason enough, sez I, not to be a fan of Emma's …
Yes, I think I have enough rivals for Darcy… 😉
PorterGirl says:
I also find Mr Knightley a bit sinister – almost like he was 'grooming' her to be the ideal wife when she was a child. That's just creepy.
I'm glad you said that, because grooming was the word that was running through my mind all during this re-read. The very fact that Emma can't bring herself to call him anything other than Mr Knightley even once they're married makes me feel a little ill. Different times, I know, but still…
It is just too far over the wrong side of unsettling for my liking. Maybe the boarderline child abuse (albeit not physical) is what made her so unpleasant…
Good point! I've just started the new version of Emma by Alexander Mccall Smith and it's interesting to note he's completely omitted Knightley from Emma's upbringing, and reduced the age difference to a more bearable twelve years, so I don't think we're alone in finding it all a bit…euch!
That is interesting. It's not so much the age-gap as his involvement with her upbringing. Glad to see it's not just us, though!
Yes, it's not the age with me either in this one, especially since she's 21. Colonel Brandon and the 17-year-old Marianne is a bit much for me though…
Emma is not my favorite of Austen's books, but I hadn't actually considered the whole Mr. Knightley molding her to become his bride. Ew. It's been a long time since I read it…and now that you've reviewed it, I won't need to read it again for a long time.
And you are now moderating ?
Yes, a little mini-problem that I think is now resolved, but I thought I'd moderate for a few days just to be sure…
I am sorry that you had a little mini-problem. It just surprised me.
The whole Knightley thing is what really puts me off this book – I know it would have been seen differently back then, but I can't get past the fact that I find it pretty yucky. And, as I said, I felt that even when I was young, so it's not a middle-aged projection… it would have been like me being propositioned by one of my Dad's friends… *shivers*
But I'll still read it again…and again… 😉
It's definitely one to make the calendar go back in time. Now, having said that, my oldest daughter married a man who at the time was twice her age. But he didn't groom her. She made that choice on her own and I did not stand in her way.
Yes, it's the grooming rather than the age difference that really bothers me. Combined with the fact that people tended to die much younger back then, so I always see these young girls as probable widows with youngish children by their late thirties… (yes, I do overthink these things, I know… 😉 )
I may or may not have been told that I do the same thing. 😀
crimeworm says:
Agree with Portergirl and yourself re the "grooming"…it's been a long time since I've read this, and I'm not in a huge hurry to re-read. Great review though! And Mr Darcy's always good to see…:-)
Thanks! Yes, it makes it a slightly uncomfortable read, even though I do usually try to make allowances for different times. Darcy makes fairly regular guest appearances here… 😉
You reassure me that I am not the only one who has a problem with 'Emma'. I have always put my difficulties down to the appalling way in which it was taught while I was at school, but maybe there is something about the book itself as well.
I would actually find this quite a hard one to teach in school, because of the whole Knightey storyline. Probably back when I was at school (eighteenth century) it might have been OK, but kids are so much more aware these days – I doubt the 'grooming' aspects would pass without comment. I also felt the structure was a bit off – two of the main characters, Jane and Frank, aren't even introduced until about the second third of the book… the first third is almost exclusively about Harriet.
Hmmm, I, too, read this a long time ago. Ew. Pygmalion taken to the extreme.
Yes. I'm sure it was all quite acceptable back in those days, and I do try to make allowances for the time of writing, but it's harder in some books than others…
When I re-read this I found I loved it more than the first time.
Despite all I've said, I like it very much – I just don't love it the way I do Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. But I've got no doubt I'll read it again…and again! 🙂
I love the picture of Mr Darcy! Emma is my least favourite of the Austen novels, so much so I only ever read it the once but your post has somehow convinced me that it is now time for a re-read. 🙂
It's a nice one, isn't it? I'm pretty sure it'll appear again…
Haha! Well, you can't blame me this time – I did my best to put you off! 😉 Seriously though, I do think it's well worth re-reading – I might tut-tut about aspects of it, but overall I still find it very readable.
The Lite Rider says:
Ah, that IS better. I've watched this (of course), but never read it. Maybe one of these days I'll start an Austen marathon!
I'm sorta doing an Austen marathon this year because they're issuing all these updated versions of the books in the 'Austen Project'. So even if the new ones aren't great, at least they're encouraging me to enjoy the old ones again…. 🙂
Bookgirl says:
I've always enjoyed reading Emma, but mainly for the writing as i agree I found Emma an insufferable snob, but that being said it's like Scarlett in Gone with the Wind a heroine you love to hate.
Yes, I enjoy the writing too, which is why despite my criticisms I still re-read it every few years! 😆 I'd love to see Emma working the plantation…or dressed up in a curtain, wouldn't you?
Ha-ha you're cracking me up. Every time I try to picture it i laugh so hard that tears fill my eyes and i can no longer see it 🙂 Maybe Emma needs some hard work on the plantation, a few calluses would do her good.
Haha! So long as she doesn't have to help deliver a baby!
*laughing* Stellar Review, for sure, FEF! Well, I suppose, perhaps, you're quite right.
This is how I always figured it: JA wrote P&P, and then wrote it again about a thousand or so times. By that point, she was quite sick of the dadblamery, so she wanted to write a story that was quite different. Therefore, Emma. (Now, I probably have the time element all wrong, but still…it's a compelling argument, I think.)
Maybe you're a bit too hard on Mr. K, too… Perhaps he wanted the perfect wife, and he couldn't find one. So, he set out to create one! *laughing*
Darby is ugly–as usual.
Thanks – I thought you might enjoy this one!
Definitely a compelling argument – but I think you'll really need to read all her books just to check you're right. Only five to go.
Why do Frankenstein and his monster spring to mind?
The Professor is jealous – as usual.
I"m actually surprised to the bottom of my boots that you sorta-semi ripioed it!
Nah, then I'll be a full-fledge JA supporter, and we can't have that.
*laughing* That happened for me as well.
Is not!
See? I can be unpredictable too…
I know you secretly are, anyway! Why else would you have a kiss curl?
I think she'd be improved by bolts through her neck.
*whispers* Is too!
MT is rubbing off on you a bit!
Am not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *&*& (That's some sort of swear word, there.)
*laughs* Cruel!
*holds ears*
Ha! It was still better than Huck Finn….
You will be once you read Northanger Abbey. (Can't be! Dadblameit has far more letters than that!)
*gnomish face*
Was not! Was not! Was not!!!
Hmm…that's the humorous one, huh? You do have a point there. But I won't ever, ever read it! Ever!
Ah, you can't say that till you've read Emma! You can start it straight away since you already own it…
Bet you do! Bet forty years from now, when you're even more ancient than you are now, you'll suddenly want to read it – and then you'll remember me and realise that I was right!
But…but…yes! I can't find it–the sudden.
I'll only read it, if you read something along with me.
Actually, bet you're not!
A likely story! I hope you had your fingers crossed when you said that…
Hah! Even I wouldn't be that wicked! Anyway I quite like the idea of an elderly Professor suddenly remembering me sometime in the 2070s…
*chuckling* You've just put all kinds of strange images into my mind…
I never cross my fingers! I think I have arthritis, you know.
Will I be alive then? I don't know, for sure.
*laughs* Now, I hope they're "good" strange things.
Well, at your advanced age that's to be expected…
Oh yes, I think so – they should have invented immortality by then anyway.
*chuckles wickedly* Mainly it made me think of the Ferengi…
Yes…and it's a pity.
I wonder if it will be administered with a shot.
*laughs* A Star Trek reference!
BigSister says:
Of all the Austens, Emma is my least favourite, so I won't be reading it or McCall Smith's update, so the TBR is safe this time. Great review though, it reminded me of all the things I dislike about it!
I'm really struggling with the McCall Smith – it's making me realise just how good the original is despite all its faults…
Just to comment on the photos: the Paltrow version is pretty awful compared to the Romola Garai version from 2009. She actually made me feel a bit of sympathy for Emma. I read the book even longer ago so my memory is a bit fuzzy.
I haven't seen either version but I admit I was a bit shocked when looking for images to see that Gwyneth Paltrow's Emma seemed to have taken up archery! I'll look out for the 2009 one… 🙂
OH MY GOSH EMMA AS CATHERINE DE BOURGH JUST MADE MY DAY SO MUCH BETTER.
Seriously, though?! They are EXACTLY ALIKE.
Emma is such a twerp. Every time I reread the book I think I'm going to like her better, but she just annoys me all over again!
Haha! I know – they really are! I could just imagine her with that sour face looking down her nose at everyone… Vive la Revolution!
Yes, I keep hoping I'll find a redeeming feature, but actually I think I dislike her more each time I read it. And yet I still read it…
Six Degrees of Separation – From Austen to… – FictionFan's Book Reviews says:
[…] Emma by Jane Austen – a terrifying tale of a middle-aged man who grooms a young girl to grow up as his ideal woman. Poor Emma is offered an escape route, when Mr Elton the curate offers to marry her, but alas! It is too late – her indoctrination is complete! A fine moral lesson to us all from the pen of Ms Austen… […]
Tuesday Terror! The Mark of the Beast by Rudyard Kipling

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text:
Ayrshire and Arran est une des régions de lieutenance d'Écosse. Cette région est formée des council areas de l'East Ayrshire, du North Ayrshire et du South Ayrshire. Elle correspond à l'ancien comté de l'Ayrshire et de l'Île d'Arran. Son nom provient de la ville d'Ayr. Les autres villes d'importance sont Kilmarnock et Irvine.

Région de lieutenance en Écosse

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