Today I was able to finish Jane Austen's Emma. It was a quicker read than I thought. While portions of it were entertaining, even amusing, the rest of it smacked of the kind of "slice of life" literature that doesn't engage the reader. I hope that in its day it was a much better read, when the effects of class, social status, manners, and impropriety were more relevant than they are today. While the writing was well executed --indeed, the dialog was brilliantly executed-- it will be a long time before I pick up another Jane Austen novel.
