Emma by Jane Austen: autonomy and companionship
04/30/25 • 72 min
In this episode, we discuss, laugh about, and delight Jane Austen's Emma. We talk about the novel’s themes of autonomy and companionship and how these are at odds; we also delve into what we think the book is saying about love, marriage, friendship, and class. We of course giggle and marvel over the book’s wonderful characters, and we also get a bit nerdy as we make comparisons to Shakespeare’s comedies.
Links:
The Powers of the Instrument: Or, Jane, Frank, and the Pianoforte [JASNA]
Books Mentioned & Shelf Discovery
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
As You Like It by William Shakespeare
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
The Luck of the Bodkins by PG Wodehouse
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto
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We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, we discuss, laugh about, and delight Jane Austen's Emma. We talk about the novel’s themes of autonomy and companionship and how these are at odds; we also delve into what we think the book is saying about love, marriage, friendship, and class. We of course giggle and marvel over the book’s wonderful characters, and we also get a bit nerdy as we make comparisons to Shakespeare’s comedies.
Links:
The Powers of the Instrument: Or, Jane, Frank, and the Pianoforte [JASNA]
Books Mentioned & Shelf Discovery
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
As You Like It by William Shakespeare
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
The Luck of the Bodkins by PG Wodehouse
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles: imagination and balance
Shruti and Neha discuss Amor Towle's beloved tale of confinement, A Gentleman in Moscow, through the themes of balance and imagination. We provide some historical context for the events of the novel, share what we loved, and provide some critiques (including our thoughts on the ending). We also talk about the Paramount TV adaptation and compare its themes and mission to those of the book.
Books Mentioned & Shelf Discovery:
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
The Last Queen by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
Emma by Jane Austen: Adaptations
In this episode we discuss the many adaptations of Jane Austen’s Emma: Emma (1996 with Gwyneth Paltrow), Emma (1996 with Kate Beckinsale), Emma (2020 with Anya Taylor Joy), Clueless (1995 with Alicia Silverstone). We talk all about what each version gets right, and what it gets wrong, and decide on a favorite Emma, a favorite Knightely, and favorite overall!
We also reference a few other Emma adaptations, including Aisha (2010 with Sonam Kapoor), Emma Approved (Youtube Miniseries), and Emma of 83rd Street by Aubrey Bellezza and Emily Harding.
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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