书名：Emma爱玛

难度：Lexile蓝思阅读指数990L
作者：Jane Austen
出版社名称：Canterbury Classics
出版时间：2013
语种：英文
ISBN：9781607109464
商品尺寸：13.3 x 3 x 19.7 cm
包装：精装
页数：344

★《哈利·波特》作者J.K.罗琳说：“《爱玛》的结局，是文学非常吸引人的转折。”

Emma《爱玛》是简·奥斯汀的代表作，也是19世纪具有影响力的经典小说之一。全书描绘了一幅英国乡村中产阶级的生活画卷，讲述一个真爱就在身边的故事。与奥斯汀其它几部小说中没钱没势的女主角不同，爱玛是一位有钱有势的绅士的女儿，有点自命不凡，喜欢随心所欲，自己打定主意终身不嫁，却热衷于乱点鸳鸯谱。在闹出许多笑话、吃了不少苦头之后，爱玛自己却坠入了情网。

不少评论家之所以把Emma《爱玛》视为奥斯汀zui成熟的作品，除了小说在描写世态人情方面所具有的深度之外，很大程度上还归功于小说中反复出现的心理描写。作者借助心理描写来展开故事情节，塑造人物形象，这在当时的创作界尚不多见。难怪弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙感叹说：奥斯汀若是多活20年，她就会被视为詹姆斯和普鲁斯特的先驱！

媒体评论：
“简·奥斯汀是完美的……她对人物内心细腻又理智的刻画亦无人能出其右。”——毛姆

“我们读简·奥斯汀，是因为她对我们的了解远远多于我们自己。道理很简单：她影响着我们成为什么样的读者，成为什么样的人。”——哈罗德·布鲁姆

Best-selling Victorian author Jane Austen has created many memorable female characters, with intriguing Emma Woodhouse being perhaps the most popular. Emma, a matchmaker at heart, is obsessed with love and romance—for others. As for her own love life, she wants nothing of it. She even feels repulsed by the amorous declarations she receives. But as her matchmaking schemes go awry, and her friend Harriet shares her feelings toward a certain friend, Mr. Knightley, Emma soon becomes aware of her own heart’s longings. Emma has been one of the most charming coming-of-age love stories for nearly two centuries.

Jane Austen (1775-1817) was born in Hampshire, England, to George Austen, a rector, and his wife, Cassandra. Like many girls of her day, she was educated at home, where she began her literary career by writing parodies and skits for the amusement of her large family. Although Austen did not marry, she did have several suitors and once accepted a marriage proposal, but only for an evening. Although Austen never lived apart from her family, her work shows a worldly and wise sensibility. Her novels include Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1815), and Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, published together posthumously in 1818.

She was the youngest of the two daughters of a most affectionate, indulgent father; and had, in consequence of her sister’s marriage, been mistress of his house from a very early period. Her mother had died too long ago for her to have more than an indistinct remembrance of her caresses; and her place had been supplied by an excellent woman as governess, who had fallen little short of a mother in affection.
Sixteen years had Miss Taylor been in Mr. Woodhouse’s family, less as a governess than a friend, very fond of both daughters, but particularly of Emma. Between them it was more the intimacy of sisters. Even before Miss Taylor had ceased to hold the nominal office of governess, the mildness of her temper had hardly allowed her to impose any restraint; and the shadow of authority being now long passed away, they had been living together as friend and friend very mutually attached, and Emma doing just what she liked; highly esteeming Miss Taylor’s judgment, but directed chiefly by her own.
The real evils, indeed, of Emma’s situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself; these were the disadvantages which threatened alloy to her many enjoyments. The danger, however, was at present so unperceived, that they did not by any means rank as misfortunes with her.
Sorrow came—a gentle sorrow—but not at all in the shape of any disagreeable consciousness.—Miss Taylor married. It was Miss Taylor’s loss which first brought grief. It was on the wedding-day of this beloved friend that Emma first sat in mournful thought of any continuance. The wedding over, and the bride-people gone, her father and herself were left to dine together, with no prospect of a third to cheer a long evening. Her father composed himself to sleep after dinner, as usual, and she had then only to sit and think of what she had lost.
The event had every promise of happiness for her friend. Mr. Weston was a man of unexceptionable character, easy fortune, suitable age, and pleasant manners; and there was some satisfaction in considering with what self-denying, generous friendship she had always wished and promoted the match; but it was a black morning’s work for her. The want of Miss Taylor would be felt every hour of every day. She recalled her past kindness—the kindness, the affection of sixteen years—how she had taught and how she had played with her from five years old— how she had devoted all her powers to attach and amuse her in health— and how nursed her through the various illnesses of childhood. A large debt of gratitude was owing here; but the intercourse of the last seven years, the equal footing and perfect unreserve which had soon followed Isabella’s marriage, on their being left to each other, was yet a dearer, tenderer recollection. She had been a friend and companion such as few possessed: intelligent, well-informed, useful, gentle, knowing all the ways of the family, interested in all its concerns, and peculiarly interested in herself, in every pleasure, every scheme of hers—one to whom she could speak every thought as it arose, and who had such an affection for her as could never find fault.