So, I started reading Jane Austen's
Emma on Monday. I'm about a third of the way through. And...I'm not really loving it. The characterizations seem muddier than in
Pride and Prejudice, the humor less well-drawn and sophisticated. But I've read
Pride and Prejudice so many times that I can't really remember my first experience of it. Help me, folks. Am I missing something? Is there a specific form of commentary Austen's making? A plot twist I should be looking for? (I've seen the most recent movie adaptation and
Clueless, of course, so I'm familiar with the broad strokes.) A particular twinge to the humor? I want to be enjoying this. I want to know if I'm doing something wrong.