i was in a wonderful 18th c. lit seminar -- and we closed out
the term by reading "emma" (not, obviously, a book written
in the 18th c., but rather as a way of pointing out where
the development of the novel form in that time was heading
to, as a culmination).
i remember that the wonderful professor, blanford parker (who
sadly--and infuriatingly--didn't get tenure), gave a revolutionary
(to me), brilliant talk on "emma," claiming it as one of the
finest novels written in the english language. that is,
up there with moby dick and ulysses. he spent a
lot of time talking about the shifts of narrative, the different
awarenesses between what we know and what emma knows. i wish
i could remember all that he said about it.
it wasn't my field -- i took the class on a whim -- but that
one hour on "emma" changed the way i think about austen.
it isn't often that people are brave enough to claim austen's
work as great IN ITS OWN RIGHT as opposed to "one of the
best women's novels of the modern era" or something like that.
in my experience, anyway.
thought i'd just throw that in.
--emily, so happy with all this talk about books!
