Jane Austen's Emma follows a young woman convinced she has a gift for matchmaking, and no small amount of confidence in her own good judgement. Emma Woodhouse has wealth, wit, and time on her hands in the village of Highbury, and she puts all three to use arranging the romantic lives of everyone around her, with results that are rarely what she intended. It's one of Austen's sharpest comedies of manners, a novel about the gap between how clever we think we are and how clever we actually are.
This edition is part of the Masterpiece Library, a series built on the idea that a classic deserves a binding that matches it. It's a book meant to be kept, reread, and handed down, not just read once and shelved.
What makes this edition worth having
The hardcover is deluxe and durably bound, with an embossed cover finished in iridescent highlighting and a foil-stamped spine. The quarter-binding uses reinforced cloth for extra durability at the spine, the part of any hardcover that takes the most wear over years of reading. Pages are printed on premium acid-free, archival-quality paper, so the book is built to last rather than yellow and crumble with age. The paper itself is cream-coloured, and the font, type size, and line spacing have been chosen specifically for comfortable reading, even in low or imperfect light. A matching satin ribbon bookmark is included, so you'll never lose your place.
At 472 pages, this edition contains the complete, unabridged text of Austen's novel.
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Why it makes a good gift
Because it's as much a keepsake as it is a reading copy, this edition suits birthdays, graduations, and any occasion calling for a thoughtful gift for a reader. It's equally at home as a personal addition to a home library, particularly for anyone who already loves Austen or is coming to her work for the first time.
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