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Jump to navigationJump to searchThe Importance of Being Emma by Juliet Archer (view source)
Revision as of 08:17, 19 September 2020
, 08:17, 19 September 2020no edit summary
The story is told in turn by Mark and Emma in short chapters. It took me just a few moments of wondering why Emma was (seemingly) so taken by a nice pair of female legs before I got into the rhythm but after that we swung along very nicely. Sometimes it was laugh-out-loud funny to see the same situation from the so-different perspectives, and Juliet Archer knows how to keep the reader's interest and the plot moving along very smoothly.
So, what would Jane Austen have thought of Juliet Archer's retelling of ''Emma''? Well, she'd have smiled delightedly at the writing, catching as it does the gentle comedy of her own work. She'd have been shocked at the sex scenes, wondering if, like some of the language, they were entirely necessary, ''particularly'' she might have added ''for those of us who are not entirely certain what 'the hilt' is and what it is in 'up to'.'' I think she'd have mused on the fact that the modern Emma is rather more likeable than her Georgian counterpart and enquired if that was deliberate or if we were simply more used to spoilt rich girls. She'd have nodded wisely and accepted the book as a fine tribute.
The retelling of a well-known story is always risky. It can be described as an 'elegant retelling' or, at the other end of the scale, as a 'rip-off'. This isn't quite at the top end of the scale but it certainly gave this jaded reviewer an enjoyable weekend's reading that she wasn't expecting.
I'd like to thank Juliet Archer (see – she's even got the same initials) for sending a copy to The Bookbag. We also loved her [[Persuade Me by Juliet Archer|Persuade Me]].
For another retelling of an old story , we can recommend [[The Food of Love by Anthony Capella]].
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