Emma Recap One
"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..."
“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.”
Today we officially begin our big spring readalong with the first nine chapters of Emma. We can’t wait to hear what you think so far! Pop into our Instagram comments or join our Patreon Discord chat so we can discuss our first section together.
Bonus homework: when you’re finished reading and listening to this week’s episode, check out the opening scenes from Clueless (1995) and Emma (2020) to see how the adaptations compare:
Recap Schedule
Dates indicate when the recap episode airs, so if you want to keep up and avoid spoilers, you will read each section by that date. Of course you can also read at your own pace and join in whenever you want! We always have asynchronous readers in our group, and we’re excited to have you at any time.
March 11: Volume 1, 1-9 or Chapters 1-9
March 18: Volume 1, 10-18 or Chapters 10-18
March 25: Volume 2, 1-8 or Chapters 19-26
April 1: Volume 2, 9-18 or Chapters 27-36
April 8: Volume 3, 1-10 or Chapters 37-46
April 15: Volume 3, 11-19 or Chapters 47-End
Patreon Happenings
We have even more Austen content for our Patreon community, including Footnotes Episodes, Classes, and Book Club Discussions.
Every Friday throughout this Austen spring, we'll release bonus episodes called "Footnotes" exclusively on Patreon. These episodes will enrich our discussions, offering an additional layer of insight into the world of Emma.
Literature Scholars also have access to the following events:
March 12: Point of View Lecture (recorded) @ 7 pm EST on Zoom
In this conversational and informative lecture, Chelsey and Sara will take you on a deep dive into Point of View and its function in fiction. We will go beyond defining “first person, third person” etc. to examine how Austen’s free indirect discourse shapes her stories, as well as how POV has impacted contemporary literature.
March 26: Book Club Discussion on the first half of Emma @ 7 pm EST on Zoom
April 23: Special Guest Lecture (recorded) with Austen Scholar Devoney Looser @ 7 pm on Zoom
Professor Devoney Looser joins us to reveal scholarly insights on Emma, Austen’s life and family, and her legacy in this very special lecture. Check out her Substack newsletter and upcoming book for a preview of what’s in store for our patrons.
April 30: Book Club Discussion on all of Emma @ 7 pm EST on Zoom
Join our Patreon community to get the most out of your readalong experience!
As a reminder…
This is our final season of Novel Pairings. We’re still sad to close the book on this passion project, but we are grateful for every listener who joined us to make classic literature readable, relevant, and fun. If you missed this announcement, you can catch up with this video explaining our decision.
We’ll be back on the main feed with the first Emma recap next week! Until then, we declare after all, there is no enjoyment like reading. How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book!
Thank you for supporting the podcast and our work to make public scholarship fun and accessible. If you would like to stay connected to what’s happening at Novel Pairings, make sure to subscribe to this Substack and follow us on Instagram. Make sure you never miss an episode by subscribing to the show wherever you get your podcasts. And if you love the work we’re doing, please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts!