Emma (1996): Film vs Book

About the film

A young woman with a quick tongue and a sharp eye for good manners decides to find husbands for her friends, and keeps getting it wrong.

How close is it to the book?

The film keeps the novel's plot and its gentle comedy, with a cheerful look and a few trimmed scenes. The heroine's mistakes are the same, and so is her good heart.

Read or watch first?

Choose the film for a light afternoon, and the novel for the long pleasures of Austen's narration.

What the book gives you

Emma by Jane Austen

A bright, funny village world full of matchmaking, misunderstandings and affectionate wit. It is a cozy, clever read that ends in a deeply satisfying way.

Who will like it: Readers who enjoy social comedy, matchmaking games and a charming heroine who learns as she goes.