Emma: Reading Notes

I'm starting to remember what I like about Emma as I get into the sections describing Isabella & John's visit to Hartfield with Emma being a kind hostess, keeping the peace between all the difficult personalities. And I'm finding myself relating (in a strange way) to hypochondriac Mr. Wodehouse more and more but also to anti-social John Knightley. This is so how I feel most of the time:

"... there was something honourable and valuable in the strong domestic habits, the all sufficiency of home to himself, whence resulted her brother's disposition to look down on the common rate of social intercourse, and those to whom it was important..." (p.121)

I love this paragraph. You can just feel Jane Austen laughing at the high and mighty Emma who thinks she knows best for everyone:

"I thank you; but I assure you you are quite mistaken. Mr. Elton and I are very good friends, and nothing more;" and she walked on, amusing herself in the consideration of the blunders which often arise from a partial knowledge of circumstances, of the mistakes which people of high pretensions to judgment are for ever falling into; and not very well pleased with her brother for imagining her blind and ignorant, and in want of counsel. He said no more." (p.138)