An Apple Books Classic edition.

Emma Woodhouse may just be Jane Austen’s most controversial character. Some see her as a spoiled narcissist who’s deluded about reality, while others view her as a well-intentioned and bitingly sarcastic young woman who matures before our eyes.

This well-loved novel-which is often adapted for the screen-is set in the early 19th century, among England’s landed gentry. After seeing her governess happily married, Emma decides she is a natural matchmaker and devises a plan to find her new friend Harriet a mate. What follows has all the makings of a contemporary soap opera. As usual, Austen portrays her contemporaries with a brilliant and subtle snark. Emma is a wonderfully entertaining read.