The definitive text of Jane Austens penetrating and sparkling satire Emma this Penguin Classics edition includes an introduction by Fiona Stafford.Emma Woodhouse handsome clever rich - and fiercely independent - is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing however delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the advice of her good friend Mr Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her pretty naïve Harriet Smith her well-laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships Emma is often seen as Jane Austens most flawless work.Edited with an introduction by Fiona Stafford this edition includes a chronology additional suggestions for further reading and the original Penguin Classics introduction by Tony Tanner. Jane Austen (1775-1817) was extremely modest about her own genius but has become one of English literatures most famous women writers. Austen began writing at a young age embarking on what is possibly her best-known work Pride and Prejudice at the age of 22. She was also the author of Sense and Sensibility Persuasion Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park. If you enjoyed Emma you may like Charlotte Brontës Villette also available in Penguin Classics. These modern editions are to be strongly recommended for their scrupulous texts informative notes and helpful introductionsBrian Southam the Jane Austen Society The author of Emma ... has produced sketches of such spirit and originality that ... in this class she stands almost aloneSir Walter Scott