In Jane Austen's "Emma", Mr. Woodhouse doesn't like change, so he objects to marriages and especially to Emma's desire to bring couples like Mr. Weston and Miss Taylor together: "I wish you would not make matches and foretell things, for whatever you say always comes to pass." From Mr. Woodhouse's perspective, then, Emma's words create stories – and Emma herself enjoys her story-making "as the greatest amusement in the world!" This amusement comes from making unexpected things happen: "Every body said that Mr. Weston would never marry again." Emma thus sees herself as a novelist coming up with plot twists – until, of course, her attempt to "match" Mr. Elton and Harriet Smith backfires. (Andrew Shields, #111words, 14 January 2021)

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[First edition of Emma.]

The first editions will go up for auction at Sotheby's next month

"Whatever you say always comes to pass": Emma as novelist