emma, emma

while i have a few years on emma, i am blessed to identify with her world "with little to distress or vex her."

"emma woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her." {emma, jane austen}

"success supposes endeavour."  {emma, jane austen}

"i lay it down as a general rule, harriet, that if a woman doubts as to whether she should accept a man or not, she certainly ought to refuse him.  if she can hesitate as to 'yes,' she ought to say 'no' directly.  it is not a state to be safely entered into with doubtful feelings, with half a heart."  {emma, jane austen}

"you must be the best judge of your own happiness."  {emma, jane austen}

"it is always incomprehensible to a man that a woman should ever refuse an offer of marriage.  a man always imagines a woman to be ready for any body to ask her."  {emma, jane austen}

"that is the case with us all, papa.  one half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other."  {emma, jane austen}

"there are people, who the more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves."  {emma, jane austen}

"nobody, who has not been in the interior of a family, can say what the difficulties of any individual of that family may be."  {emma, jane austen}

"emma was sorry;--to have to pay civilities to a person she did not like through three long months!--to be always doing more than she wished, and less than she ought!"  {emma, jane austen}

"but one never does form a just idea of any body beforehand.  one takes up a notion, and runs away with it."  {emma, jane austen}

"human nature is so well disposed towards those who are in interesting situations, that a young person, who either marries or dies, is sure of being kindly spoken of."  {emma, jane austen}

"'if you are very kind,' said he, "it will be one of the waltzes we danced last night;--let me live them over again.  you did not enjoy them as i did; you appeared tired the whole time.  i believe you were glad we danced no longer; but i would have given worlds--all the worlds one ever has to give--for another half-hour.'"  {emma, jane austen}

"what felicity it is to hear a tune again which has made one happy!"  {emma, jane austen}

"it may be possible to do without dancing entirely.  instances have been known of young people passing many, many months successively, without being at any ball of any description, and no material injury accrue either to body or mind;--but when a beginning is made--when the felicities of rapid motion have once been, though slightly, felt--it must be a very heavy set that does not ask for more."  {emma, jane austen}

"when people shut themselves up entirely from society, it is a very bad thing; and that it is much more advisable to mix in the world in a proper degree, without having in it either too much or too little."  {emma, jane austen}

"consider what you are about.  perhaps it will be wisest in you to check your feelings while you can; at any rate do not let them carry you far, unless you are persuaded of his liking you.  be observant of him.  let his behaviour be the guide of your sensations."  {emma, jane austen}

"what an air of probability sometimes runs through a dream!"  {emma, jane austen}

"seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised, or a little mistaken; but where, as in this case, though the conduct is mistaken, the feelings are not, it may not be very material."  {emma, jane austen}

i enjoyed this book.  lots of fun quotes and drama, drama, drama.