Emma

Emma, when first published in 1816, was written when Jane Austen was at the height of her powers.  In it, we have her two greatest comic creations -- the eccentric Mr. Woodhouse and that quintissential bore, Miss Bates.  In it, too, we have her most profound characterization:  the witty, imaginative, self-deluded Emma, a heroine the author declared "no one but myself will much like," but who has been much loved  by generations of readers.  Delightfull funny, full of rich irony, Emma is regarded as one of Jane Austen's finest achievements.