** spoiler alert ** 
 The underlying story is fun and clever: Emma believes herself to be so intuitive and perceptive about other people and their relationships, while the reader is seeing that she doesn't have any of it quite right. Some people she sees as cold are actually very nice, those she sees as clever also have a darker side, those she sees as silly or stupid can actually be quite perceptive and kind. She helps along one relationship (the Westons) and sees herself as a consummate matchmaker - unfortunately she steers one friend away from the man who will eventually be her husband, encourages this friend to fall for a man who is actually in "love" with Emma and ends up marrying someone else once rejected, Emma thinks she loves one man and then (when she realizes she doesn't) again tries to match her friend up with him, and she completely misses the surprise relationship of the book. Seeing her miss the boat and yet somehow not doubt her matchmaking prowess was really entertaining. 
 It's always a little dicey to read about women in classic literature - they (and particularly the supporting cast) are often portrayed as silly, vain, petty, jealous and with an appalling lack of curiosity OR as saintly women with incredible grace, charm, patience and tolerance. The main character often has some mix of good and bad qualities and experiences growth through the book - Emma is generally a good person who sometimes gets caught up by her own jealousy or sense of superiority or self-confidence. She does grow into a more understanding and self-aware person by the end of the book, which was gratifying to see. 
 One of the nice things about the book, especially for a summer read, is that everyone ends up where they should be. It's nice to have a happy ending, especially during the summer! I normally start out thinking that a book will rate a 3/5 and adjust from there; since this was Austen, I started out with about a 2! In the end, I give the book a 3.5/5, so it really was much better than I thought, but it's still not my favorite. 
 I will read more Austen (Pride and Prejudice is on my list for this year) and hope for the best. I don't think I will ever really be a fan, but I enjoyed the writing and just need to read her books when I'm in the right mood, which is true of most books!