amazon.com Paperback - 256 pages Reprint edition (May 1997)  St. Martin's Press; ISBN: 031215707X Audiobook Audio Cassette unabridged edition (December 1998)  Isis Audio; ISBN: 1856955273

amazon.co.uk Paperback - 252 pages ( 5 September, 1996)  Orion; ISBN: 0575400420

amazon.ca Paperback - 252 pages 0 edition (June 7, 2002)  St. Martin's Press; ISBN: 031215707X Audiobook Audio Cassette unabridged edition (September 1997)  Isis Audio; ISBN: 1856955273

I was in the public library a couple of weeks ago and ran across Jane Fairfax by Joan Aiken. The subtitle is Jane Austen's EMMA, through another's eyes. But it is a bit of a prequel as it begins when Jane and Emma are six years old.

It is not a very good book, but it is also not very bad. There are a number of inconsistencies with Austen's novel, but I found the perspective interesting and enjoyed it. I would give it about the the same rating as Darcy's Story, a recent allusion to Pride and Prejudice narrated from Mr. Darcy's point of view.

Emma is written as a selfish, self-centered, snobbish, insincere, envious, often unkind, child - and not a much better adult, either, until she falls in love with Mr. Knightley. Jane is very remarkable and kind, but is alway made to feel inferior to Emma during their early childhood. The book also describes Jane's life with her guardians, the Campbells, whom she lives with from ages eight through twenty-one. She is portrayed as superior to the Campbell daughter, Rachel, in every way; beauty, accomplishments, personality. Aiken gives Jane a lingering crush on Mr. Knightley and an active love for Rachel's husband, Mr. Dixon, vindicating Emma's fantastic suspicions in the original novel.

Frank Churchill first becomes attracted to Jane because he feels that their situations are similar; both have been removed from their loved ones to be raised by others. Frank is not written as self-centered nor shallow, but as somewhat insecure. He uses charm and ease of address to make himself acceptable to his adopted parents, all their acquaintances and everyone that he meets. Frank talks her into the secret engagement at a very vulnerable period in her life. She finally comes to love him after he has supported her through her troubles and has shown her a great deal of love and devotion.

I must confess it totally renewed my interest in the Jane/Frank story, after I had watched E2 too       many times- which doesn't really give that part as much coverage. I thoroughly enjoyed it as a novel in itself. I thought it interesting that Aiken seems to think Jane extremely reluctant to enter into the secret engagement, also that Jane doesn't appear to really love Frank yet - I had always assumed that she must have!

And an even more striking thing, I thought, was that Aiken shows Jane really falling in love with Mr. Dixon and FC noticed it himself, and yet he still taunts her with talking about it with Emma very cruelly! I had always thought that FC had made the story up himself - and that FC and JF had both been well acquainted with Dixon, and he had helped them form the engagement! I did not think that Frank could be so  cruel for it to be true!

Emma herself doesn't appear quite right, I'm not sure what it is, but in the first part of the book (the more fictional part of their childhood, etc.) I thought her character did not seem quite correct with Emma. If anyone else has read this, I would be excessively delighted to hear another's opinion!

I didn't like the way Emma was depicted in Jane Fairfax either. She was too unsympathetic. But I guess we're seeing her through the eyes of someone who doesn't like her.

I did enjoy the part about Frank passing notes and small gifts to Jane. So sweet. 

This book does a very good job of detailing Jane's background and feelings in a very credible way, although Emma does suffer from it (she's pretty much a snob). The story of the Campbells and Dixons is also well explained, as is why Jane consents to the secret engagement.

My only major problem with this book (aside from artistic issues) is that it seems to hate Emma. While I know she does hit people the wrong way, I feel with her, both her follies and triumphs. That's why I'd like to take an opportunity to bash the pony-riding scene and the fair scene. In both of these, Emma behaves in a completely, transparently shallow manner that I do not see in the original novel. The first might be excused by saying that Emma was very young, but pretending to be hurt is not something I would expect of her. The fair, where she brazenly acts like a hypocrite and firmly rolls over Harriet, is simply not within my interpretation. At this point in the novel, Emma is     beginning to become aware of her faults, and such a open display of them does not suit the continuity. Not to mention that it's not in the book. However, I did appreciate the final scene with Jane and Emma. A nice touch, to have Emma write novels.

Frank Churchill was a gleam of light, both for Jane and for the book. His portrayal reminded me somewhat of Lord Peter Wimsey, in his pleasant and funny babble (especially in the proposal scene). A far cry from Andrew Davies' "dangerous, misogynistic charmer." Oh, how I loved it when he shouted "Jane!".

And that brings me to the best part of the book: Jane herself. The book perfectly captures her wonderful nature, sweet, kind, stubborn, and tormented by her powerful feelings. This fits in well with the wonderful portrayal by Olivia Williams in the ITV/A&E Emma, where luminous beauty was matched by very, very fine eyes. While her imagined relationship with the Campbells was a weaker part of the story, her falling for Mr. Matt Dixon (a cad if there ever was one) and Mr. Knightley (sniff) gives the story a feels of tragedy that made it stay with me after I read it. The robust core of the novel is how well it captures the story of heartbreak, courage, and love in a bittersweet mixture.

That's a story worth reading.

Aiken, however, is a good writer, and I think I would have enjoyed the book much more on its own merits, if I hadn't ever read Emma.

I thought so too [...it also makes Emma seem much smarter than she was, because in Aiken's version of the story, Jane really IS in love with Mr Dixon (and also with Mr Knightley!). IMO this is very much contrary to what JA implied in the novel. (snip)]. If Jane really was in love with Mr. Dixon, Frank would never have joked about it. Also, Mr. Dixon is made into a character that's more charismatic and flamboyant than Frank Curchill--this seems totally wrong to me!

 I completely agree [It always seemed to me that Jane was desperately in love with Frank, and that was the only thing that could have compelled her to stray from what she knew was right.]. I was very disappointed in the whole Weymouth episode--I expected to read a detailed description of a secret, whirlwind romance. I found the whole novel to be fairly depressing and melancholy.

Overall, I do find the book engaging and enjoyable, but I think there's wonderful potential in a parrallel to Emma to both tell Jane's story and make an interesting commentary on Austen's version - but this book isn't it.