As Emma Woodhouse attempts to orchestrate the romantic lives of those around her, Austen expertly reveals that she may not be as much in control as she would like to believe. Emma was first published in 1816, the year before Jane Austen died. Austen herself thought that Emma was someone “no one but myself will much like”. In spite of Austen’s fears, the indomitable Emma Woodhouse continues to win the loyal hearts of each new generation of readers.