Emma Woodhouse is the "handsome, clever, and rich" character from Jane Austen's classic novel of manners. Set in early 19th century England, Emma is considered a comic masterpiece. It follows the heroine through seemingly trivial daily affairs as she tries to play matchmaker, often with hilarious and disastrous results. The overestimation of her powers and repeated meddling get her in plenty of trouble. Unlike Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, which were about young women struggling to get married, Emma is Austen's only book about a financially independent woman: thus she is "immune to romantic attraction." It's also a commentary on class and feminist issues, but it's a comedy so don't let all that get in the way of a good read. Unfortunately, though Emma was written at the height of Austen's powers, and she reached the pinnacle of her fame from the book, her glory was short lived as she died a year later.