Jane Austen teased readers with the idea of a 'heroine whom no one but myself will much like' but Emma is irresistible. ' Handsome clever & rich' Emma is also an 'imaginist' 'on fire with speculation & foresight'. She sees the signs of romance all around her but thinks she will never be married. Her matchmaking maps out relationships that Jane Austen ironically tweaks into a clearer perspective. Judgement & imagination are matched in games the reader too can enjoy & the end is a triumph of understanding.