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Quick answer: If you loved Emma, read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion and Sense and Sensibility, then Fanny Burney's Evelina, then Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford, and E.F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia and Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary. All are witty Regency comedies.
Jane Austen's Emma (1815) follows a meddling matchmaker. These picks share its comedy of manners.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pride and Prejudice | Jane Austen | Adult | readers who love romance |
| Persuasion | Jane Austen | Adult | readers who like second chances |
| Sense and Sensibility | Jane Austen | Adult | sisters |
| Northanger Abbey | Jane Austen | Adult | bookish heroines |
| Mansfield Park | Jane Austen | Adult | quiet heroines |
| Sanditon | Jane Austen | All ages | unfinished novel |
| Evelina | Fanny Burney | Adult | early comedy of manners |
| Cranford | Elizabeth Gaskell | Adult | classic small-town fiction |
| Mapp and Lucia | E.F. Benson | Adult | readers who like social comedy |
| Bridget Jones's Diary | Helen Fielding | Adult | readers who want the original |
| Longbourn | Jo Baker | Adult | below stairs |
| Cold Comfort Farm | Stella Gibbons | Adult | readers who like satire |
| Vanity Fair | William Makepeace Thackeray | Adult | satire of society |
| Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine | Gail Honeyman | Adult | readers who like quirky heroines |
| Bet Me | Jennifer Crusie | Adult | romantic humor |
1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Elizabeth Bennet meets the proud Mr. Darcy in Austen's wittiest romance. A perfect pairing for Anne fans.
Best for: readers who love romance.
2. Persuasion by Jane Austen
Anne Elliot gets a second chance with the man she once refused. Quiet and mature.
Best for: readers who like second chances.
3. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Two sisters with opposite temperaments face love and money. A classic of family and feeling.
Best for: sisters.
4. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
A girl who loves gothic novels visits an old abbey. Light and funny.
Best for: bookish heroines.
5. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Fanny Price grows up in a wealthy relative's house. Quiet and morally serious.
Best for: quiet heroines.
6. Sanditon by Jane Austen
Austen's final, unfinished work about a seaside resort town. Lively and fresh.
Best for: unfinished novel.
7. Evelina by Fanny Burney
A young woman enters London society. A precursor to Austen's own novels.
Best for: early comedy of manners.
8. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
Gentle sketches of a small Victorian town run by women. A classic of village life.
Best for: classic small-town fiction.
9. Mapp and Lucia by E.F. Benson
Two rivals in an English seaside town battle for social supremacy. Sharp, funny and cozy.
Best for: readers who like social comedy.
10. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
Bridget records her love life, weight and work. The classic of the genre.
Best for: readers who want the original.
11. Longbourn by Jo Baker
Pride and Prejudice seen from the servants' side. Earthy, human and moving.
Best for: below stairs.
12. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
Flora Poste goes to live with her relatives and sets about tidying up their lives. A hilarious parody.
Best for: readers who like satire.
13. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
Becky Sharp schemes her way up in Napoleonic-era England. Witty and sharp.
Best for: satire of society.
14. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor, a lonely office worker, slowly opens up to a kind colleague. Funny, sad and healing.
Best for: readers who like quirky heroines.
15. Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
A romantic comedy about a bet and a diner full of friends. Not a mystery, but just as funny.
Best for: romantic humor.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Emma: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Emma. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For Austen, read Pride and Prejudice. For comedy, try Bridget Jones's Diary. For romance, pick Persuasion.
Related: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Emma?
Jane Austen, in 1815.
Is there a film?
Yes, several, including Clueless (1995).
Is Emma likeable?
She is flawed but charming.
Which book here is best for romantic humor?
Try Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie, which suits readers looking for romantic humor.
Which book here is best for readers who like quirky heroines?
Try Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, which suits readers looking for readers who like quirky heroines.
Which book here is best for satire of society?
Try Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray, which suits readers looking for satire of society.
Which book here is best for readers who like satire?
Try Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons, which suits readers looking for readers who like satire.
Which book here is best for below stairs?
Try Longbourn by Jo Baker, which suits readers looking for below stairs.
Which book here is best for readers who want the original?
Try Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding, which suits readers looking for readers who want the original.
Which book here is best for readers who like social comedy?
Try Mapp and Lucia by E.F. Benson, which suits readers looking for readers who like social comedy.