Emma by Alexander McCall Smith

This is a modern retelling of the Emma story. I do like Alexander McCall Smith’s somewhat dry Scottish voice. I suspect he is incarnate in Miss Taylor, Emma’s Scottish governess. However it is almost a colouring in by numbers retelling – the translation into the present doesn’t sparkle. I felt there was a lot more he could have done with it but it’s almost as if he’s just trotted it out. Having said all that though, it’s a pleasant enough read, though it does rely on a clear recollection of the original. Not worth buying; wait till someone lends it to you!