People
Surprizes are foolish things. The pleasure is not enhanced, and the inconvenience is often considerable.
— Jane Austen ‧ Emma
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The speaker dismisses surprises on practical grounds: they add no pleasure and can create considerable inconvenience. That flat assessment strips away their usual appeal. The dry humour lies in treating an attempt to delight someone as an arrangement that simply produces more trouble than it is worth.
Context reviewed