Review: "Villette" by Charlotte Brontë
Villette by Charlotte Brontë may be downloaded for free from our ebook catalog.
If you're expecting something similar to Charlotte Brontë's more famous novel Jane Eyre, you will most likely be disillusioned with Villette--but that's not to say you won't like it. While both novels enjoy similar craftsmanship, the tone could not be more different. Personally, I had a hard time the first time I picked up Villette. However after reading several comments on the C19 forum that promised an enthralling story, some said better than Jane Eyre, I picked it up again.
This time around several favorable aspects of the novel appeared. One is the quality of not just the story but of the storytelling. The book is sonorous--Brontë has a strong and poetic command over the language that is especially apparent in this, her final novel. Another was the beautifully detailed inner turmoil of our protagonist, Lucy Snowe. Some say much of the inspiration for Villette was taken from Brontë's own life, from the time she spent in Belgium teaching English. This would make sense, as Lucy Snowe's thoughts seem too minutely described to be drawn purely from imagination.
In spite of all the intricate details, Lucy Snowe is a most ambiguous and intriguing narrator. Over a third of the story she keeps a startling secret from the reader, and then casually mentions it as if it were a simple side note. I found myself having dreams of reading Villette and finding more surprising plot twists and turns. I will definitely put this one the "to re-read" shelf and look forward to new odd experiences Lucy Snowe will inflict next time.
A note on the text--there is a lot of French dialog. So if you don't know any French, you will be lost. If you know a tiny bit of French, you will do okay, but you will wish you had kept up better with your foreign language skills.
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Hey , that's a nice review you have got over here. I had read this novel some time ago and personally , I LOVE IT. The plot of the novel is so perfectly weaved, the style is quite interesting and the characters very vivid. I honestly felt myself inside the story , feeling every feeling and emotion and anxious to know what will happen. This novel has inspired me alot and personally , I have really been amazed by the strength and firmness of Lucy Snowe's character.
It is time I finish speaking. Thanks for the review
Thank you for this very helpful information, I'm now finishing up reading Jane Eyre & plan to follow it with this one. Surprisingly, I like Jane Eyre though I have known a lot of it's plot from reading some reviews in the net - Charlotte Bronte is so good that she doesn't have to rely much on the plot to make her story interesting. This has really encouraged me to read Villette.
That's an interesting insight--her writing is indeed very powerful. It's more apparent in Villette, I think, as there isn't too much that happens that isn't part of Lucy's internal struggle, but she makes it an exciting read just the same.
My very favorite Bronte book! Thanks for reviewing it. I wish it were better known.
As much as I wanted to enjoy Villette, I just never really got into it. I can't explain why, but the story just did't resonate with me. I absolutely LOVE Shirley, though, Bronte's other novel (in addition to Jane Eyre, of course). It's a wonderful story.