Charlotte Brontë's own character and life is reflected in Lucy Snowe, the 23-year-old self-reliant, quiet and intelligent protagonist of Villette, who travels to the fictional city of Villette to teach at an all-girls school where she is unwillingly pulled into both adventure and romance.

With 'no attractive accomplishments – no beauty' and no relations, Lucy seems destined to a life of loneliness. In her lack of fluency in the French language, as well as her English Protestantism, she is isolated and dwarfed in the French Catholicism of Labassecour, apparently friendless.

A handsome English doctor, Dr. John, frequently visits the school because of his love for Lucy's friend, the coquette Ginevra Fanshawe. When Dr. John discovers Ginevra's unworthiness, his brotherly instincts turn his attention to Lucy. She values his close friendship despite her usual emotional reserve.

As the story progresses, Lucy finds herself becoming closer to a colleague, the fiery schoolmaster M. Paul Emanuel, whose character is as fascinating and deep as her own.

Both of these men seem born under a lucky star. Is Lucy doomed to remain, in the teasing Dr. John's eyes, "quiet Lucy Snowe" and "as inoffensive as a shadow", and to the fault-finding M. Emanuel "not without good qualities" but "the least possible to live with on friendly terms," – or will one of them recognize the passion, pain and feeling beneath her outward calm and self-control?

The book is celebrated not so much for the plot as its acute tracing of Lucy's psychology.

Powerful, epic, incredible. One of the best books I have ever read, with an ending that has left me still shivering. I highly recommend Villette, but not without first reading Jane Eyre. I believe the protagonists of both complement each other, and Villette seems to build on Jane Eyre.

I began reading the book very tentatively, uncertain of what to expect – a romance, a tragedy, a sentimental, dark or cheerful narrative. I had heard of the famous ending, and although in the first few chapters kept my expectations low, I soon found myself drawn in and captivated by Lucy Snowe's personality and Charlotte Brontë's stunning way of reaching into the very soul and touching places no other book has touched before. Lucy Snowe has something in her character that we all have, and at times I cried, not tears of sadness, but tears of something I have never felt before.

I cannot assure you how you will feel at the end of the book, but let me say this: it left me touched to the core, and far, far beyond my expectations.

Some people feel disappointed, but don't let people frighten you away from it, because everyone needs to go through the experience of this book.

I am one of Charlotte Brontë's biggest fans. She has a depth of soul and skill of expression in her writing.

You will only understand Villette until you read it, and perhaps you will begin to understand yourself. Let me encourage you by saying the ending is the best I have ever read.

There's a lot of French. Either keep Google Translate nearby, read a version with translation footnotes or just guess and pretend you understand.

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Created Aug 01, 2013 at 11:40pm • Submit your own review...