Villette in Reading the Classics

Feb 04, 2017 Henry Avila rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Lucy Snowe a plain -looking quiet 23-year- old intelligent woman in need of money and help, ( stating it mildly) she has no family left in England in an era before Victoria came to the throne, her godmother Mrs. Bretton who lived in a small town ironically named Bretton, has moved to colossal London with her handsome son John Graham, no way to find the widow there. Still Lucy is not without skill, she is a capable resourceful nevertheless almost destitute lady gathering all her few pitiful coins Lucy Snowe a plain -looking quiet 23-year- old intelligent woman in need of money and help, ( stating it mildly) she has no family left in England in an era before Victoria came to the throne, her godmother Mrs. Bretton who lived in a small town ironically named Bretton, has moved to colossal London with her handsome son John Graham, no way to find the widow there. Still Lucy is not without skill, she is a capable resourceful nevertheless almost destitute lady gathering all her few pitiful coins and decides boldly to cross the English Channel to seek fortune there, in a foreign land... mad or brilliant idea the future will tell. Arriving in the exciting, prosperous, glamorous capital city of Villette , (Brussels, Belgium) searching for lodging in a recommended inn, she stumbles among the thick dark ... the black gloom the unlighted ominous roads and shadows agitated, lost...some unknown men following...coming to a rather peculiar house...knocking ...the door finally opens... This is Madame Beck's school for girls, and the owner very shrewd an attractive widow in her late 30's wants an Englishwoman to take care of her three little precious daughters, luckily Lucy gets the job, but first the unpleasant dismissal of the current holder of the position an alcoholic lady, who drank one too many bottles. In a short time another great unexpected opportunity unfolds, the English teacher doesn't show up for work Madame Beck is not happy, this has occurred too often the owner of the prestigious establishment is strict, unforgiving and the lazy teacher will be the same soon (unhappy); dragging the petrified Lucy into the classroom full of young, intimidating girls and says teach...sink or swim...she floats. The new teacher slowly begins to feel comfortable, a natural instructor has ability, the students no longer are frightening. She begins to notice a professor M.Paul Emanuel, Madame Beck's extremely knowledgeable cousin, a ferocious man all around him ... they are scared of ( make that terrified ) little in stature, but big in power. Lucy becomes quite sick the school's regular doctor is away, a young English physician treats her at his home and seems familiar, so does the furniture...yes it's John Graham Bretton and his mother her godmother, the lonely woman has friends now. More acquaintances from her youth found in Villette, little, sweet, Polly Home the six- year- old who lived in Mrs. Bretton's house a short time and her rich father also, is now 17 a countess with new names, de Bassompierre inherited from aristocratic relatives on the continent...Love will complicate life as it will do forever, these people fall and arise, seek new partners, the eternal bumpy journey in search of the unreachable happiness, contentment, is it an illusion?.. Yet the trek will go on and on... Charlotte Bronte's second best book, some heretics say her masterpiece but they are in the minority... ...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Nicole D. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Villette is a whole different creature then Jane Eyre. When I was younger and carefree this book felt so cold and depressing. I am older and wiser now. I feel that I understand Lucy better now. I feel the older I get the more I understand her. Rest in Peace Charlotte may we meet in the undiscovered country someday.

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Jan 04, 2013 Michelle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Villette was a journal of Miss Lucy Snowe. The setting was mostly in the town of Villette, France. It was a sad chronicles by a person whose life was filled with tragic events from childhood until her adulthood. I admit that it was a difficult read especially with the absence of translation for characters dialogue in French. But I guess this added to the story authentic value. The writing though, was excellent and beautiful.

Speaking of the narrator, Lucy Snowe was not charming, also she was a ve Villette was a journal of Miss Lucy Snowe. The setting was mostly in the town of Villette, France. It was a sad chronicles by a person whose life was filled with tragic events from childhood until her adulthood. I admit that it was a difficult read especially with the absence of translation for characters dialogue in French. But I guess this added to the story authentic value. The writing though, was excellent and beautiful.

Speaking of the narrator, Lucy Snowe was not charming, also she was a very different person than I am, it was hard to relate to her and her decisions. The way Charlotte Bronte planned the plots and revelations was genius. At the beginning, I was dumbstruck at the method Lucy dealt with her money and later, it was revealed she had no basic arimethic background. However, she did not gave up on improving herself so she would be worthy of her position as teacher at Rue Fosette.

Lucy’s relationships with the people from her childhood (The Brettons and The Homes/de Bassompierre) as well as the people in Rue Fosette (particularly M. Emanuel, Mdm. Beck and Ginevra Fanshawe) were interesting. She was a quiet person, keeping things to herself rather than confided to her friends. The tragedies that had followed her throughout her young life had not only scarred her emotionally but also negative impacts on her person long afterwards. She was afraid to be close to people in fear they would be snatched away from her by another or death. Based from what I had read, her fear was very much well founded. Misfortunes kept on tailing her, preventing the much deserved happiness away from our poor narrator until the bitter end.

As for the other characters, my favorite was most probably the owner of the bookstore. Even though he only appeared for perhaps a paragraph or two and was mentioned by M. Emmanuel and Lucy once or twice, he was, in my opinion, the most likable person in this tale. Ginevra Fanshawe, on the other hand, won the award for the most entertaining character. I found Paulina to be annoying and her relationship with her father was too co-dependent. Same went for Dr. John and his mother. Dr. John and Paulina romance that took up few of the chapters bored me to death and cheesy at its best. Monsieur Emmanuel was at first, came off as an extremely unlikable man but once his past was revealed, I wanted him to be with Lucy and build their lives together. Mdm Beck had always come off wrong in my book. Lucy, in her narration and a little twisted sense of decorum, kept on justifying the despicable woman’s actions even though she did acknowledge as well as laugh at some of Mdm Beck's antics. I admit the final paragraph vexed me so but I guess life is not always the way we wanted it to be.

Villette was said to be Charlotte Bronte’s greatest masterpiece. The prose and the writing were excellent and top-notched. While I admit it definitely deserved its place as one of the great classics, I did not like it as much as I thought I would. I might re-read it again in the far off future.
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