Villette in Clean Reads

Oct 05, 2011 Tiffany rated it it was ok

Shelves: never-finished

Sorry Charlotte, I just couldn't finish it. I gave it my best shot. ...more

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Sep 30, 2009 benebean rated it it was ok

Shelves: classics, medium, cleaness-granny-smiles, historical-fiction, not-recommended, female-protagonist

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It annoyed me that there were sections of untranslated French (some in somewhat crucial parts of the story) and I know no French. i listened to the audiobook--perhaps translations were in the actual book. liked the beginning more than the end. Bronte's male protagonists seem to inspire me to something between great annoyance and complete revulsion.

the rating:
i began thinking I would give it a 3-- then i read on...
then I thought 4--
then I thought 2
then 3
then 2
ok it probably deserves better than It annoyed me that there were sections of untranslated French (some in somewhat crucial parts of the story) and I know no French. i listened to the audiobook--perhaps translations were in the actual book. liked the beginning more than the end. Bronte's male protagonists seem to inspire me to something between great annoyance and complete revulsion.

the rating:
i began thinking I would give it a 3-- then i read on...
then I thought 4--
then I thought 2
then 3
then 2
ok it probably deserves better than a 2-- but I hated parts of it so much I couldn't give it a 3.

I'm not quite sure where to leaves the overall rating. I read Jane Eyre in high school and hated Rochester. But later as my memory of the book dulled thought perhaps I had been too harsh. But I was thoroughly revolted by the coupling in this book.

PS also I fast forwarded through large sections because it was filled with long boring thoughts and by the end I hated the male lead so much that I tried to skip much of his interaction with the main character-- which i guess means i may have judged him unfairly. But he irritated me so much I didn't care.

ok so after having thought about this book and hearing that the author wrote this at the end of her life-- and perhaps gleaning a more literary and mature view of the book from others, I see how this was perhaps a bit better than my horrible reaction to it after I read it. I can see it sort of as Bronte's stoical reflection on life and how for some people-- many times less deserving and more irritating, life just seems to be so much easier on them. I wonder if this is a slightly bitter or at least disappointed reflection of how she felt about her own life (she being Lucy watching many Paulinas and Ginevras pass her by getting what she had always wanted and then finally when she learned to be happier with less (the ridiculously annoying guy) she finally lost that too. While Paulina lived a life a privilege coddled first by her father and then by her adoring husband, the best thing that happens to Lucy is the guy who didn't give her what was left for her in the will, repents and gives her what she was due for her kind care of an invalid.

I suppose you could say Jane Eyre was Bronte's story about dreams come true and Villette was Bronte's story about reality. ...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Elissa rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2012

Such an incredibly wordy book! And my main complaint is that after all the lectures and long, descriptive paragraphs, the few parts where the plot moves along are too concise. The parts where you actually want a little more description or dialogue she just vaguely glances over. Or even just references after the fact. Lame. Also not my favorite genre, so take it with a grain of salt.

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Oct 07, 2010 Danica rated it liked it · review of another edition

I would give this 3.5 stars. I liked it, especially the second half of the book. The first half was a little slow for me, but overall, I did really enjoy the book. It's definitely not a happily ever after book, but the complicated storyline and the few twists in there, and of course, the love story, made for good clean reading. ...more

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