Villette (English Library) (Paperback)

by Charlotte Brontë (Author), Mark Lilly (Editor), Tony Tanner (Introduction) "MY godmother lived in a handsome house in the clean and ancient town of Bretton..." (more)
Key Phrases: first classe, lecture pieuse, madame herself, Madame Beck, Miss Fanshawe, Rue Fossette (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Juliet Stevenson's fine voice lends to her reading of Charlotte Bronte's Villete abridged form. Her last work revolves around a girls' school teacher and her attraction to a handsome doctor. While this is a highly regarded novel of Bronte's, it's also a lesser-known work and its appearance in audio promises newcomers the delight of Bronte's observational prowess wrapped in an engrossing audio format. -- Midwest Book Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"Brontë’s finest novel."
--Virginia Woolf --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 624 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (February 28, 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140431187
• ISBN-13: 978-0140431186
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,513,868 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Would've Given It a 5-Star Rating If Not for..., October 8, 1999

By	anna-joelle (Malaysia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Villette (Signet Classics) (Paperback)

its rather hurried and ambigious ending, which leaves the reader having to form his/her own version of the ending ie. whether a happy or sad one. (Read the Signet Classic, the afterword by Jerome Beaty explains that Charlotte Bronte actually wanted a somewhat sad ending to the story, but her father wanted it to be a happy one, so Bronte compromised by leaving the ending 'hanging' so that the readers can decide for themselves how the story ends.)

Apart from the above dissapointment, this is a marvelous classic and beautifully written, a great and indepth analysis of the workings of the human heart and mind. I loved it better than Jane Eyre (except for the ending: Jane Eyre's is more complete and satisfying). You'll love the character of M.Paul - despite his eccentric behaviour, he's really a darling with a heart of gold, which Lucy Snowe soon discovers!

I recommend that you buy the Signet Classic version which has the English translation to the over 400 French phrases found in the book.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Villette, Charlotte Bronte's underrated masterpiece, September 20, 2000

By	Nancy B. LaMotta (Annandale, VA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Having read this book 7 times over the past 15 years, I find that the story and characters just get better and better! As much as I idolize _Jane Eyre,_ this story of the oft depressed and melancholy Lucy Snowe sparks the imagination. Lucy is a Jane Eyre without the chutzpah, and with loads less self-esteem; but shares Jane's strict code of conduct, and forces you to value her. In a way, I believe Lucy finds an even worthier match than Jane did--in M. Paul Emmanuel, passionate professor of literature. In a way, the scenes between him and Lucy excite my imagination all the more, because they're understated, AND because I already know how the story ends. The pain lends the love story incredible passion--the tame, orderly, parallel love story of Graham and Paulina just places that of Paul and Lucy in greater relief. The two greatest actions in the book--a slap and a kiss--are so climactic and satisfying, that when I get to that section of the novel, I won't put it down until the end. I am still reeling! Was it better to have loved and lost? _Villette_ answers that question with a resounding affirmative.

36 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A portrait of the artist as Lucy Snowe, March 10, 2000

By	JLind555 - See all my reviews

"Villette" is a more complex, mature novel than "Jane Eyre" and, to many readers, a more unsatisfying one. Unlike "Jane Eyre", "Villette" is no Cinderella tale, and there is no Rochester to stir the heroine's -- and the reader's --emotions. In "Villette", Bronte gives us Lucy Snowe, whom she resembled in many ways: plain, prim, no-nonsense, practical to a fault, and suffering the pains of unrequited love. Unlike the happy ending which delighted us in "Jane Eyre", Lucy finds a hope of happiness at last with M. Paul Emanuel, only to have her prospects shipwrecked literally and figuratively at the end of the book. Many readers have a problem with Bronte's liberal use of French throughout the book which disrupts the narrative, and her forays into Gothic romanticism, which seem contrived and artificial. A more serious problem, for this reviewer, is Bronte's insularity and her narrow-minded frame of reference which rejects anything un-English and un-Protestant. Even with these flaws, "Villette" is a deep, thought-provoking portrayal of the pain of lost illusions.