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Villette (Modern Library Classics)
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Manufacturer: Modern Library
Author: Charlotte Bronte
Publisher: Modern Library
Average Customer Rating:
Our Price: $9.56
You Save: $ 2.39 ( 20% )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Modern Library
Author: Charlotte Bronte
Publisher: Modern Library
Average Customer Rating:
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Villette (Modern Library Classics) Description
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.8
EAN: 9780375758508
ISBN: 037575850X
Label: Modern Library
Manufacturer: Modern Library
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 656
Publication Date: 2001-10-09
Publisher: Modern Library
Product Release Date: 2001-10-09
Studio: Modern Library
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.8
EAN: 9780375758508
ISBN: 037575850X
Label: Modern Library
Manufacturer: Modern Library
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 656
Publication Date: 2001-10-09
Publisher: Modern Library
Product Release Date: 2001-10-09
Studio: Modern Library
Editorial Review of Villette (Modern Library Classics)
"Villette! Villette! Have you read it?" exclaimed George Eliot when Charlotte Brontė's final novel appeared in 1853. "It is a still more wonderful book than Jane Eyre. There is something almost preternatural in its power."
Arguably Brontė's most refined and deeply felt work, Villette draws on her profound loneliness following the deaths of her three siblings. Lucy Snowe, the narrator of Villette,flees from an unhappy past in England to begin a new file as a teacher at a French boarding school in the great cosmopolitan capital of Villette. Soon Lucy's struggle for independence is overshadowed by both her freindship with a wordly English doctor and her feelings for an autocratic schoolmaster. Brontė's strikingly modern heroine must decide if there is any man in her society with whom she can live and still be free.
"Villette is an amazing book," observed novelist Susan Fromberg Schaeffer. "Written before psychoanalysis came into being, Villette is nevertheless a psychoanalytic work—a psychosexual study of its heroine, Lucy Snowe. Written before the philosophy of existentialism was formulated, the novel's view of the world can only be described as existential. . . . Today it is read and discussed more intensely than Charlotte Brontė's other novels, and many critics now beleive it to be a true master-piece, a work of genius that more than fulfilled the promise of Jane Eyre." Indeed, Virginia Woolf judged Villette to be Brontė's "finest novel."
Customer Reviews of Villette (Modern Library Classics)
Customer Rating: 
Review Summary: Soul Searching
Review: "Villette" was Charlotte Bronte's final novel, and while it covers some familiar territory, it doesn't quite live up to the standards of her masterpiece "Jane Eyre", or even the much more cohesive "Shirley". The narrator is yet again a rather plain ordinary woman without many prospects, who must rely upon teaching to make her way in the world, chancing to become a teacher at an established school in France. Yet the narrator, Lucy Snowe, lacks charisma and too often rambles away from the story at hand, making "Villette" a slow-paced read with too little payoff in the end.
The story begins with Lucy Snowe living with her godmother, Mrs. Bretton, her son John Graham, and their young visitor, Paulina Home. Lucy details their lives and the relationship between Graham and Polly, before quickly moving on to her time as a companion to a sickly woman. From there, the narrative jumps to her spontaneous trip overseas and her immediate luck in finding a post within Madame Beck's pensionnat, where she eventually becomes an English teacher. Lucy then spends much of her time chronicling the life of the school and the characters that reside there, especially Madame Beck and M. Paul Emanuel. As the novel progresses, Lucy finds herself reunited with her godmother and John Graham, and even Paulina Home as a young lady, for the novel covers at least ten years within Lucy Snowe's life, before wrapping up in a somewhat ambiguous manner.
The main trouble with "Villette" lies with its narrator: Lucy Snowe is an extremely faint shadow of Jane Eyre, her retiring nature making her seem weak and a pushover, rather than being a pleasant and noble characteristic. She allows others to walk all over her and doesn't speak her mind, and the man she falls in love with is such a study in contradictions that readers may have difficulty liking him and rooting for them to be together in the end. The story is poorly paced, spending a huge amount of time on what seem like tangential stories and details, and skipping other details that might enhance the main character's likability. All in all, "Villette" is a credit to Charlotte Bronte, a profound examination of one woman's conscience and character, flaws and faults included.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Villette -- Another Bronte Success
Review: Firstly, I would encourage the purchase of the Modern Library Classic edition above other editions. The text is larger and the books hold up better than other editions - which, in a long book such as this one, is highly recommended. I tagged the French translation at the end to make it easier to flip back and forth. I really enjoyed the commentary by A.S. Byatt also.
Villette is a wonderful story and while in some area's I felt Charlotte wandered and got lost in the story, dragging it out in some area's and skipping over area's which I felt she could have created more substance behind the character by telling us more. Overall though, it was an excellent read. I think I enjoyed it the second time more. And the much discussed ending I actually enjoyed. I want more substance in a story then the neat and tidy 'happily ever after' ending. (The ending does create great discussion for a book club.) The ending is not left open for the readers interpretation. If you read closely the comments in the book, one in the beginning about the sea and, one at the end as the character looks back and comments from an elderly perspective, you can understand completely the ending Charlotte had in mind.
I like to read all of an authors books to get a better understanding of their life and writing style and have enjoyed all the Bronte's works. I enjoyed this very much. For those who must compare it to Jane Eyre, it was as enjoyable as Jane Eyre, although, I would submit the merit, quality and story line of Jane Eyre is better.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Different, but for a reason
Review: I came to "Villette" after having read and fallen in love with "Jane Eyre". When I first began reading "Villete" I knew that I should expect a long exposition leading to a thrilling climax. While the climax did not begin until about page 400, I was not disappointed. Lucy Snowe, while eccentric, speaks to feelings of loneliness that can be extrapolated far beyond this novel. I also found it gratifying that the relationship between Lucy and M. Paul - if rather sudden in its appearance - seemed of a deeper and more genuine sort than that between Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester. "Villette" is not the sweeping romance with a happy ending like "Jane Eyre". I was somewhat disappointed with the ending until, shortly after completing the book, I was perusing a biography of Charlotte Bronte from my college's library and discovered just how intensely personal the story of "Villette" was. In fact, the biography used excerpts from "Villette" to illuminate the relationship between Charlotte Bronte and M. Heger, a schoolmaster in Brussels. Now I appreciate how insightful "Villette" is for anyone wishing to get to know Charlotte Bronte better.
P.S. Get an edition with notes that translate the French phrases. You'll lose whole chunks of dialogue without the notes unless you can read French.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: much ado over nothing
Review: too much French; too much detail. slow reading. amazing command of language. thin on plot and action.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: I cannot say it better...
Review: "All these weary days, I have not for one hour forgotten you." -- Lucy Snowe in Charlotte Bronte's Villette.
Review Summary: Soul Searching
Review: "Villette" was Charlotte Bronte's final novel, and while it covers some familiar territory, it doesn't quite live up to the standards of her masterpiece "Jane Eyre", or even the much more cohesive "Shirley". The narrator is yet again a rather plain ordinary woman without many prospects, who must rely upon teaching to make her way in the world, chancing to become a teacher at an established school in France. Yet the narrator, Lucy Snowe, lacks charisma and too often rambles away from the story at hand, making "Villette" a slow-paced read with too little payoff in the end.
The story begins with Lucy Snowe living with her godmother, Mrs. Bretton, her son John Graham, and their young visitor, Paulina Home. Lucy details their lives and the relationship between Graham and Polly, before quickly moving on to her time as a companion to a sickly woman. From there, the narrative jumps to her spontaneous trip overseas and her immediate luck in finding a post within Madame Beck's pensionnat, where she eventually becomes an English teacher. Lucy then spends much of her time chronicling the life of the school and the characters that reside there, especially Madame Beck and M. Paul Emanuel. As the novel progresses, Lucy finds herself reunited with her godmother and John Graham, and even Paulina Home as a young lady, for the novel covers at least ten years within Lucy Snowe's life, before wrapping up in a somewhat ambiguous manner.
The main trouble with "Villette" lies with its narrator: Lucy Snowe is an extremely faint shadow of Jane Eyre, her retiring nature making her seem weak and a pushover, rather than being a pleasant and noble characteristic. She allows others to walk all over her and doesn't speak her mind, and the man she falls in love with is such a study in contradictions that readers may have difficulty liking him and rooting for them to be together in the end. The story is poorly paced, spending a huge amount of time on what seem like tangential stories and details, and skipping other details that might enhance the main character's likability. All in all, "Villette" is a credit to Charlotte Bronte, a profound examination of one woman's conscience and character, flaws and faults included.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Villette -- Another Bronte Success
Review: Firstly, I would encourage the purchase of the Modern Library Classic edition above other editions. The text is larger and the books hold up better than other editions - which, in a long book such as this one, is highly recommended. I tagged the French translation at the end to make it easier to flip back and forth. I really enjoyed the commentary by A.S. Byatt also.
Villette is a wonderful story and while in some area's I felt Charlotte wandered and got lost in the story, dragging it out in some area's and skipping over area's which I felt she could have created more substance behind the character by telling us more. Overall though, it was an excellent read. I think I enjoyed it the second time more. And the much discussed ending I actually enjoyed. I want more substance in a story then the neat and tidy 'happily ever after' ending. (The ending does create great discussion for a book club.) The ending is not left open for the readers interpretation. If you read closely the comments in the book, one in the beginning about the sea and, one at the end as the character looks back and comments from an elderly perspective, you can understand completely the ending Charlotte had in mind.
I like to read all of an authors books to get a better understanding of their life and writing style and have enjoyed all the Bronte's works. I enjoyed this very much. For those who must compare it to Jane Eyre, it was as enjoyable as Jane Eyre, although, I would submit the merit, quality and story line of Jane Eyre is better.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Different, but for a reason
Review: I came to "Villette" after having read and fallen in love with "Jane Eyre". When I first began reading "Villete" I knew that I should expect a long exposition leading to a thrilling climax. While the climax did not begin until about page 400, I was not disappointed. Lucy Snowe, while eccentric, speaks to feelings of loneliness that can be extrapolated far beyond this novel. I also found it gratifying that the relationship between Lucy and M. Paul - if rather sudden in its appearance - seemed of a deeper and more genuine sort than that between Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester. "Villette" is not the sweeping romance with a happy ending like "Jane Eyre". I was somewhat disappointed with the ending until, shortly after completing the book, I was perusing a biography of Charlotte Bronte from my college's library and discovered just how intensely personal the story of "Villette" was. In fact, the biography used excerpts from "Villette" to illuminate the relationship between Charlotte Bronte and M. Heger, a schoolmaster in Brussels. Now I appreciate how insightful "Villette" is for anyone wishing to get to know Charlotte Bronte better.
P.S. Get an edition with notes that translate the French phrases. You'll lose whole chunks of dialogue without the notes unless you can read French.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: much ado over nothing
Review: too much French; too much detail. slow reading. amazing command of language. thin on plot and action.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: I cannot say it better...
Review: "All these weary days, I have not for one hour forgotten you." -- Lucy Snowe in Charlotte Bronte's Villette.