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hjb_128's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Racism and Classism
Minor: Death and Colonisation
widdershins3853's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? No
Moderate: Racism
sarah_zaffiro's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Racism, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Alcoholism, Death, and Antisemitism
strabbyfieldz's review
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
um so I was going to put 'most normal repressed victorian' as my review. but then the ending happened. and now I feel like I've been punched in the gut lol.
Moderate: Drug use, Misogyny, Racism, Grief, and Colonisation
Minor: Stalking
jaimemt_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Racism, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
This book is very anti Catholic.221bpinkst's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.0
Yet again Charlotte Bronte delivers a wonderful leading lady surrounded by (and impacted by) horrible people... Horrible people who are supposed to be liked, I assume.... But I just can't.
It's complicated. Much like in Jane Eyre, I'm quite fond of Lucy. That said, I find almost everyone else unbearable. (There are a couple redeemable characters & several grey characters I find amusing at best, but that's it).
There's so much French I struggled to read & understand parts and my focus was constantly breaking. I love a good classic but my ADHD had a difficult time with this one. Not only did the French muddle me a bit, I found the pacing was hard to follow at times. Some parts of the book were so slow, others confusing (it took me half the book to figure out a certain character was not two different monsieurs but one and the same, just addressed at times by first name and others by last). Not to mention some scenes made me quite angry... We can expect some of that in certain old books, but I felt Villette had so many more instances that disturbed me and made it hard to continue. (Emotional and verbal abuse was a big one; prejudices a second).
Lucy is so dry and sassy I found her amusing and fun to read. And yet the toxicity of everyone else in her life stunts what *could* be her story. She is praised for her sense but then makes choices that really don't make sense and instead reflect the impact of unfortunate gaslighting and manipulation from those around her. It's painful to read and depressing to wade through such abuse the whole story without it ever being addressed.
I couldn't finish, so I skimmed the last little bit and did some research on the book instead. Maybe I'll return to it someday to finish the more in depth look but for now I could only stomach a quick read through towards the end.
It's complicated. Much like in Jane Eyre, I'm quite fond of Lucy. That said, I find almost everyone else unbearable. (There are a couple redeemable characters & several grey characters I find amusing at best, but that's it).
There's so much French I struggled to read & understand parts and my focus was constantly breaking. I love a good classic but my ADHD had a difficult time with this one. Not only did the French muddle me a bit, I found the pacing was hard to follow at times. Some parts of the book were so slow, others confusing (it took me half the book to figure out a certain character was not two different monsieurs but one and the same, just addressed at times by first name and others by last). Not to mention some scenes made me quite angry... We can expect some of that in certain old books, but I felt Villette had so many more instances that disturbed me and made it hard to continue. (Emotional and verbal abuse was a big one; prejudices a second).
Lucy is so dry and sassy I found her amusing and fun to read. And yet the toxicity of everyone else in her life stunts what *could* be her story. She is praised for her sense but then makes choices that really don't make sense and instead reflect the impact of unfortunate gaslighting and manipulation from those around her. It's painful to read and depressing to wade through such abuse the whole story without it ever being addressed.
I couldn't finish, so I skimmed the last little bit and did some research on the book instead. Maybe I'll return to it someday to finish the more in depth look but for now I could only stomach a quick read through towards the end.
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Mental illness and Racism
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