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A review by mari1532
Villette by Charlotte Brontë
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Brief Summary: Lucy Snowe is a governess turned school teacher in this semi-gothic tale. As events take Lucy from her childhood home to France she must navigate classism and societal expectations.
Thoughts: This is my third Bronte book and one thing that the sisters do exceptionally well is vividly describing the life of middle-class women in the mid-nineteenth century.
While the story was captivating in that you wondered what misfortune was likely to occur to Lucy next, it was a bit difficult to follow all of the characters in the plot. Not least because Dr. Bretton has two different names at one point in the book and Pauline goes by her nickname and given name.
Also, it feels like Bronte was trying to have an enemies-to-lovers storyline with Lucy and M. Emmanuel, but I was nearly finished with the book before I realized that. For much of the book M. Emmanuel seemed like a 70-year-old man, perhaps a priest, who truly didn't like Lucy at all. Also, the ending of this subplot was both ambiguous and depressing.
I'm also not entirely sure why there was such a strong Catholic subplot throughout the book. I understand that in England, where Bronte was writing there was both a strong anti-Catholic and anti-French sentiment, but overall it seemed unnecessary to the overall plot of the book.
If you like to read about characters experiencing real issues both mentally and interpersonally you may enjoy this book, but I do think it is an acquired taste.
Thoughts: This is my third Bronte book and one thing that the sisters do exceptionally well is vividly describing the life of middle-class women in the mid-nineteenth century.
While the story was captivating in that you wondered what misfortune was likely to occur to Lucy next, it was a bit difficult to follow all of the characters in the plot. Not least because Dr. Bretton has two different names at one point in the book and Pauline goes by her nickname and given name.
Also, it feels like Bronte was trying to have an enemies-to-lovers storyline with Lucy and M. Emmanuel, but I was nearly finished with the book before I realized that. For much of the book M. Emmanuel seemed like a 70-year-old man, perhaps a priest, who truly didn't like Lucy at all. Also, the ending of this subplot was both ambiguous and depressing.
I'm also not entirely sure why there was such a strong Catholic subplot throughout the book. I understand that in England, where Bronte was writing there was both a strong anti-Catholic and anti-French sentiment, but overall it seemed unnecessary to the overall plot of the book.
If you like to read about characters experiencing real issues both mentally and interpersonally you may enjoy this book, but I do think it is an acquired taste.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: Colonisation