"Villette"

Deriving its emotional charge in part from Charlotte's experiences in Brussels in 1842-3, the novel is also coloured by her sadness and isolation after the deaths of her brother and sisters. The heroine, Lucy Snowe, in flight from an unhappy past, leaves England and finds work as a teacher in Madame Beck's school in 'Villette'. Befriended and at first attracted by an English doctor, but more strongly drawn to the fiery autocratic schoolmaster Monsieur Paul Emanuel, Lucy is compelled by Madame Beck's jealous interference to assert her right to love and to be loved. In a wider sense, the novel is a cogent and dramatic exploration of a woman's response to the challenge of a constricting social environment. Its deployment of imagery comparable in power to that of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, and its use of comedy -- ironic or exuberant -- in the service of an ultimately sombre vision, make Villette especially appealing to the modern reader.

My Thoughts....

 Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte', was one of my favorite books, and I loved all the movies I have watched about Jane Eyre. That is one of the reasons I bought this book 5 or 6 years ago, but just decided to try to read it this month. However after reading 12 chapters, which consisted of 129 long pages, I decided not to finish it. (I also listened to it as I followed along in my copy of the book.)

The story was depressing, the French was tedious, even though the copy I have does translate some of the French into English. The story is just too dark and depressing. And such rambling on and on I was lost most of the time and had to go back and read a few pages over to try and make some sense of it. After most of the day reading and trying to make sense of the story, my head feels like it is floating on cloud nine...I have a few shelves of other books that I can't wait to start reading. Therefore, I will put this book aside and read one of them.

I realize that many people loved this book, however, I can truthfully say: "It was not my cup of tea!"
Because I didn't finish this book I will be only awarding this book 1 sad and lonely star.