Villette

8/10

Did I like Villette? “Pretty well. The natives, you know, are intensely stupid and vulgar; but there are some nice English families”. This book was captivating, well-crafted, and exquisitely written.

Villette is a very exciting and efficient novel. For having so few characters that are described extensively, it offers readers a rich, inhabited world. Little information is given about Lucy Snowe’s background either and this makes the protagonist more mysterious and interesting. The story knew exactly the point, too, to reintroduce older characters that the reader was beginning to forget about. It felt like a twist when it was revealed that Dr. John was Graham Bretton or that the girl who is injured during the fire evacuation at the theatre was Polly, sorry, Paulina Home de Bassompierre. My main issue with the novel is the amount of the text that is French. My version did not provide any translation and I don’t speak a word. There were a few plot points that were a bit predictable also. For instance, that ghost nun piece felt like something from Scooby Doo. As soon as a professor character appeared in the form of M. Emanuel, it was clear that Lucy Snowe would hook up with him. Even prior to my Brontë project, I knew that professors are cat nip to the author. However, whether she is ever reunited with her professor will forever remain the ‘little puzzle’ it was intended to be.