Villette (1853)

2.5 I found this book very slow. Lucy's life is like a soap opera but none of the exciting things seem to happen to her. It is like she is the camera through which we watch the show. I found her boring as a lead and I prefer Jane Eyre much more. ( )

I gave Jane Eyre 4 stars, but I definitely liked Villette better. Yet… I didn’t love Villette enough to give it 5 stars. So, do I lower the stars I gave Jane, or not? …And, so goes the very deep thought process I am having about Villette, and what review to give/write about it.

I never wrote anything for Jane, but that is because I read it long before Goodreads existed. What I do know is that years from now I am going to be mad at myself for not writing something - anything – about Villette. I will come back searching for the words that explain the said stars rating, and I will not find them.

Well, I did find Villette a great writing achievement. The restrain exercised by the main character, Lucy Snowe, that is mentioned in so many of the other reviews, requires that the reader engages completely into the story. (I probably should mention here that I listened to it in audio book format). But the truth is that I did not like Lucy much. I am tired of the English type. I am a Latina, and this self-imposed restrain drains me. I would not be a friend to someone like Lucy because of all that is left unsaid is, well, left unsaid, and I lack the sensibility and patience for relationships like that.

Something else, the ghost 2/3 into the story is off somewhat.

So, Villette gets 4 stars because is well written, but it does not get 5 stars because I didn’t care much for Lucy. This should be information enough for me in a couple of years. And Jane Eyre keeps the 4 stars I gave it one day, although I think today I would give it 3, just because..
( )

Lucy Snowe is such a fascinating character. Brontë's ability to add so many layers to her narration is what makes the book. The withholding of self, of feelings, the tricks we play on ourselves to endure suffering -- the contrast of her with the other female characters -- the humor -- the intrigue ... The end still got me. ( )

Não lido

I liked this book. It was a little hard because Bronte does write a lot of converstation in French and I, of course, know no French. ( )