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sarah_zaffiro's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Racism, and Body shaming
Minor: Death, Antisemitism, and Alcoholism
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
This book is very anti Catholic.buildingtaste's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
What an immersive book. It flagged at points--and it's probably a bad sign I thought the final love interest was two different people until nearly the end--but it is a lovely work in all. I liked the ending, though I can see why it doesn't resonate as much as Jane Eyre with most people. Worth a re-read once you know all the things Lucy is being a bit obtuse about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Misogyny, and Grief
Moderate: Incest
There is an extended sequence where the main character is to take care of a disabled child, and the characterisation of that child is not kind. The character in question is legally an adult when they get into the romantic relationship, but they are very young and knew the love interest when they were a child. The love interests for this character and the main character are about 10-20 years older than them. There is an extended sequence of fuguelike depression where the narrator is seemingly suicidal. There is significant discussion of catholicism vs. protestantism and attempts to convert characters. The main character's romance begins with mostly her being bullied, verbally assaulted, and at least once physically assaulted, but none of this is ever explicitly sexual. There are significant amounts of grief over family death and lost chances/circumstances. At one point the protagonist is drugged against her will. A character travels to a colonial plantation for several years. A character is meant to marry their cousin.caribbeangirlreading's review against another edition
Reader, eight weeks and 425 pages later, I DNF'd this baby. I just could not read one more page. Villette is just a sad and depressing book. Lucy Snowe lacks Jane Eyre's fire in the belly. It wasn't until page 200 that I understood that Lucy was a deeply lonely person who most probably suffered from depression. Unfortunately, by then it was too late. The Lucy Snow that I had gotten to know was judgmental AF, anti-Catholic, and xenophobic. We get it Charlotte, you hate the French. You showed us in JE that you don't care for the French but boy did your colors really fly in this novel. The quality of the writing in the novel was head and shoulders above Shirley, but unlike Shirley, I just could not care what happened to any of the characters. I did what I never do, I looked up a summary of the novel with spoilers because I just had to get to the point and know what happened. Then I promptly proceeded to throw the book at the wall and yell "Charlotte Bronte, Are you effin' kidding me?!!!" The end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Death of parent and Medical content
jessthanthree's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Religious bigotry
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