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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Deep into a Brontë phase, apparently, and I don't intend to come out of it anytime soon. I loved the first 75% of this book with a deep, painful love that had everything to do with the prickly but capable Lucy Snow and her (read: Charlotte Brontë's) yen for prickly, but ugly-hot colleague (girl had a type). Three-quarters of the way through I spoiled the ending for myself, and some of my enthusiasm drained away (in my defense, it's exam season, and I am just not equipped to deal with ambiguous-but-probably-unhappy endings right now). Charlotte, why couldn't you have pulled a Louisa May and let your erstwhile heroine end up with the gruff professor?? In other news, I now understand the urge to write fan fiction.
August 2022: as noted ad nauseam in my reviews this summer, the gorgon known as the multistate bar exam destroyed my brain and its ability to process literature that does not fall into the category of "extremely gentle" or "familiar favorite." I listened to this as a way to turn my brain off and enjoyed it as much as I did the first time. Now that I was braced for the ending (which, this time around, made me think lots about Bronte's own spoiled hopes re: a certain schoolteacher), I could unclench a bit and take the narrative as it came in all its tense, interior splendor. The people cry out for a masterpiece miniseries!
August 2022: as noted ad nauseam in my reviews this summer, the gorgon known as the multistate bar exam destroyed my brain and its ability to process literature that does not fall into the category of "extremely gentle" or "familiar favorite." I listened to this as a way to turn my brain off and enjoyed it as much as I did the first time. Now that I was braced for the ending (which, this time around, made me think lots about Bronte's own spoiled hopes re: a certain schoolteacher), I could unclench a bit and take the narrative as it came in all its tense, interior splendor. The people cry out for a masterpiece miniseries!
I just can’t do old English books. I’ve tried and tried again and do not get hooked. However, after reading an analysis of it, I’ve changed my review from 2 to 3 stars. There are some interesting ideas of a strong feminine woman paired with a strong masculine man that resonate, and if only it were written in modern day English I would be able to appreciate
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.75
besides enjoying this novel a lot, i am incredibly unsure about my rating. it was fun, lucy’s character is super interesting but it didn’t quite hit the nail on the head for me. might change my rating later on.
besides enjoying this novel a lot, i am incredibly unsure about my rating. it was fun, lucy’s character is super interesting but it didn’t quite hit the nail on the head for me. might change my rating later on.
My recipe for the Ultimate Brontë Novel:
+Charlotte's incredibly-written female protagonists with their complexity, intelligence, agency and insistence on their right to exist with respect and live lives of meaning despite their poverty and gender
-Charlotte's inexplicably dogshit taste in men. NO NEGGING CHAUVINISTS ALLOWED!!
+Anne's groundbreaking feminism on subjects ranging from the subjection of poor working women to martial abuse
+Anne's Very Nice Boy love interests
-Anne's pious moralizing
+Emily's gothic WTF-ery
-Emily's penchant for naming multiple characters the same thing, creating confusing family trees
and making every character a miserable asshole
The Ultimate Brontë Novel. You're welcome.
+Charlotte's incredibly-written female protagonists with their complexity, intelligence, agency and insistence on their right to exist with respect and live lives of meaning despite their poverty and gender
-Charlotte's inexplicably dogshit taste in men. NO NEGGING CHAUVINISTS ALLOWED!!
+Anne's groundbreaking feminism on subjects ranging from the subjection of poor working women to martial abuse
+Anne's Very Nice Boy love interests
-Anne's pious moralizing
+Emily's gothic WTF-ery
-Emily's penchant for naming multiple characters the same thing, creating confusing family trees
and making every character a miserable asshole
The Ultimate Brontë Novel. You're welcome.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a pretty fast read overall, and while stuffy at times, was pretty entertaining. Lucy Snowe, our heroine, is a fascinating character. Cool, distant, judgmental, but observant, independent, and more romantic and keen to create real friendships than expected at first glance. I didn't always understand her willful, counterintuitive choices, but her complexity was one of the most compelling parts of the novel. The other characters felt more like stock characters in comparison. Her SPOILER love interest in M Paul reminded me of the same emotionally volatile and gruff Mr Rochester, if my memory of Jane Eyre serves.
A lot of this book was about Protestants v Catholics, English v French. Those passages and constant comparisons don't resonate much now, at least to me.
While the ending is quietly devastating (maybe, likely? SPOILER), that and Lucy's character development are what remain with me after finishing. Lucy was so convinced that certain people have pre-ordained blessed lives, while others are fated never to have much happiness. This novel's action seems to prove that outlook right.
A lot of this book was about Protestants v Catholics, English v French. Those passages and constant comparisons don't resonate much now, at least to me.
While the ending is quietly devastating (maybe, likely? SPOILER), that and Lucy's character development are what remain with me after finishing. Lucy was so convinced that certain people have pre-ordained blessed lives, while others are fated never to have much happiness. This novel's action seems to prove that outlook right.
"Of course, happiness of such shallow origin could be but brief; yet, while it lasted it was genuine and exquisite."
Anyone know how to read French? Asking for a friend.
[b: Villette|31173|Villette|Charlotte Brontë|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320412741l/31173._SY75_.jpg|40852693] is another firm reminder that the Brontë writing genes reign supreme. Charlotte's stories are tragically beautiful and her prose is haunting. Whenever I read her books, I feel like dramatically staring out a window and lamenting my prospects as a young woman while a storm brews outside. That's a good thing. I live for the melancholy.
Lucy Snowe is a puzzle of a protagonist, but that's what makes her so intriguing. She hides secrets from the reader, unable to trust anyone with the truth of her feelings. She's an incredible roaster too. I never thought I would be laughing out loud while reading a 500-page Brontë angst-fest, but here we are.
The ending will stick with me for a while. For all its ambiguity, there's something oddly comforting about the message Brontë sends. We're not immune to life's suffering, for however much we love and devote ourselves to a cause and/or person. Rarely are we rewarded with the happiness we think we deserve. Yet, there's power in those emotions. We as humans are capable of feeling deeply, and that means we'll live emotionally rich lives, even if they're difficult to make through.
Anyone know how to read French? Asking for a friend.
[b: Villette|31173|Villette|Charlotte Brontë|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320412741l/31173._SY75_.jpg|40852693] is another firm reminder that the Brontë writing genes reign supreme. Charlotte's stories are tragically beautiful and her prose is haunting. Whenever I read her books, I feel like dramatically staring out a window and lamenting my prospects as a young woman while a storm brews outside. That's a good thing. I live for the melancholy.
Lucy Snowe is a puzzle of a protagonist, but that's what makes her so intriguing. She hides secrets from the reader, unable to trust anyone with the truth of her feelings. She's an incredible roaster too. I never thought I would be laughing out loud while reading a 500-page Brontë angst-fest, but here we are.
The ending will stick with me for a while. For all its ambiguity, there's something oddly comforting about the message Brontë sends. We're not immune to life's suffering, for however much we love and devote ourselves to a cause and/or person. Rarely are we rewarded with the happiness we think we deserve. Yet, there's power in those emotions. We as humans are capable of feeling deeply, and that means we'll live emotionally rich lives, even if they're difficult to make through.
It took me ages to finish it and it says a lot, although it has been sitting on a shelf for the last 1,5 month or so due to school and not for being boring. However, Charlotte Bronte couldn't capture me with Villette. It started out in a pretty hectic, but overall interesting way with Lucy Snowe's life constantly changing, bringing up new challenges daily but with her arrival to the French town, everything became quite dull. I guess this is how most people's life play out, so it was realistic in a way but I expect my books to be more exciting. The writer is quite brilliant with describing people so everyone seemed very real, but oh my, Lucy isn't very likeable.