Jane Eyre discussion

I adore Jane Eyre and am wondering if Villette is worth a try.

Definitively. I'd say it's better than Jane Eyre.

I think Villette is a wonderful book. It has been a couple of years since I last read it, but I might just visit it again soon, now that I am recommending it to you...

The narrator, Lucy Snowe, is rather peculiar, but very real, I feel. She is sensible, passionate, reserved and observant. Her narration is not as frank as Jane Eyre's, but that is what makes it interesting and fascinating. There are plenty of other characters, and while some are rather annoying, others are quirky and interesting.

I must admit reading gets a little cumbersome in some places, but Brontë's prose is really beautiful.

Sorry my experience if reading Villette was not as good as Jane Eyre, or, totally different, I should say: while Jane Eyre is extremely engaging, full of passion, Villette was too slow, too plain for me to even finish reading. There are some parts of it reminds me Jane Eyre though, but overall, I couldn't find it interesting. Maybe it's just me. But, by reading (part of) Villette, I do know more about Charlotte Bronte's life, and understand why she wrote something like Jane Eyre.

Yun wrote: "Sorry my experience if reading Villette was not as good as Jane Eyre, or, totally different, I should say: while Jane Eyre is extremely engaging, full of passion, Villette was too slow, too plain f..."

Yun wrote: "Sorry my experience if reading Villette was not as good as Jane Eyre, or, totally different, I should say: while Jane Eyre is extremely engaging, full of passion, Villette was too slow, too plain f..."

A shorter novel with the same themes of Villette is The Professor. Some even say 'It's a beta version'.

Yun wrote: "Sorry my experience if reading Villette was not as good as Jane Eyre, or, totally different, I should say: while Jane Eyre is extremely engaging, full of passion, Villette was too slow, too plain f..."

Yun wrote: "Sorry my experience if reading Villette was not as good as Jane Eyre, or, totally different, I should say: while Jane Eyre is extremely engaging, full of passion, Villette was too slow, too plain f..."

A shorter novel with the same themes of Villette is The Professor. Some even say 'It's a beta version'.

Carrie wrote: "A shorter novel with the same themes of Villette is The Professor. Some even say 'It's a beta version'"
--- I heard that. Bronte put her own life experience as a teacher in boarding school in both of these books.
I wish Shirley is more passionate than this one, as I love Jane Eyre so much!

Vilette is a great book, however you will find it even more rewarding if you know French.

Michael wrote: "Vilette is a great book, however you will find it even more rewarding if you know French."
Sure yes, otherwise those foot notes can get really annoying!

It's been a while, but I remember liking it very much.

I've been reading Villete for 3 years now. It's my default book, and I can never finish it- fisrt of all, it's really slow. Jane Eyre is slow, but it's a page turner. Villete just isn't- too much boring detail, too many symbolical images, too many words for nothing specific. I do think it's an important work though because it's clearly feminist literature, so one day I'll finish it.

Bia wrote: "I've been reading Villete for 3 years now. It's my default book, and I can never finish it- fisrt of all, it's really slow. Jane Eyre is slow, but it's a page turner. Villete just isn't- too much b..."

I really enjoyed the beginning part of it, but when the heroine starts her life in France, a boarding school, everything becomes so plain. I stopped reading at 2/3. What a shame!

This book is a strange case for me. Technically it's not the best written - the plot is a bit disjointed, the pacing isn't good, and the characters feel strangely distant. But still, it's one of my favorite books because of the odd effect it has on me. I feel like there's a lot of raw emotion and pain just under the surface, which Lucy (and by extension, the author) is barely keeping suppressed. The weird plot and pacing also give the novel a sort of dream-like, surreal feel. It's one of the few Victorian novels I came across that feels almost 20th century in its approach, with a heavier focus on the abstract.

Definitely!! You'll find it not as engaging as you want it to be at first, but i'm sure you'll like it more as you proceed (if you haven't read it already!!)
Good luck on your reading!!

Janne Eyre is my favorite novel. Villette has similarities to Jane Eyre, but yet sufficiently different so it is well worth reading. I read Villette as part of a group read here on Goodreads.

I haven't read it, but I really want to now!!

I think Villette is infinitely superior to Jane Eyre!

I read it years ago and loved it!

I absolutely loved Jane Eyre and have had Villete sitting on my shelf for a few yrs now unread. After reading these reviews I think I will give it a try next. I don't have much time to read these days with writing but I would really like to find some time soon.

I enjoyed it but struggled with the French which greatly impacted my overall experience. An annotated version would be a nice edition. But over all, it was a nice slower read of classic Bronte.

H.D. wrote: "I enjoyed it but struggled with the French which greatly impacted my overall experience. An annotated version would be a nice edition. But over all, it was a nice slower read of classic Bronte."

I actually enjoy going to the translator and finding out what they are saying; unless it's long sections of conversation and then I think it's too much. Sometimes I take it as an opportunity to learn something new.