Villette (annotated)
by Charlotte Brontë
With her final novel, Villette, Charlotte Brontë reached the height of her artistic power. First published in 1853, Villette is Brontë's most accomplished and deeply felt work, eclipsing even Jane Eyre in critical acclaim. Her narrator, the autobiographical Lucy Snowe, flees England and a tragic past to become an instructor in a French boarding school in the town of Villette. There she unexpectedly confronts her feelings of love and longing as she witnesses the fitful romance between Dr. John, a handsome young Englishman, and Ginerva Fanshawe, a beautiful coquette. The... more
Reviews and Recommendations
We've comprehensively compiled reviews of Villette (annotated) from the world's leading experts.
Anne Thériault @SophiaETamaro @annfosterwriter It’s the best Brontë book by far! (But way less discussed than Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights) (Source)
Salley Vickers I don’t want to decry Jane Eyre—this isn’t an anti-Jane Eyre stance—but I think that it’s a fairy story…In Villette, Brontë’s become a much more mature writer. (Source)