Villette (1853) is a novel by English writer Charlotte Bront�. It was the third and final novel she published in her lifetime, followed only by The Professor , her posthumously released first novel which was largely reconceived and rewritten as Villette . Inspired by Bront�'s experience traveling and teaching English in Brussels, where she went at the age of 26 with her sister Emily before returning alone the following year, Villette is the story of an Englishwoman abroad and contains the themes of loneliness, ...
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Villette (1853) is a novel by English writer Charlotte Bront�. It was the third and final novel she published in her lifetime, followed only by The Professor , her posthumously released first novel which was largely reconceived and rewritten as Villette . Inspired by Bront�'s experience traveling and teaching English in Brussels, where she went at the age of 26 with her sister Emily before returning alone the following year, Villette is the story of an Englishwoman abroad and contains the themes of loneliness, secrecy, romance, and tragedy which circulate throughout much of her work. Following a family tragedy, Lucy Snowe becomes employed as a caregiver by an elderly woman named Miss Marchmont, who treats her kindly and shares stories of life and lost love. When Miss Marchmont dies, Lucy-now without family, home, or employment-decides to leave England for Labassecour, a fictional country based on Bront�'s experience of Belgium. She is hired to teach English at a boarding school in the city of Villette, where she meets a strangely familiar English doctor and falls in love with M. Paul Emanuel, a local professor. Although he is a widower, M. Paul faces pressure from family members and religious authorities alike, and is forced to choose between a life of social acceptance and a life with the woman he loves. Amidst these circumstances, and haunted by repeated encounters with a nun rumored to be a ghost, Lucy Snowe must rely on her wits and courage as she suffers through not only intense loneliness, but a lack of control over the events which shape her life. Charlotte Bront�'s Villette is a compelling gothic novel which explores the psychological effects of a lack of agency on its protagonist while illuminating the horrors which loom over everyday life. This edition of Charlotte Bront�'s Villette is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers. Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book. With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.
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Lucy Snowe isn't exactly a "lovable heroine" but a fascinating one... There's something about this book that keeps bringing me back to it. It could be that Lucy and Paul Emmanuel are two such idiosyncratic characters that it's hard to appreciate them at first glance. Hard sometimes even to like them. But that makes for a rewarding read, as we trace their relationship and the development of their back-stories. In the end Lucy is a strong, finely drawn character - somewhat prickly and strait-laced with fears and passions that sometimes peep through. She resists becoming an object of pity for the reader...even at the end, one has a feeling that Lucy will keep a stiff upper lip, so to speak, and survive.
