Currently reading
The Blinding Knife
Logic: An Introduction to Elementary Logic
First Steps In Music Theory
The AB Guide to Music Theory: Part I
The Last Man
Fast Ships, Black Sails
British Sign Language
Being a Quaker
Shadow Unit 2
Villette
I'm sorry, I did not love Villette. I merely liked it. It's been a while since I read Jane Eyre, but I think I can still say that Villette just doesn't have the passion and excitement that Jane Eyre had.Don't get me wrong, it's very well written, and Lucy Snowe was a very intresting character, I loved her independence, and I especially liked her observations on other peoples characters. She doesn't hold back, she's very good at speaking her mind, and witty at it too.
I especially like when Dr John tells her to cultivate happiness. "Happiness is not a potato." she says. hehe :)
But... Most of the characters are not overall very likeable, Lucy Snowe herself can be intensely irritating. Mostly because we have to sit and watch everything through her narration, but she won't show you things when you want to see them. She won't go out, she won't approach the people I want to hear about. I want to slap her around the face til she gets off her ass and gets involved. And then she keeps things back, she keeps secrets from the reader! Things which are important, things which are obviously developing feelings in her, she won't tell us about them til after the fact. She doesn't want you to know what is important to her. She guards her thoughts even from us, and its actually frustrating.
I really didn't care for her eventual love interest either. I still don't really get why she fell for him. She's the one that saw all his faults, she described him to me, and I found him horrible and she loved him? Urgh.
I read a review where someone said "Lucy Snowe hates you." And they are probably right.