Sampling Villette

[marydell]

I'm reading a free sample of Villette on my Kindle. I don't remember when I decided to try it, and am puzzled as to why I did, since I hate Jane Eyre with the fire of a thousand firey things. But there it is, so I'm reading the first bit.

The little girl is the creepiest child in all of fiction. It doesn't say how old she is, but since she has a crib I'm guessing...five or younger, possibly around three, since she's "tiny?" But she talks like she's 25, and acts...really weird.

Naturally my brain has come up with a working explanation for this. "Oh, I see," says my brain, "she's a vampire! Well, this will be an interesting book."

I fear my brain is mistaken.

Comments

[unhappytriad.livejournal.com]

Blech. My opinion of Jane Eyre marches with yours, but I thought I'd take a look at Villette after reading your post. The bit with the picture of the child and dog was so creepy I felt like I needed a decontamination shower. No more for me, thanks.

[txanne.livejournal.com]

Yikes! I promised my friend C I'd read it. She likes it much better than Jane Eyre, and we agree about most other 19th-century English lit. (e.g., we both wish Wuthering Heights would moulder in obscurity.)

[marydell.livejournal.com]

I actually like Wuthering Heights, because everyone is so evil. Apparently some people read it as a love story, though, which is terrifying.

[seawasp]

I've been told it reads better as a vampire story.

[txanne.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know some people who do that. Gah. I didn't see the WH characters as evil, so much as TSTL! *smacks them all hard*

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

I don't mind Jane Eyre so much (I was young when I first read it?), but Villette is CREEPY. *Especially* when you get to the self-insertion bits. (I can't remember the beginning, but I think I still have my copy. Do I dare find it and read? Decisions, decisions.)

I do not remember any vampires. And we would have talked about them, because we read Dracula in the same class!

[evilrooster.livejournal.com]

Well, in the spirit of Pride, Prejudice and Zombies, if there aren't any in there now, consider it an opportunity!

(I actually prefer Villette to Blithering Depths, but I'm really an Austen person rather than a Brontë person.)