classical heart

Mandy Weston reads the story of wry, tender little Lucy Snow with great heart and subtle understanding. I enjoyed every minute.

25 people found this helpful

A beautiful, amazing book

I love Charlotte Bronte, her sisters and everything about this particular book. First of all, the narration is sublime. I can't wait to have Mandy Weston hired over and over again, to read book after book, especially of this time period. She is up there with Josephine Bailey who is one of my very favorite narrators. Villette is a masterpiece. It is too bad that Jane Eyre so overshadowed Charlottes other books. I loved Villette. I love the protaganist of Lucy Snowe. I lived in this book, I could barely function in this century while I was engrossed in this audio!!! More people, who love this genre need to hear this book, its just wonderful.

13 people found this helpful

Beautiful reading of an inspiring story

Villette was a gentle story, more like riding along with a woman as an intimate friend in her journey. To outward appearances, not a whole lot happened but inwardly and amidst minor daily adventures, she is evolving into her own person, and testing her coping with loneliness and disappointments and in the process manifesting her values and formidable strengths in the world. Villette fulfilled the reason why I love this genre so much, the sweetness and excellence of language, the emphasis on properties of the spirit and character. As a heroine, Lucy's heroics were all about facing her demons and rising to the occasion despite difficulties---it was a tale of every day courage. All that said, I may have drifted away or made it through only slowly, if it were not for the stunning, poetic, and perfectly nuanced ready by Mandy Weston. She made all the characters come into bloom with her sensitivity and sense of pitch, intonation, flavor and accents. I loved listening to her brogue as well as the French, even when I did not understand (the latter--the book has footnotes to explain it)---her voice reading is like listening to beautiful music and added so many layers of enjoyment on top of what was already a very sweet book

4 people found this helpful

Not Anti Catholic....Individualistic

What did you love best about Villette?

I dearly loved this novel by Charlotte Bronte. I have a great love for British Classic Novels and Mandy Weston so beautifully brought this story to life with her narrative. I was disheartened to read the prior review and thought to bring to light an alternate perspective of this novel. I believe Bronte created in Miss Lucy Snowe and M. Paul Emanuel the very contrasts in religion of the period. While Lucy voiced her opinion (albeit objections) of the Catholic faith during her forced education, and yes it was truly forced as is clearly advised to the reader, Paul offered the opposing view as a devout Catholic. Lucy complements the essence of the Catholic faith (the attributes of the faith in which are demonstrated by Paul) and renounces what she feels is a materialistic invasions on the purity of the faith. During this time period the ambition of the Roman Catholic Church across Europe can be argued as having been to assume the role of the dominating faith, repressing Protestantism as well as other emerging faiths. The story is less about religion itself and more about how the differing religious views play a vital role in the separation of Lucy and Paul. It is a beautifully written novel with descriptive elements that allow the listener to envision Lucy's world. Her solace outward countenance rivaled by her internal struggles, turmoils, and discoveries of her own self rarely displayed to her colleagues within the novel but rather to the listeners ear, engage the listener and create sympathy, empathy and a reverence for the character. Many times throughout the novel my chest ached at the suppression of Lucy's feeling and her determination to "put aside such things".

To the young and old readers alike, this novel is a gem, a treasure. I look forward to listening to it over and over again as I do not yet believe I have been enlightened to all this novel has to offer, nor may I ever. The lessons, or revelations, are so numerous from psychological, theological and cultural views, I believe Bronte's masterpiece could be studied for generations.

4 people found this helpful

Bronte's masterpiece

Does it surpass Jane Eyre? It's more real and more somber, urban rather than provincial. A portrait of the artist and what she wished to say about the life of a female genius in her times.

3 people found this helpful

Good, with reservations.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I liked this book, but I don't think I would have gotten it if offered again.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Villette?

The book itself was great, but the ending left me wanting more resolution.

Which character – as performed by Mandy Weston – was your favorite?

Lucy was the best.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes, maybe a movie would give me a more definate ending.

3 people found this helpful

Not for Everyone

This is a work strange and perverse. The heroine makes Jane Eyre seem even-tempered. So it is not for those who want a pleasant romantic storyline. There's much of interest here: some really well-drawn characters and vivid description. Of interest to students and admirers of the Victorian era and women's place in it. Lucy Snowe (the narrator and heroine) is full of anger and repression and is therefore a heck of a psychological study in herself. The plot is nearly non-existent. Best, I think, for those who are interested in the role of women in society in general, and in the character and talent of the Brontes in particular.

3 people found this helpful

Parlez vous francais?

There is a lot of French in this book, if you don't understand it you will miss things, not hard to guess but still its annoying.
The reading is good, easy to listen to but the story is very long and there isn't that much that happens and its a totally rubbish ending.

8 people found this helpful

Bypass This One

The narrator is OK, but the story is really uneventful and bland with too many references to the "reader" and too much french. It's difficult to stay with what story there is.

7 people found this helpful

Beautiful Novel

The story is flawlessly woven, and the writing is clearer, more crisp and more vital than in Jane Eyre. The ending of Villette has never failed to unsettle and impress me with its utter strangeness given when it was written.

The narrator does a good job with Lucy Snow, but the French accents are irritating.

I wish audiobook editions like the Oxford or Penguin editions were available for novels like Villette, with an academic introduction and footnotes, particularly when a book contains many passages in other languages.

1 person found this helpful