Villette Read-a-Long :: Week Eight
Welcome! We are reading through Charlotte Bronte’s Villette this February and March. Feel free to jump in at any time. You can see our reading schedule and guidelines in the starting post. Feel free to leave your thoughts on this week’s reading or a link to your updates in the comments section!
Week Eight
Chapters: 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, & 42
Summary:
So very, very much happens in these chapters. They are the conclusions of all of the story lines we’ve been following… Polly and Dr. John, Ginevra and her fate, the revelation of the truth about the nun, M.Paul’s intentions, Madame Beck’s true personality, and our dear Lucy’s fate. All of these conclusions are packed into these seven chapters. Without giving too much away (I will do that in the next section), the last four chapters in particular give the reader the absolute conclusions of this story. Onto my thoughts — and spoilers!
What I Thought: (This section contains spoilers)
We made it! After two months of reading and discussing, we are finally finished with Villette. Congrats to all of you who put in the time and effort to make it through this long, classic novel. Thank you for spending the past eight weeks here with me discussing it. It’s because of all of you that I made it through.I knew that each week I must get my reading done so we could discuss what happened. I am so glad that I read this novel, and that I had all of you to read it with. I hope that, no matter your final opinion of the book, you are happy to have made it through.
Now… wow. First of all — I have very little opinion about Polly and Dr. John. Didn’t we pretty much figure them from the beginning? We always knew that Polly would come back grown up. And we had already seen how she and Graham connected, so I’m not super enthused about them. Though I did feel for Polly’s father. He seemed like such a sweet man, and I hated that he was so torn up about his daughter marrying. I do like how Bronte shared with us everything that happened in Polly and Graham’s lifetime together — I think it was a neat bit of narrative.
Now what in the world was that LONG chapter about Lucy going to the party in the town, basically on drugs? I had a very hard time following it — and I felt it moved rather slow. I know she was supposed to be on a sleeping drug, but it seemed like some other kind of interesting “trip.” I was actually surprised about Madame Beck and Pere Silas. Was anyone else? I, for some reason, didn’t realize she was a villain! But what a villain she turned out to be. Horrible woman.
I adore what happened with Ginevra and the nun. I did not guess that the nun would be Ginevra’s suitor, but it makes loads of sense. Very clever. And very entertaining how they left the costume for her, haha, poor Lucy. Sorry to compare to Austen yet again, but I will… did Ginevra’s marriage fiasco remind anyone of Pride and Prejudice? I am reminded of Lydia’s self absorption, competitiveness, and total lack of regard for others in Ginevra. As well as the inappropriate elopement (and the non-realization of its inappropriateness).
The last two chapters completely stole my heart. The second to last I read slowly, savoring it. I adored M. Paul in these chapters, completely forgetting what a weirdo he can be. The house! The school! The love! Ahhh, it made everything SO worth it. I could picture the little house and it was perfect, absolutely. If only there was more of this type of love between Lucy and her man (but maybe too much of a good thing…?). I was quizzical when Lucy mentioned that the three years when M. Paul was gone were the best of her life, but (of course) that question was answered on the last page. The entire last sequence of the last chapter was pure poetry. I am (as ever) in awe of Charlotte Bronte’s writing. I had to re-read the five short paragraphs a few times to really believe what happened. I thought, surely, I must have missed something. Surely our dear, sweet, sad Lucy would not end up alone. And then I realized how absolutely brilliant (terribly sad, but brilliant) Bronte was in this ending. And the way she did not outright tell us, but let it sink in just the same way it would have for Lucy as she waited… and waited… but never again saw her beloved. Oh, wow.
I am still processing this novel, so have not given it a proper rating on GoodReads, but when I do, I’ll come back and post it here. Thanks again to all of you for going on this reading journey with me! For thsoe of you so inclined, join us for the next read-a-long (see below), starting post goes up tomorrow!
*****
Next Read-a-Long : John Adams by David McCullough. (See here for more information, and come back tomorrow for the starting post!)
*****
Who Made it All the Way Through!:
A Bookish Way of Life
Lit-Snit
Fingers and Prose
Mady
@So_Meow
The Sleepless Reader
@jackiemania
Tahleen’s Mixed-Up Files@elesscom
Susan E.
Savvy Verse & Wit
Readings and Things
Under the Boardwalk
The House of the Seven Tails
The Road Goes Ever Ever On
Grief Journey to Reading Journey
Join the Road
Books and Chocolate
Dolce Belleza
You weren’t the only one who thought of Lydia Bennet and the P&P elopement, Wallace; I thought of that too. They’re very similar, and both times the cad had to be paid off to properly marry the young idiot who went off with him in the first place.
A sad ending, but one I expected in some way.
Here’s my final post: http://tahleenreads.blogspot.com/2011/03/villette-readalong-done.html
The absolutely last chapter was amazing, poignant, happy, purposely vague but I think we all understand what’s being said. Lucy’s happy, though and sounds content. And, although I think Charlotte Bronte wrote the perfect ending, I wish, just a little bit, for a different outcome!
Amy’s Final Villette post
I read in Unquiet Soul by Margo Peters (bio on CB) that her original ending was explicit about what happened, but her publishers asked her to change it. She agreed to make it vague but what she wanted (vs. happy or vague/happy). I would love to read the original ending!
Oh wow, I would love to read the original ending as well!
Week 8: http://thesleeplessreader.wordpress.com/
Ahh, how could I forget the PARTY scene??? That was trippy! I couldn’t figure out if she was dreaming or if it were real life. Like in David After Dentist.
I finished, too, and was pleasantly surprised that Charlotte Bronte — who had thrown so many red herrings and ridiculous coincidences into the plot — was nonetheless able to have me so off-track in my theories about the nun. Still a bit lost regarding Justine Marie, so any help on that front would be welcome. Was Pere Silas lying to Lucy? Or had Mme Walworth spun a tale that he couldn’t help but believe was true? And, if so, to what end — M. Paul’s financial support couldn’t have been substantive, could it?
Loved the irony about observations & appearances vs. reality and the fact that not every narrative ended wrapped in a happy bow. BUT, I never would have stuck it out had it not be for this collection of readers. I’m glad I persisted, but would not recommend this except to Bronte / Austen fans. Instead, I’d encourage folks look to Elizabeth Gaskell. I happened upon Cranford, not realizing it was a PBS series, and found it delightful in its portrayal of small town life in that era.
Glad you stuck with it. I, too, would have had a hard time without all of you — but an glad I read it. It’s my first Bronte. I saw Jane Eyre last night and am now wanting to read that one as well.
I very much want to read Cranford. I watched the mini-series without realizing it was a book and fell in LOVE. I heard it’s a bit different though. Have you now watched the mini-series? If so, what do you think?
Ellen, I was under the impression that this Justine Marie was named after the first. I believe they said the namesake would have been the girl’s aunt had she survived.
Thx. I must have missed that reference as I sped thru the denouement!
Having read the book before, it seems weird to leave comments on the ending – I’m going to enjoy reading everyone’s thoughts instead.
I will say however: Lucy’s druggy interlude wowed me the first time I read this (being a fan of William Burrough’s and other writers notable for dabbling). From what I’ve read, Lucy would have been given Laudanum (basically opium in a legally available form) – and the drug sequence is maybe drawing on the experiences of her brother Branwell’s notorious addiction to the substance, along with her love for Thomas De Quincey’s novel “Confessions of an English Opium Eater” (which was the basis for one of my favourite movies Suspiria, the music from which is used in the trailer for the new film of… Jane Eyre!)
I’ve loved participating in this read-a-long. Thank you Wallace!
Well thank YOU, Charlie… you just explained a few things to me! I was wondering why she seemed SO out of it from a sleeping pill. opium would explain it, haha! I didn’t realize her brother had been addicted… was that when he was ill or just in general?
I saw Jane Eyre last night — have you seen it? I LOVED it!
I enjoyed participating in the read-along as well, reading everybody’s thoughts expanded and enriched my own experience. I’ve also been reading her biography by Elizabeth Gaskell which added to the reading experience. Ms. Gaskell writes about many of Charlotte’s life experiences and then shows how these experiences were tucked into her novels. Much of the narration of Villette was actually based on her own experiences in Brussells, including the lost love of her professor. I think Charlotte was a woman who felt deeply but because she lived in an era that was supressive to women she kept much of that emotion hidden away until it was released in her writing. The whole time I was reading Villette I kept wondering how much of what I read was really Charlotte’s own pain. The book’s conclusion left me feeling lost and empty–and wanting more. I love reading Charlotte’s work.
Good luck on your next read-a-long, I think I’ll skip this one but I’ll keep a look out for future reads.
I can’t wait to read that biography now that some of you are discussing it. It’s waiting for me on my shelf (I need to get through the 7 books I am reading right now, first). Isn’t it interesting just how passionate the Bronte women were? It really showed in their writing. I wonder what it was that made them so able to articulate it through the written word. It seemed so unusual for the time — brave.
Definitely keep your eye on the schedule. Will be doing another fiction selection after we finish John Adams. Would love to have you back sometime!
Thank you for hosting the read-a-long Wallace! It’s the first I’ve participated in and I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed reading a novel this way.
The party scene also troubled me. I’d been a little wary of all of the coincidences in the beginning of the novel, but I’d suspended my disbelief. In this case, I think that a writer of Bronte’s skill could have created a better, more believable moment of revelation. The solution to the nun questions was priceless, though. I think that Ginevra may have turned about to be my favorite character. She was so terrible in an amusing kind of way.
http://readingsandthingsblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/villette-read-long-week-eight.html
I’m sorry to have finished Villette, but very glad to have read it in this readalong, with the benefit of everyone’s comments and thoughts. In this part, I lost interest in Paulina and Graham since there was no suspense about their relationship any more but I was more and more interested in Lucy’s story. I really enjoyed the chapter of the fete—the turnaround of expectations and the unfolding of the story/characters, especially the part where Lucy hid herself so Graham would never know for sure if it was her. Although the story had a serious ending, there is an earlier “fairy tale” ending– the scene where M Paul reveals the little house and school he has had set up for Lucy, complete even to the china (and students). On the one hand, I enjoyed seeing Lucy happy with M Paul, but on the other hand, I couldn’t help thinking “Didn’t she want to pick out her own china? Arrange things in her own way?”
I love the comparison of Ginevra’s marriage to P&P! There’s another Jane Austen reference in this quote from Charlotte Bronte about the ending:
“The note you sent this morning from Lady Harriette St. Clair, is precisely to the same purport as Miss Muloch’s request, – an application for exact and authentic information respecting the fate of M. Paul Emanuel! You see how much the ladies think of this little man, whom you none of you like. I had a letter the other day, announcing that a lady of some note, who had always determined that whenever, she married, her husband should be the. counterpart of ‘Mr. Knightly’ in Miss Austen’s Emma, had now changed her mind, and vowed that she would either find the duplicate of Professor Emanuel, or remain for ever single! I have sent Lady Harriette an answer so worded as to leave the matter pretty much where it was. Since the little puzzle amuses the ladies, it would be a pity to spoil their sport by giving them the key.”
Thanks for being the readalong hostess with the mostest, Wallace, and I hope to join you all another time.
Thanks for reading along (and for the quote)! I want a letter from Charlotte Bronte!
I am laughing at this line that you wrote — ‘On the one hand, I enjoyed seeing Lucy happy with M Paul, but on the other hand, I couldn’t help thinking “Didn’t she want to pick out her own china? Arrange things in her own way?”’ Apparently not… maybe it wasn’t so expected back then? Or maybe just because she was so happy to be out of horrible circumstances. However, you were not the only one reading who felt that way, I’m sure! I love it.
Would love to have you back sometime in the future for another read-a-long!
Well, I loved the book. It kept me captivated and interested, and reading it along with everyone else made it an even better experience.
I thought the ending was perfect. It felt like such a unique book, getting to know the main character in such a complex way. I can understand why they say that Lucy is an unreliable narrator. I hope to read a biography of Charlotte Bronte at some point; Villette seemed to be a rather personal novel.
As for the John Adams read-along, I’ve read it so I won’t be joining. I enjoyed it though, so it would be fun to follow along with everyone’s thoughts.
http://fingersandprose.blogspot.com/2011/03/villette-read-along-final-thoughts.html
Good to know you enjoyed it! Feel free to pop in with an opinion whenever you want to.
I loved being “surprised” during these last few chapters. I have been rewatching P & P while I exercise and realized how similar Ginevra/Lydia were too. I thought that the nun may have been Ginerva or Mrs. Beck, but for the wrong reasons! I was glued to the last couple of chapters and am still thinking about the ending.
Thank you so much for hosting the read-a-long as I am sure it kept me reading a book that I have long wanted to read!
Thanks for participating! Glad you enjoyed yourself.
Wallace – I too enjoyed this read-a-long. I read on my Nook which allowed for the “close” reading this novel required (not my forte as I tend to be a skimmer) and then underlined passages, wrote notes and dog-eared my paperback (as these are not easy tasks on the Nook). At some point I want to go back and re-read sections to marvel once again at Bronte’s writing.
This has got to be the most romantic proposal ever: “Lucy, take my love. One day share my life. Be my dearest, first on earth.”
In terms of the ending, a part of me wishes it was a “happily ever after” ending. The larger part thought it was brilliant. I had the same feeling after reading the last paragraph of the insanely long Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Perfectly brilliant.
My post here: http://grieftoreadingjourney.blogspot.com/2011/03/villette-read-long-chapters-36-to-end.html
I will skip the next read-a-long but will look for others in the future. Thanks!
Yes, definitely come back in the future for a read-a-long, it’s been good to have you along of the ride!
I’ve been rolling a final post in my head for the past few days, and am finding it impossible! In a nutshell, I loved the book, love Charlotte Bronte’s writing, and after reading Villette, I’ve developed a full blown Bronte obsession! I’ve read a bio, and plan to read more. I am finding mentions and parallels everywhere.
I really want to re-read Villette – it seems like an onion, and I have only gotten to the first layer with this first reading.
I feel like the ending of V. is even more heartbreaking knowing that CB did decide to marry (one of her father’s curates) and was dead shortly after from complications of pregnancy and ongoing sickness. It is notable that we finished our readalong on the day she died, March 31 (1855). I wish she could have had the ending that Lucy did instead!
Thanks so much for hosting this great Read-a-long, Wallace!
I had NO idea that we finished on that anniversary. Definitely notable. I, like you, have a bit of a Bronte obsession as well. I adore Jane Austen, but think I might relate more to the Bronte women as they feel almost more real to me. I can see what they are feeling in a clearer way — and that fact that they have such feeling! Wow.
I had NO idea that we finished on that anniversary. Definitely notable. I, like you, have a bit of a Bronte obsession as well. I adore Jane Austen, but think I might relate more to the Bronte women as they feel almost more real to me. I can see what they are feeling in a clearer way — and that fact that they have such feeling! Wow.
Thanks for participating Jackie — it’s been wonderful getting to “know” you!
Despite having my Kindle “fainting” this week (now I know how to restart it!), making it impossible for me to read this for a day, and a very busy week workwise, I have finally finished Villette!
After drugs, a secret wedding and a party, all the threads come to an end.
I was most curious to learn about the mystery of the nun and I was quite amused by it! Ginevra was not that dumb after all! 
Of course, there was no surprise anymore about Paulina & Dr John, though it seemed a bit cruel of her to ask for Lucy’s advise and tell her all her thoughts about his beloved – certainly Paulina must have understood about Lucy’s past feelings for Dr John? Furthermore, the dialogue that Lucy had with M. de Bassompierre was a bit bizarre!
Madame Beck, after having been so praised on the earliest part of the book is now scolded by Lucy. My feeling is that our heroine admired her and would like to be like her… despite the fact that they are rivals in M Paul’s affection (they had also been noticeable rivals for Dr John’s attention) and Madame Beck’s “villainity”!
Lucy does get a sort of happy ending: Ever after I knew what I was for him; and what I might be for the rest of the world, I ceased painfully to care, and was a bit puzzled when she mentioned: M. Emanuel was away three years. Reader, they were the happiest years of my life though later I realised how bitter sweet she was. Knowing that she was the object of someone else’s affection boosted Lucy’s self esteem and made her more confident than before. I do wonder about the “real” ending… did Lucy end up her life as a teacher? As a nun?
As always, Lucy focuses her remarks on others rather than on her.
And of course, a last remark on religion: I do wonder if, despite M Paul’s word, he would have been brave enough to accept Lucy with her Protestantism, but then again, he did not seem to care too much about other people’s acceptance! I was not too fond of M Paul, but I recognize him for his loyalty.
In the end I was left a bit confused: her present seemed to be 3 years after having left Madame Beck’s… but she talked about Paulina & Dr John’s future children that grew up according to inheritance and nurture and also that in ripe old age departed Louisa Bretton, which I supposed to mean that many years (and not three) had passed. So I re-read the last paragraphs and Lucy, WHY do you have the need to put a veil over the bad things that happen to you? M. Paul died and you can’t spell it out! Some things do not change!! However, somehow I’ve found this a very suitable ending.
After 8 weeks of having her company on my commuting trips, I will miss Lucy. She was a very observant companion, though not trustworthy, as she proved several times (until the very end!!) by preferring to surprise me, instead of telling me upfront what she already knew beforehand. Thanks again Wallace for the organization of this – I would have never otherwise been able to understand a large extent of this book or learn as much about Charlotte Bronte!
Mady, she was older; more than three years had passed at the time she’s recounting the story. It’s super confusing because of the way she said it at the end, but toward the beginning she talks about how she is old now, like she mentions her snow white hair.
Tahleen, after having re-read the last few paragraphs, I could understand all the references to the seasons going by, her waiting, and the reference to something lost at sea… But she first time around Charlotte had me puzzled as I hadn’t grasped it!
I agree — I didn’t like M.Paul much either, but he was so sweet to her at the end. I couldn’t help but be so thankful for it. Our poor girl needed some affection.
I don’t know if you saw an earlier comment from Jacqueline saying that Bronte had originally written a more detailed ending, but the publisher wanted her to make it more vague! Wouldn’t you have loved to see what she originally wrote?! I would!
After having grumbled about the ending, I actually think it suits the book very well! I mean both the content and the way she did it.
I would have surely loved to read the original ending from Charlotte as well!
Bless Charlotte Bronte’s brilliant heart and brain for leaving behind this masterpiece of commentary on the kaliedescope of characters we weave into our lives.
Halfway through Chapter 38 Lucy wraps it all up, in reference to a much lesser player, M. Miret: “Once and again, I have found that the most cross-grained are by no means the worst of mankind; nor the humblest in station, the least polished in feeling.”
He who harrassed her so mercilessly for so long harboured the deepest, truest feelings for her, while those who guard their actions and display only socially acceptable behaviors can be the most two-dimensional and self-serving.
Graham and Paulina didn’t let me down though–YAY–loved ‘em to the end!! (Delighted that there WAS a Wickham & Lydia in the bunch, in the form of Ginevre and–haha–Alfred!)
And I was continually touched throughout Villette by Lucy’s (Charlotte’s) struggle to accept without questioning our varying lots in life…that some are destined to “have it easy,” while fate intentionally deals others one disappointing hand after another.
Elizabeth Gaskell’s Life of Charlotte Bronte, TBR!
Thank you Wallace and everyone for a wonderful read-along!! xo
Thanks for participating! Loved reading your opinions each week.
Wasn’t she just so brilliant? I am in awe of her. And am a huge fan now. I, too, will be reading the Gaskell bio. And Jane Eyre (and her other works when I get my hands on them).
I am so disappointed that I missed this read-along, as this, along with Jane Eyre, is one of my favorite novels of all time. I definitely would have re-read it if it meant having being able to read it with others. Virginia Woolf called it Bronte’s finest novel, (or so it says on the cover of my copy). I would really like to read Shirley as well. It was published a few years before Villette. For anyone who really enjoyed this book or who cares to read more about it, in The Modern Library Classics edition, the intro is a discussion between A.S. Byatt and Ignes Sodre and their analysis and observations are really interesting.
I would love to get my hands on a copy of John Adams so that I can participate in the read-along!