Villette

<p><I>Villette</I> (1853) is a novel by English writer Charlotte Bront��. It was the third and final novel she published in her lifetime followed only by <I>The Professor</I> her posthumously released first novel which was largely reconceived and rewritten as <I>Villette</I>. 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 <I>Villette</I> is the story of an Englishwoman abroad and contains the themes of loneliness secrecy romance and tragedy which circulate throughout much of her work.</p><p>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.</p><p>Charlotte Bront��'s <I>Villette</I> 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.</p><p>With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript this edition of Charlotte Bront��'s <I>Villette</I> is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.</p>