Review Villette - Charlotte Brontë

Villette is one of Charlotte Brontë’s lesser-known works compared with Jane Eyre, and it became the last novel she published. The story is often understood as drawing on her own experiences teaching English at a continental pensionnat, alongside her sister Emily, who worked as a music teacher. Published in 1853, Villette stood apart from many Victorian novels of its time: It's obvious that we as reader expecting the romance, but what we found: the tone is quiet and often gloomy, and it is especially notable for its deep psychological insight and introspective narration.

The story begins with Lucy’s retrospective memories of childhood at her godmother’s home in Bretton. Very little is revealed about Lucy’s own background, and she is presented largely as an orphaned, rootless figure. At Bretton she lives with her godmother, Mrs. Bretton, and her lively son, Graham. Their quiet domestic life changes when Paulina (Polly) Home arrives, a young child whose mother has just died. While her grieving father travels, Polly is entrusted to Mrs. Bretton’s care, and the three children share the household for a time. Lucy, however, often places herself on the margins, observing their interactions more than actively participating in them. 

After leaving Bretton, Lucy begins an independent and uncertain life. She finds work as a companion to Miss Marchmont, an elderly and lonely woman. When Miss Marchmont dies, Lucy is once again left alone, without employment or support. This personal crisis ultimately pushes her to travel abroad, leading to her arrival in the foreign city of Villette, where the main events of the novel unfold.

Brontë’s portrayal feels realistic and deeply informative, shaped by her firsthand experience of the time and place that inspired the fictional city of Villette, often understood as a version of Brussels. I especially appreciate how she creates a genuine sense of foreignness: the frequent French dialogue, the cultural distance, and Lucy’s isolation all make the reader feel as though we are truly sharing her position as an outsider in an unfamiliar world.

Lucy embark her journey abroad

Lucy’s childhood memories serve as a form of foreshadowing for her present experiences; Brontë introduces Graham and Polly not simply as past companions, but as figures whose roles become deeply intertwined with Lucy’s later emotional journey. In fact, the early chapters show Lucy’s role as a marginal one, but in the second part, I think it becomes more interesting: Lucy shifts from being merely an observer to taking on a more emotional role. This change takes us deeper into the story because we finally begin to understand how she truly feels. We come to understand that Lucy is deeply skeptical. I think she is a very complex character: she is pessimistic, stoical, and always feels isolated in Villette. We also see that she struggles with her mental health; her hallucination-like visions reflect how profoundly lonely she feels. This is unique—Lucy’s attitude is “expect nothing, and you won’t be hurt,” a kind of defense mechanism to protect herself.  Indeed, Lucy is gave up, hopeless with her unrequieted love.

Despite finding a sense of freedom, she becomes trapped once again in isolation at the boarding school, under the watchful authority of a strict headmistress who always wants to know everything. Can't say that the headmistress—Madame Beck as the villain; rather, she functions as a quiet antagonist who prefers to maintain control over everyone in the pensionnat. Monsieur Paul (Mme. Beck's cousin) is a complex and passionate man whose relationship with Lucy is marked by both intellectual connection and emotional tension, once again, Lucy struglle with her feeling and her faith as a protestant. 

So many questions come to mind that I wish I could ask Charlotte Brontë—why, in the end, does she never describe Lucy’s early life with her family? How did her parents die, or did they simply pass away without leaving any inheritance? It can be assumed that Lucy did not come from deep poverty, given her connection to her godmother, Mrs. Bretton. Once again, this shows how uncommon the novel was for its time: it is not just another Victorian romance. Brontë’s narrative feels advanced, almost modern. She seems to suggest that Lucy’s past and family background do not truly matter; there are parts of her history that Lucy chooses not to reveal, perhaps connected to trauma or grief. What ultimately matters is Lucy’s present experience and the story she is living now.

Speaking about the nun ghost, I assume that Lucy’s struggles with her mental health make her experience hallucination-like visions, especially when she is grieving. The nun appears mainly within the pensionnat, and, much like in Jane Eyre, Brontë presents the mystery in a way that seems supernatural at first but is ultimately given a logical explanation. 

I’m not going to say that this book is an easy read—you can’t just breeze through it. I had to concentrate more deeply to absorb it, especially at the beginning when Brontë presents Lucy mainly as an observer and a somewhat unreliable narrator. There is also a great deal of French dialogue, so readers who don’t understand French may need to rely on footnotes. However, with a little patience, you begin to uncover the subtle depth of Lucy’s emotions and enjoy the rich, fascinating descriptions of place—even without any visual references from film adaptations, azzz they should make this into film.

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬(4/5)
Title : Villette
Author : Charlotte Brontë
Publisher : Penguin English Library
Year : 2012 (First Published in 1853)
Format / Pages : Softcover / 616 pages
ISBN :  9780141199887