Villette

Without family or means, the strong-willed Lucy Snowe escapes the English countryside for the town of Villette. Though overwhelmed by a new culture and a foreign language, Lucy finds employment at an all-girls boarding school. Her self-reliance is soon compromised by her affections for two men: the kindhearted Dr. Bretton and the imperious professor M. Paul Emanuel. As Lucy longs for both independence and passion in a patriarchal society, fate plays its hand.

Inspired by Charlotte Brontë’s own experiences while teaching in Brussels, Villette is revolutionary for its modernity and unsparing psychological insight into the mind of an isolated and conflicted woman.

Revised edition: Previously published as Villette, this edition of Villette (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.