Charlotte Bronte’s Villette is the gothic tale of Lucy Snowe, who travels to the fictional town of Villette in Belgium to teach at a girl’s school. The book explores Lucy’s psychological and cultural isolation, and her sense of patriarchal repression as she is drawn relentlessly towards love and adventure.
Est-ce que tu parles français?
If you are unable to read the above sentence, this is not the book for you. Having a basic grasp of the French language is prerequisite. There is a plethora of French scattered throughout.
My old school French just about carried me through. I can’t be bothered to hop around, looking up translations to read a novel …