The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion

The plot thickens!

First, we have the revelation that our narrator has been keeping secrets from the reader-that Dr John is Graham Bretton, and that Lucy has known this for some time now. What do you make of this literary trickery, and what does it say about Lucy and/or the author?

Secondly, there is the meeting with M. Paul at the gallery and later at the concert. How do you interpret the relationships that Lucy is establishing both with Dr John and with M. Paul? Do you think that your reaction to these characters is the same as Lucy's?

Thirdly, Lucy is coming into society much more than previously. Does this seem to change her in any way?

Finally, there is the apparition in the garrett-any suspicions of who or what this might be, or is this a delusion of Lucy's?

I will be away on vacation this week and will check in, wi-fi willing, if I can. As usual, the above questions are suggestions only-let us know your thoughts on this section.

Hmm, the coincidence was a bit too much, but it does make things more interesting. But one thing that bothers me: Mrs. Bretton is a lady who Lucie spent Summers with when she was young, someone she loved and admired. They lost touch somehow. How? And Lucie knew for several months who Dr. John/Graham was and didn't ask about his mother. REALLY? I find that hard to believe. Fine, Lucie enjoys not having Graham know who she is, but I would think she would have broken the silence in order to ask about Mrs. Bretton.

The book is getting better in that we are seeing more of Lucie's wit, intelligence, and personality. Dr. John is seeing it too. He obviously enjoys her company. I guess we'll see what happens. But then, with all the weird coincidences, I wouldn't be surprised if Polly showed up to marry him. :-/

I think M. Paul likes Lucie and is jealous about her spending time with Dr. John. I also think that was him in the garret.

I love the exchanges between Graham and his mom!

Lori wrote: "Hmm, the coincidence was a bit too much, but it does make things more interesting. But one thing that bothers me: Mrs. Bretton is a lady who Lucie spent Summers with when she was young, someone she..."

If my calculations are correct, it's been 9 years. Lucy went from 14 to 23; Graham from 16 to 25; Mrs. Bretton from 41 to 50. I found it odd that Lucy wasn't recognized by Graham, but I make excuses by reminding myself that there were no photographs then.

I, too, wonder how they lost touch. As Lucy's godmother, if something had happened to her parents, wasn't it Mrs. Bretton's responsibility to raise her (or at least look out for her if she had already come of age)?

Lucy is happier with the Brettons, and that makes me a happier reader. I hope she'll stay there. (Confirmation that I must never read "The Bell Jar"!)

The fact that Lucy did not reveal herself to Graham seems strange. For someone who is so alone, one would think she would reach out. At the end of the chapter Lucy says she wants a tranquil life. After all the difficulties in her life, tranquility probably looks good. But she is much too young to be a looker-on of life. The way she describes Graham sounds like a "crush" to me. As for Graham not recognizing Lucy, he was a 16 year old, doted-on, teenage boy.

Mary Lou, I agree that Lucy is happier at the Brettons. She is no longer so alone and is beginning to heal. She is still very reserved and doesn't reveal her feelings, but she seems more open and the ice might be beginning to melt.
What I especially like is Charlotte Bronte's beautiful language when describing nature.
I have one comment about Dr. John in this chapter. He tells Lucy she should travel and get a change of scenery for six months. Does he have any idea how poor she is?

If Dr. John is Graham Bretton, could Ginevra be that strange little child
Polly? If not, why was she(Polly) in the book at all?

No, Polly would have had to be 8 years old at the beginning for Ginevra to be her. Polly was much younger than that. I wouldn't be surprised if Polly turned up at the school though. Or it may be that Polly was just a device used to bring out Graham's character at the beginning of the book - we saw that he was kind, but also a little careless and fickle. Of course, he is probably much more conscientious today, but it may have been a hint about something in him. For example, he may change his mind and take Ginevra back. Or he may break Lucie's heart, kind of like he broke Polly's when he was young. (She said when she read the letter that Graham pained her afterward - I'm wondering what that means. Does it just refer to him pocketing the letter and teasing her, or is it something that will come later, that may be worse?),

Lucy has just been to the art gallery. I agree with some of her comments about art; there are fashions in art and sometimes it is hard to find just why particular paintings are so popular. M. Paul's reaction to find Lucy gazing at the scantily clad Cleopatra is priceless. Lucy is definitely getting to be more lively and open to interaction with others, and expressing herself more freely-- up to a point.

M. Paul's reaction to Lucy's gazing at Cleo could happen many places in the world today.

I think her depression, starting with her visit to the priest, has done her a world of good.

I think that I've read all the chapters but 22. I suppose you could say it's picking up with Lucy's visit to the Bretton's. She is unwinding a bit. I found her attitude towards Dr. John did an about face between before the reader who knew he was, and when we find out. She appeared somewhat exasperated and impatient with him initially, now however she is almost fawning (well, fawning for Lucy) over him. Hmmm ......

What bothers me about Lucy is that she views almost everything in such a negative light. I have no problem with people having different opinions, but when you look down on everything as if it's not fit to soil the bottom of your shoe, it gets a little wearing. I feel that to minutely enjoy this book, I continually have to make excuses for it. And I might just run out of excuses. :-Z

Mary Lou wrote: "If my calculations are correct, it's been 9 years. Lucy went from 14 to 23; Graham from 16 to 25; Mrs. Bretton from 41 to 50. I found it odd that Lucy wasn't recognized by Graham, but I make excuses by reminding myself that there were no photographs then. ..."

Thanks for this information, Mary Lou. For some reason, I though that Lucy was much older at the beginning of the book. In fact, her tone doesn't seem to have changed much.

Rosemarie wrote: "M. Paul's reaction to find Lucy gazing at the scantily clad Cleopatra is priceless. Lucy is definitely getting to be more lively and open to interaction with others, and expressing herself more freely-- up to a point...."

Yes, I enjoyed Lucy's response here: deliberately testing M. Paul's patience (for that is what brings him alive - he seems to love to have somebody to spar with.) I especially liked her description of how he "looked at the picture himself, at his ease, and for a very long while" yet kept glancing at Lucy to make sure she was following his orders not to look at it. She seems very much at her ease herself in talking to him.

In fact, as she enters society more, we see more humour coming through - viz her reaction to the pink dress she's given by Mrs Bretton (chap. 20).
"I thought no human force should avail to put me into it. A pink dress! I knew it not. It knew not me."

Lucy comments on the "foreign" women and what they are wearing at the concert. She seems to forget that technically she is the foreigner.

Rosemarie wrote: "Lucy comments on the "foreign" women and what they are wearing at the concert. She seems to forget that technically she is the foreigner."

Good point! :-D

I really like relationship between mother and son. Graham's reaction when he saw that Ginevra was poking fun at his mother during the concert showed two things--his love for his mother; he was not so "smitten" that he didn't notice Ginevra's faults.

Well, Lucy has gone into society and encountered M. Paul in more than one setting, worn a pink dress, received a letter and seen something in the garret. She stills shuns the limelight, but is generally happier now that she has friends. She still has a crush on Dr. John, but that is understandable since he is the only
English male she knows in Villette, but she does tend to idolize him. I can't understand why she still likes and puts up with Ginevra. Perhaps because she is English? As for the apparition in the attic, I would not be at all surprised if the same Miss Ginevra is behind it.

I finally caught up. Through this whole section it seemed to me that there was something just off about the interactions between Lucy and Dr. John. As others have commented, her recognizing him but not telling him they'd met before seemed odd. You would expect that she might have asked how his mother was doing. She's very excited to get a letter from him. But after seeing something in the attic and running downstairs to a room with four people in it, she does not even register that he is one of them. If she was just reading his letter, you would expect her to be more tuned in, at least enough to notice his presence.

Rosemarie wrote: "As for the apparition in the attic, I would not be at all surprised if the same Miss Ginevra is behind it. "

That was my suspicion as well, Rosemarie. We shall see.

This section has drawn me in and I'm enjoying the book a bit more now. I thought Lucy's "discussion" with Reason was a very good passage, which finally helped me see the depths of her depression. Very well done. Like Graham (for some reason the moniker "Dr. John" annoys me) I've had a comparatively easy life and am cheerful by nature, so when Lucy says

No mockery in this world ever sounds to me so hollow as that of being told to cultivate happiness. What does such advice mean? Happiness is not a potato, to be planted in mould and tilled with manure.

it weighs on me, and makes me sad that she can't see the all the good things that surround her. She needs to play Pollyanna's Glad Game. :-)

I, too, love the banter between Graham and his mother. They bring much needed humor and warmth to the story. My respect for Graham increased substantially when his blinders were removed and he saw Ginevra for the spoiled little monster she is. Hallelujah!

I paid special attention to the passage about happiness, too. We are all different and some people feel more deeply than others. Lucy has made major strides in her recovery, but she still has a long road ahead of her. But she is no longer alone.

It just occurred to me that the name of the country La Bassecour, is not a very nice name. In French, the bassecour is the part of the farm no one sees, the back part, where the useful but unattractive things and animals are found.

Rosemarie wrote: "It just occurred to me that the name of the country La Bassecour, is not a very nice name. In French, the bassecour is the part of the farm no one sees, the back part, where the useful but unattrac..."

Thank you for that tidbit. I'm sure the choice was deliberate.

Rosemarie wrote: " As for the apparition in the attic, I would not be at all surprised if the same Miss Ginevra is behind it. "

I was thinking the same thing. Sorry, I am very much behind, but just finished these chapters.

I am starting to like the novel now a little more than before as Lucy finally becomes a more active person with regards to her interactions with other people.
As you all named it, I found it strange, too, that she did not say a thing about her recognition of Dr. John and did not ask about Mrs. Bretton. She was so lonely, in a foreign country, among strangers and then she recognizes someone familiar and does not say anything? After all, it is even her godmother who is involved. It felt somehow wrong to me.
BTW, wasn't it mentioned that the Brettons moved away in one of the earlier chapters and she, therefore, maybe lost contact with them. I was also wondering about Polly as Polly's father had moved to France or the continent if I remember correctly. So it would not be a surprise if she showed up at some point again.

With regards to the age, I thought Lucy 24 and Graham 26 at the beginning. At a later point (I think when staying with the Brettons) she makes a comparison to a 25 year old which would then be her age after approx. 1 year in Villette.

You all know how it ends while I will try to keep on reading :-)

Hedi, this was a reread for me, but it was so long ago that it was like reading it for the first time. You are right about the book getting to be more interesting now that Lucy has friends of her own.