Classics for Beginners discussion

To be read whenever. I'm starting sometime in October.

Glad you'll be joining me. I'm looking forward to this one.

I won't get to read it in October, but I'll post when I do get to read it!

Great, Lady D!! I certainly know the feeling. I won't be starting until later in the month probably.

The copy I have makes it look like a long read. I have three other books I want to read in October so I hope I can complete my goal. If not, it is still a great challenge.

I want to join, but I need to finish Jane Eyre first.

I hear ya! LOL I didn't realize that I'm supposed to be moderator ... I will start today after work. I can put a couple of others on hold.

Count me in, I wil start reading it tomorrow. :)

This is my absolute favorite book! I love it so much I'm going to tattoo a passage onto my ribcage, thats when I have the money to do so!!

Hey, I'd like to join! That ok?

And will there be specific reading date goals to facilitate discussion? (Re: 1/2 book done by October 15th, or something like that...)

Glad to have you all join in our reading of Villette. I believe the plan is to read 2 chapters and discuss. there is a way to hide spoilers.

< spoiler > type your text here < / spoiler >

Do it like this except remove all spaces before and after your text. I can't demonstrate since I'm using my phone. I'll try, but I don't think it works on it.

(view spoiler)[this probably won't work on my iPhone (hide spoiler)]

I can't tell if it worked or not. I'm camping.

The spoiler bar worked. Thanks for the tip and for the welcome! Talk to you guys in two chapters, then. :)

I have read the first two chapters and ready to discuss so I will try the "spoiler" trick for my question...

(view spoiler)[ The little girl, Miss Home - is she a primordial dwarf? (hide spoiler)]

Dana, (view spoiler)[that certainly makes sense as she didn't seem much like an average child. Lucy seems very quiet so far. (hide spoiler)]

Dana and Martha

(view spoiler)[ No, she is not a dwarf! LOL (hide spoiler)]

Thanks, Mirela. I've read further and discovered that. Interesting character.

I finished Chapters 3 and 4. What a difference two measley chapters make. I am loving this book, so far. :) I am new to book discussions so please forgive my comments if they are too simplistic and vague. :)

(view spoiler)[ Miss Marchmont sounds like a wonderful employer. If we all were so lucky to have such a person to work for. What a tragedy to lose her love on Christmas Day and never fell in love again. It was nice that her last waking hours were wonderful for her and that she was in such good spirits before passing. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 3&4:

(view spoiler)[Yes, it's amazing how much has changed from the first 2 chapters. I did really like Miss Marchmont. What a sad life though. It seems that Lucy just can't get a break. Well, I did hear that it's a depressing book! She does seem able to "roll with the punches", but we have a long way to go. Wonder what's in story for her and also, if we'll see Polly again. That seemed such an abrupt change to me. (hide spoiler)]

I am also loving this book. Wish I could spend a day reading instead of working! LOL

Chapters 5&6

(view spoiler)[With no job and very little money, she strikes out for London. I think she is very brave to do this. At least Miss Marchmont's heir did pay her. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 5 & 6

(view spoiler)[ Yes, she is brave. I like that she is experiencing it as an adventure, at least so far. She is a very capable woman. (hide spoiler)]

Mirela,
You said that you might tattoo a passage of this book on your ribcage. Which passage would you use, if you don't mind me asking?

Hi Dana,

The quote I want is not until towards the end of the book:

“Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars--a cage, so peril, loneliness, an uncertain future, are not oppressive evils, so long as the frame is healthy and the faculties are employed; so long, especially, as Liberty lends us her wings, and Hope guides us by her star.”

Everytime I read it I get such a boost of confidence! It's such a beautiful quote! :)

It is a beautiful quote, Mirela!

Martha wrote: "It is a beautiful quote, Mirela!"

LOL Thank you to Miss Charlotte Bronte who is a genius!!

A genius! Yes!! I'm finding that I do love this one. Not sure it will replace Jane Eyre as one of my top 5 favorite novels, but will see. I'm not very far into the story yet. I'm amazed at how brave Lucy is while being beset by depressing situations. She doesn't get depressed! She just keeps putting 'one foot in front of the other' ... not only that, she takes charge. She has that in common with Jane.

Martha wrote: "A genius! Yes!! I'm finding that I do love this one. Not sure it will replace Jane Eyre as one of my top 5 favorite novels, but will see. I'm not very far into the story yet. I'm amazed at how brav..."

Yes, I agree with you! Jane Eyre was an amazing novel! The more I read I believe that the way a person views a story depends a lot on where they are in their life. Villette to me was like this shiny bright beacon of hope! Never has a book affected me like this and on so many levels! It only took 23 years on Earth for me to realize I need to look WITHIN myself to move forward in life rather than depend on others to guide me. That's why the quote means so much to me. :) Sorry but I get quite passionate about this book!

Mirela,
That is a very moving quote. Very nice!

Theresa,
I found a free copy of Villette at the Project Gutenberg site. I downloaded a free copy of Kindle on my laptop since I don't have a EReader (yet). If you have a problem finding it let me know and I can send a link.

Dana

Wow! Read a couple of chapters and everything changes. This book is really something and I'm enjoying it very much. Am actually reading it twice as after I read 2 chapters, I listen to them. I find the Libravox audio version a bit odd because the narrator changes every chapter and the volume is almost too low to listen to while driving. But it was free!!

Chapters 7&8

(view spoiler)[The only thing I found odd is how she stumbled onto Madame Beck's home/school when lost. Not too believable. Now here she is hired as a governess and then thrown into a teaching position. Her courage (or is it persistance) helped her to take control of the class. Locking a student in a closet certainly wouldn't be an option today! :-) Wonder what the next 2 chapters will bring. (hide spoiler)]

I just finished Rebecca and plan to start Villette in a day or two.

dr bretton could be charming, with the ladies.

You guys are all so ahead of me! Where should I aim to be by this Sunday? I will be partway through exams and have some leeway this weekend. I'm only at the beginning of London, still.

I took a short break to finish Treasure Island so am still at the beginning of Chapter 9.

Now I'm finishing Frankenstein. Should be done with it in the next couple of days ... seems to be going very quickly. I look forward to getting back to Villette.

A book of this length is difficult to read online: my eyes have been bugging out at night. There are no copies in any of my nearby libraries, though. Aghk!

Just started this last night FINALLY lol I shall join the discussion soon. Right now I'm still not past chapter two.

Glad you're joining us, Jessi. I'm trying to finish Frankenstein so I can get back to Villette. I start too many books at once and then get overwhelmed! LOL It's the ADD.

Chapters 9-13 ... still enjoying this very much. I'm not done with Chapter 13, but I think some of what I wrote below is in that chapter.

(view spoiler)[She seems to have settled into the life of a teacher well and enjoys it. I find it odd that she is so willing to overlook Madame Beck's searching through her belongings. Although she even states that if Madame Beck knew that she knew, she would have to leave and she doesn't want to. Is she as passive as she seems?? I wonder. (hide spoiler)]

So far Jane Eyre is still my favorite book of the two, but I'm not even 1/4 of the way into the book yet. So I have yet to see.

I am just now on Chapter 5. I had thought I'd be more into the book by now but I am not. Jane Eyre caught me right from the start. This book hasn't grabbed me as much. While I like the narrator fine, I am having a tough time figuring out where she fits in. So far it just seems like we are learning about the people she lives amongst at the time. Does it pick soon? Do we learn her purpose in the story more? I sure hope so. I really did love Jane Eyre.

It took me awhile to start Villette. I think because of the number of pages....but I am started. I am into chapter 26. I like the story. I love the addresses to the "dear reader". I also like the transparency of the main character. I cannot compare with Jane Eyre due to having not read it yet. It is on my 2012 reading goal list.

Chapters 14-16 - Wow! What a twist. I did NOT see that coming.
Jessi, it didn't grab me right away either and overall is a quieter book, if that makes sense. I'm liking it, but JE is still my favorite of the 2.
Miss.terri, I do like the story, too. It's full of interesting characters, like most Victorian era novels.

(view spoiler)[Dr. John is Graham!!!! That came out of left field. I was glad to know she would be with her godmother again, but to know that she has known almost from the beginning that Dr. John is Graham is a surprise. She's a bit of a sneak to keep it from us, her 'dear readers'. LOL I do love a good Victorian novel! (hide spoiler)]

Martha wrote: "Chapters 14-16 - Wow! What a twist. I did NOT see that coming.
Jessi, it didn't grab me right away either and overall is a quieter book, if that makes sense. I'm liking it, but JE is still my fav..."

lol! I agree about the "Dear Reader"

Well I shall keep at it but it is very slow going for the time being LOL

I just could not get into it. I had to stop. It was very boring to me. Jane Eyre was so SO much better. Hope the rest of you enjoy more than I did.

I totally understand. I had a hard time with the beginning of it. And all that French! If I ever read it again it will be a version with translations of the French.

Martha wrote: "I totally understand. I had a hard time with the beginning of it. And all that French! If I ever read it again it will be a version with translations of the French."

I had a version that had the English translation at the bottom of the page.

That would be nice. But since I'm about 40% into it, I'll stick with this one. It's slow going some days. I'm trying to make the halfway mark in the next day or 2.

Yes, I understand that. The book is over 500 pages.

I'm halfway through it. Like it quite a bit, but it doesn't keep my interest like Jane Eyre did. It's a thoughtful story with little action. Oh, there is some, but even it is pretty low-key for the most part.

That is true. I enjoyed reading it even so. I am hoping her other books are just as good. This is the first book by Charlotte Bronte that I have read.