VilletteVillette
Score Classic
What it's about
Fleeing England and a tragic past, Lucy Snowe becomes a teacher at a French boarding school in the town of Villette, where she confronts her own love and longing as she watches others fall in love.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It's Charlotte Brontë's final novel, and her most deeply felt.
You'll love it if you liked
Jane Eyre
Shirley
Wuthering HeightsGood to know
It's a classic, and it's long.
By the numbers
- Readers13 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller23 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping, Moving
More by Charlotte Bronte
If you like this, read next
Bel Canto
Rebecca
The Brothers Karamazov
The Thorn Birds
Middlemarch
The Age of InnocenceExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Villette worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #2,859 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 56.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Villette about?
Fleeing England and a tragic past, Lucy Snowe becomes a teacher at a French boarding school in the town of Villette, where she confronts her own love and longing as she watches others fall in love.
How long does it take to read Villette?
About 16 hours (626 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Villette?
If you liked it, try Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Shirley by Charlotte Bronte or Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.