as it is in England, in the thoughtful and toiling, the employing and labouring classes, with the women and clergy thereto appurtenant."—Globe.
"'Villette' is a most remarkable work—a production altogether sui generis. Fullness and vigour of thought mark almost every sentence, and there is a sort of easy power pervading the whole narrative such as we have rarely met. The characters are sketched with a bold and free pencil, and their individuality is sustained with a consistency which marks a master's hand. The descriptions, too, are wonderfully graphic."—Edinburgh Review.
"This novel amply sustains the fame of the author of 'Jane Eyre' and 'Shirley' as an original and powerful writer. 'Villette' is a most admirably written novel, everywhere original, everywhere shrewd, and at heart everywhere kindly. The men, women, and children who figure throughout it have flesh and blood in them, and all are worked out in such a way as to evince a very keen spirit of observation, and a fine sense of the picturesque in character."—Examiner.
"There is throughout a charm of freshness which is infinitely delightful: freshness in observation, freshness in feeling, freshness in expression. Brain and heart are both held in suspense by the fascinating power of the writer."—Literary Gazette.
"The tale is one of the affections, and remarkable as a picture of manners. A burning heart glows throughout it, and one brilliantly distinct character keeps it alive."—Athenæum.
"Of interesting scenes and well-drawn characters there is abundance. The characters are various, happily conceived, and some of them painted with a truth of detail rarely surpassed."—Spectator.
