The concept of this story seems good and has the potential to be intriguing. From the start, however, the characters are dull and dry without much to recommend them to the reader. The plot plods on slowly, which further cements the complete lack of interest in the outcome of the already weak plot. I found very little to recommend this story to me, and only completed it by forcing myself to finish. I cannot recommend this book. ( )

This novel appears to be the precursor to "Villette," using a similar plot, but using a male voice as the narrator. The male is William Crimsworth, orphaned by poor parents, but raised by wealthy relations with resentment on both sides. Soon as he is of age, William sets off to make it on his own, which neccessitates him going into - gasp!- trade, a horrifying word among the upper class. William seeks his long-lost older brother, who didn't have the benefit of their rich relatives' protection and made a fortune on his own. William, however, is eternally an outsider, treated badly by his resentful brother, and held at bay by his coworkers, except for Mr. Hunsden, who takes up a curious, trucculent fondness for the young man. Through Hunsden's help, William gets a job in Brussels as a professor. There, he becomes besotted with two women: first, the sensual, yet deceiving Zoraide, then, the more moral and humble, Anglo-Swiss Frances.

The novel is peculier for its time, but not necessarily for a Bronte, in Frances' perserverance and sense of duty to the point where she must be only in debt to herself, even after she weds. She insists on working, even though William offers her a chance to "rest" after marraige. Even when she has a child, she still works hard and worries that her salary isn't significant enough to contribute to the household. She must be her husband's equal, and together they run a school together and earn an independant living, enabling her to fulfill her dream of moving to England. You can't help but admire her character and know that she is sensible enough to take care of herself.

Crimsworth prides himself on his morality and sense of duty, but his personality makes things difficult for himself. He has an air of moral superiority, both at home in England and abroad in Brussels. In Brussels, his personality seems most cruel in his descriptions of the Flemish and their Catholicism. (I believe the phrase he uses is "popish wizardry.") This is a theme that pops up in "Villette," and a little bit in "Jane Eyre," so it must be the author's bias as well. Read with the eyes of a modern-day reader, Crimsworth's feelings about Flemish Catholics are quite vitriolic and shade him in a proud, bigoted light. Interesting that he looks down upon them, but has no scruples accepting jobs from them, or teaching them. He seems to feed off of being "better," as he is always espousing English superiority. His feelings are not muted after marriage: The last chapter tells of his domestic life with Frances, where he "punishes" her for being too "French" by reading Wordsworth for an hour. In fact, any quality of Frances's that irritates WIlliam is ascribed to her foreign birth.

William's judgmental nature reigns throughout the novel and makes it difficult to feel for him, especially since other people seem to work out his problems for him. While Frances has that determined spirit to care for herself drawn from years of poverty, William understands thrift but never suffers for long. Hunsden interfers on his behalf several times, and a chance encounter saving a boy's life yields a job opportunity and a wealthy connection with the boy's father. He doesn't seem deserving of Frances, a point Hunsden brings up. Yet, throughout, William never wavers in his moral pride, and is seldom forgiving for seeing pride in others. He stares at everyone, noting every detail, describing it to excess, and passing (usually unfavorable) judgement.

But one judgement on which he is spot-on is the schoolmistress he had a passing fancy for, Zoraide. She has a need to be adored and wooed. When she thinks she has William ensnared, she is triumphant. But when William learns of her true nature (and relationship with his boss, M. Pelet) he turns cold, rendering her almost frantic in the attempt to win back his affections. The two would not have suited, so it is a happier conclusion to find him in a superior match with Frances. The two females of the novel are meant to represent what is ultimately desirable (Frances) and undesirable (Zoraide) in women's behavior. Frances is rewarded with a happy marriage, fulfillment through work, and a child, while Zoraide's marriage to Pelet is rewarded with domestic unhappiness and the loss of her figure.

Utlimately, the novel is an entertaining read, but not as imaginative as "Villette." While "Villette"'s Lucy and this novel's William are both highly judgemental of foreigners, William comes off as uptight, while Lucy appears to be self-denying as a protective measure. WIlliam, however, after always being treated as an outsider perhaps uses his judgemental nature to protect himself as well. Yet he seems to put up blocks against getting to know anyone close, except Frances, without strong effort on their part. The novel's reward is Frances, a pioneer woman who we almost want to describe as "before her time," if she wasn't a product of her time, and her actions the most wise responses to the situations she encounters. A wise decision of Bronte to switch the narrator to a woman for "Villette," as lectures on composure and morality may have felt less hypocritical coming from Frances's point-of-view. ( )

A strange little book in a number of respects: the only Bronte novel to be written entirely from a male point of view, not to mention the fact that it's clearly a trial version of what would eventually be Villette. It's dull to read, though, if you've read Villette first, and though it's a slim volume, it doesn't hold the attention. Everything Bronte tried here, she would accomplish much more successfully in later works. ( )

I found Charlotte Bronte's first novel a lovely and very accomplished work. Told from the point of view of a male narrator, it features many of her favoured themes among which a sarcastic picture of Belgium and its mores. The plot is without surprise but the grace of the characters and the earnest, simple beauty of the style are truly enjoyable. ( )

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