Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-03-23
From the Examiner,

From she Examiner.
VLLETTE; By Currer Bell, author of Jane Eyre
Harpers, Neae York.
This is the new book by the authoress o f Jane
Eyre and Shirley. It is now some four years
since the first of those celebrated romances issu-
ed from the press, and in this newspaper we
wrote the first notice of it we ever saw in
type. The decided estimate we placed on
Jane Eyre and its authoress, was abun-
dainty confirmed by the public. Few novels
ever made such an impression; still fewer have
maintained its first place so perfectly; and not
to THACKERAY or to DICKENS will certain cir
Gle of the novel reading public give more atten-
ton than to the new fight of this woman-this
CHARLOTTE BRoNTE-who calls herself CURRER
BELL, and who wrote Jane Eyre.
In our own romantic Pantheon she holds a
higher niche than any other woman that ever
wrote romance-higher than the authoress of
Corrinne-hgher than FANNY BURNEY, than Mrs.
GoRG-than MARIA EDGEwoRTH. Perhaps it is
INJUSTICE to compare any of them with her, ex-
cept it be De STAEL, as the aim of the others is
so much the more modest. CURRER BELL at
tempts the highest class Of fction--the intimate
delineation of strong natures and emotions-and
she succeeds. In Passion and in Power-those
two noble twins of genius-she has no rival
among the romancers of her day--not even in
GEORGE SAND. Her works please and fascinate,
not because they are artistic in structure, not
because they are exciting in narrative OF amiable
in tone, but because hers is the passionate
heart to fe. and the powerful brain to express.
Her genius is like the characters she creates
her RoCHEsTERs and SHIRLEYs, and Monsieur
PAULs-persons of deep feeling, clear intellect.
loveable, Their conduct, under her showing, is
awkward, abrupt, unpleasant, but individual and
direct. They outrage good taste, yet they fasci-
nate. The power that is in them commands the
sympathies. Propriety of speech, correctness Of
drawing ideal outline, are not necessary to them.
hey are the" MIRABEAUs of romance"-followed
and beloved by the million whom the CHARLES
GRANDSON LAFAYETTEs failed to please. Put one
of these dramatis person@, rough, imperious
coarse and illfeatured, beside the ordinary First
walking gentleman - of romance, considerate,
handsome, perfect in the tint of the best water
colors, and see how long it will be before human
sympathies detach themselves from the unsatis-
flying hero. and cling to the man or the woman
whose brain and heart are large. Now COM
parison between one of CURRER BELLS books
with the common run of new novels, has to our
mind just the effect which JANE EYRE, her stock
heroine, has beside the usual angel of such tera-
ture. JANET captured all hearts, not because she
was lovely or ladylike but because she was up
right, clear, direct, capable of bearing great suf-
fering, and returning strong affection.
Descending from generalties to particulars, we
have to remark that the opinions we have just ex.
pressed finds perfect illustration in V1LLErrE-
1t is novel full of faults. The reader wishes
more plot, and greater progression in the story ;
and the style is anything but model for imita-
ton. But every paragraph is sharp with indivi.
duality. Every character is peculiar, distinct,
"r,''".' Here is no pale reflex of half dozen
otner DOCKS, but an orb shining with It's own light.
In the qualities for which the authoress is re.
markable, it is better production than ANYTHING
she has written; and although the characters are
only teachers of languages and music, and the
incidents only the gossip and intrigue of board.
ing school; yet even the most hardened ha5itue in
the world of fiction will scarcely get out of Ma
dame BEoK's Seminary for Young Ladies sooner
than the heroine to whose fortunes his sympathies
are unoontrollably attracted r..
The moral of the story, if any it has, is the
same as in all the works of this yerv clever wo.
man. The moral which we are compelled to draw
from! her views of men and women, is not that
which careless reader will be apt to get from
them; still less is it one which the authoress in.
TENDS to lnculcate. Her ideal of woman is self
dependent, courageous, almost strong minded
Yet 1t Is no less true, that the unconscious pho-
sophy she teaches, here and everywhere else, is
contained in the fag end of that old adage, which
declares, that three things never do anything
rightly, unless well beaten'-a dog, walnut
tree. and a woman. Such is the story of JANE
EYRE, such is SHIRLEY, and pre.eminently such
is VnLErTE. From the moment Monsieur Paul.
EMANUEL begins to insult Miss LUCY SNowE, one
feels that it is all up with that estimable young
lady s affections.
VMLETTE is Brussels The scene is laid in a
large boarding school, kept by one Madame BEcK