Arguably Bronte's most refined and deeply felt work, Villette draws on her experiences as a student in Brussels as well as her profound loneliness following the deaths of her three siblings. Lucy Snowe, the narrator of Villette, flees from an unhappy past in England to begin a new life as a teacher at a French boarding school in the great cosmopolitan capital of Villette. Soon Lucy's struggle for independence is overshadowed by both her friendship with a worldly English doctor and her feelings for an autocratic schoolmaster. Bronte's strikingly modern heroine must decide if there is any man...

Set during the Napoleonic wars at a time of national economic struggles, this work is an unsentimental, yet passionate depiction of conflict between classes, sexes and generations.

Jane Eyre is a vivid and powerful novel, and tells the story of Jane, a cruelly abused orphan who is cast out by her aunt, and sent to a charity school. When she becomes a governess, in an austere mansion owned by Mr Rochester, Jane's life begins to change as she discovers the terrible secret her employer is hiding. This novel is one of the most read classic novels. This edition is retold by John Kennett, and contains the key elements of the story using the author's language.

Jane Eyre ranks as one of the greatest and most perennially popular works of English fiction. Although the poor but plucky heroine is outwardly of plain appearance, she possesses an indomitable spirit, a sharp wit and great courage.

Both are the unforgettable creations of the deeply independent and brilliant Charlotte Bronte.Selected from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and Villette. VINTAGE MINIS: GREAT MINDS.