I'm reading this at the moment. I'm not very far in, but already I feel as if the character of Jane Eyre is taking over that of Lucy Snowe. Of course, I'm not saying that Lucy is a badly-written character - quite the opposite - but although I have attempted to be a literary innocent while reading it to avoid that particular sort of transmogrification of character, I've found it extremely difficult. Bronte's personable and direct style is so distinctive that I think my brain automatically associates it with Jane Eyre. And Jane Eyre is such a well-loved favourite that it is nigh on impossible to expel her from one's mind whilst reading Villette.
An excellent story so far, but I can't help but picture Jane in my mind walking the cobbled Belgian streets. She seems to fit right into Lucy's world of self-exile and alienation.