Review for the Professor

The Professor

Author: Charlotte Bronte

Genre: Classic/Romance

Pages: 260

Summery from GoodReads…

The hero of Charlotte Bront 's first novel escapes a dreary clerkship in industrial Yorkshire by taking a job as a teacher in Belgium. There, however, his entanglement with the sensuous but manipulative Zoraide de Reuter, complicates his affections for a penniless girl who is both teacher and pupil in Reuter's school.

So, this is the first of Charlotte Bronte’s four books that I will be reading in the next few months. I’m taking a Bronte literature class at college so I will most likely review them on here just so I can get some posts up.lol I’m not really a Bronte fan but hopefully I can still do the book’s justice.

The Good

First off, I really enjoyed the world that Bronte has set up with the two schools in Brussels right next to each other and her descriptions of the lands around them. Her descriptions are so detailed and vivid that you are never in question as to where you are.

There was one scene at the end that moved me yet it seemed so out of place it was just weird. It was funny and sad at the same time it was almost like it was a personal joke of the authors that she just put in or perhaps she was thinking of continuing the story in another book with another character. If you’ve read the book you know what I mean. Ruff!LOL

Some of the character also amused me. I really liked Hunsden. He was the sarcastic “friend” who sort of pushes you into situations or out of a window. Though he was never shown much, if any, appreciation for his help he got his enjoyment from watching his tiny little flower seeds grow into beautiful Lillies (of whatever flower you prefer.)

I even didn’t mind Mdlle Reuter. Though she is not a sympathetic character she’s kinda fascinating the way she manipulates people. How she never “dismisses” teachers but if she wants one gone they end up leaving pretty soon after without any hard feelings. Bronte definitely creates some interesting characters.

The Bad

There always seems to be at least one thing about Bronte’s books that makes me really dislike the story as a whole. Most of the time is a character and in the Professor’s case it is the main character William Crimsworth (who is also the 1^st person narrator.) He appears to be extremely self-righteous, judgmental, and doesn’t like accepting help from anyone. Sure, he’s had some bad breaks and you start out feeling sympathetic towards him but I lost that after he got into Brussels.

Frances Henri was probably the only character that showed growth in the story. Growth yet also decline. She switches back and forth from being extremely independent to almost childlike and very dependent on her “master”. Maybe it just pulls out the feminist in me but I hate when female characters become so dependent on an idiot man that it’s more of a father/daughter relationship then one on more equal terms; and I don’t have to tell you that it’s kinda creepy.

Another problem that I had was all the French dialogue. I know that in the time period that this was written a lot of people probably knew how to read French so they would not have much trouble translating but I definitely don’t know French and I spent a lot of time going back and forth through the notes trying to figure out what they were saying.

The Krazyness

Q: How many Charlotte Bronte books have you read?

A: I’ve read “Jane Eyre” and now “The Professor”.

Moral of the Story

If you want to get back at someone force them to read Wordsworth.

 

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