The Professor is the first novel Charlotte Bronte wrote, though it wasn't published until after her death. The central character, the professor, is William Crimsworth. William is an English teacher at an all-girls' school in Brussels and he falls in love with one of his own pupils. (A student-teacher romance, sound familiar? That's probably because it is based on Bronte's own experiences as a teacher of English at a boarding school in Brussels, where she fell in love with her own teacher.)
The Professor is very well written. Even though it's Bronte's first novel, you can clearly see what she is capable of with her narration. I liked it, didn't love it and that's perhaps because it is so much like that other story she wrote later than this, (but published before), Villette. Though it is told via a male narrator (her only novel that was) and it is a marvelous little story, I just love Villette too much to really love this one.
Also - there was a ton of French in this book and no notes in this edition. Perhaps I would've liked it a tad more if I would've understood some of the French?
The Professor is very well written. Even though it's Bronte's first novel, you can clearly see what she is capable of with her narration. I liked it, didn't love it and that's perhaps because it is so much like that other story she wrote later than this, (but published before), Villette. Though it is told via a male narrator (her only novel that was) and it is a marvelous little story, I just love Villette too much to really love this one.
Also - there was a ton of French in this book and no notes in this edition. Perhaps I would've liked it a tad more if I would've understood some of the French?
This is one of my favorite Bronte books. Charlotte wrote from a male perspective, and as in her other books, isn't just handed his happy ending, he works for it, observing the world around him in the process. If you've read and enjoyed Jane Eyre or WH, give this a try.
This book has quite a bit of French in it. I know English and German. This version of the book has the French portions translated into English in the Appendix, so you don't miss a thing!
