Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company
Date Published: 1998
ISBN-13:9781853262081ISBN:1853262080
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Softcover, as shown, minor coverwear & pp lightly tanned, but--spine NOT creased, NO stains, tears, writing, in tight & clean book. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. Audience: General/trade. read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Everymans Library
Date Published: 1975
ISBN-13:9780460004176ISBN:0460004174
Description: Poor in fair jacket. Size: 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall; Cover and pages very worn. Spine and/or corners creased. lots of ex library insignia inside and stamped on edges. water marked pages. very slanted (shelf cocked) read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Thorndike Press
Date Published: 2000
ISBN-13:9780783891651ISBN:0783891652
Description: A wonderful copy with some minor edgewear to the cover. Dust Jacket has some edgewear present. -, Hard Cover, Very Good / Very Good. read more
"While I enjoyed The Professor, it was hardly life-changing.
One warning: there is a LOT of French in this novel! The British readers at the time would, of course, have understood every word. Thankfully, my French is good enough that I was able to read uninterrupted by going to my dictionary, but I highly recommend that you keep a translator by your side if you want to understand exactly what is being said in several scenes.
It's an enjoyable novel with likable characters. I like the normalcy of their lives, and the introduction from the author expresses her opinion that more authors should write about normal people. It does not, however, make for good drama. What does make the novel interesting is the myriad of interesting people that Our Hero connects with. He views them with scorn and contempt, but they season the novel well enough that I was able to read it with pleasure.
Sadly, the ending fell short of my expectations. It seemed like at times we were being shown a view into William and Frances' lives post-marriage, a lovely sight, but I wanted it to be either shorter, or to have taken up more of the book. I know that sounds odd, but the relationship development in this portion of the novel felt rushed, so I felt it was superfluous. And if it wasn't superfluous, then let us enjoy their falling deeper into love with each other rather than dipping us quickly into it and then yanking us out again as William gives us a detailed examination of their financial situations. Perhaps because this was being told in the male perspective..?
I am glad I read it, however, and now I can read Villette, which I understand came from The Professor. :)"
"I didn't like the first part of the book, yet I suspect because it was a bad translation. However, the story develops quite interestingly and the characters are well fleshed out and realistic in a way. The main character is an orphan who has to struggle with much bitterness and hostility, and does so with determination and confidence. I liked the fact that the characters achieve a happy life without personal charm or good looks."
"I don't think this book is for everyone, but I clearly enjoyed bits of it. The premise is that William is orphaned, sent to Eton, graduates and escapes the grip of his cruel elder brother in England and moves to Belgium to become a professor. There he befriends the headmaster of the boy's school where he teaches and also starts teaching at a girl's school. Up to this point the book is a bit flat, and William's character would benefit greatly from letting his hair down and leaving his English upbringing and preconceived notions behind. He is not a very likable character and as the book is written in 1st person, all the more difficult to sympathise with. However, what I enjoyed about the book was Frances. She is the first feminist and I LOVED how she argued her need to work and have a life after marriage, other than sitting in a room waiting for her husband to return. She was strong and not needy which leads me to wonder why Bronte didn't write the book from her perspective."
"I see this as an experimental novel. Well this is Charlotte Bronte's first work and clearly I do not find it utterly satisfying compared to her other works especially 'Jane Eyre'. Charlotte Bronte seems to want to talk about many important and interesting things such as equality between men and women, caste, religion, love, nationality but somehow, she could not narrate it perfectly.
I have to say that the plot was kind of dull and predictable. I liked the idea about relationships going on between professor/teacher-student-headmistress but still I don't find it gripping enough. One other thing that bugs me is the largely amount of French dialogues, I just wish I understood. Maybe this is one of the reasons that I did not find myself engaged with this book. There are some important parts that I cannot help wondering why the author (or the publisher) did not decide to translate the French dialogues. Still, I have to say that 'The Professor' has a strong point about woman with a progressive mind which is pictured through the female character-Frances Henri. I liked the part where Frances Henri insisted on keeping her job after marrying the professor: somewhat satisfying, finally...Overall, the characters are a bit interesting but not memorable enough.
I have to say that this is still an interesting book to read for those who admire Charlotte Bronte so much and would like to know more about her mind, how she perceive things in her time: religion, caste, nationality, and women issues."
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