The Professor

Written by Charlotte Bronte

Narrated by James Langton

The Professor was the first novel written by the English author Charlotte Bronte. The story is a first-person narrative of William Crimsworth who becomes a professor at an all-girl's school.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490693842

Charlotte Bronte

Charlotte Brontë, born in 1816, was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters, and one of the nineteenth century's greatest novelists. She is the author of Villette, The Professor, several collections of poetry, and Jane Eyre, one of English literature's most beloved classics. She died in 1855.

Reviews for The Professor

[composingcomposer · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This was a terrible book. The main character was infuriatingly supercilious and completely convinced of his own superiority. He doesn't even bother to teach well but frequently mentions that he doesn't challenge his students because he doesn't think they'll bother to learn, when it was his job to make them want to learn. I was very disappointed when Frances accepted his proposal since she was the only character that wasn't totally horrible, and she didn't deserve to be dominated by this awful man. I was truly surprised when Mr. Crimsworth allowed her to keep working and teaching. It seemed very out of character for him given his habit of demanding everyone do what he want or he would treat them with veiled contempt, and he told Frances repeatedly that he wanted to provide for her and didn't give it up until she insisted she work.

Miss Brontë also expects her reader to understand French. She expected this in Jane Eyre as well, but as only the exchanges with Adele, which never contained anything important, where I really was under the impression I was missing important information in this book.

These things led to me not particularly enjoying the book, but the final nail in the coffin was Mr. Crimsworth's absolute raging anti-Catholicism. It's hard to read the prospective of a prejudiced character at any time, but especially when he or she refuses to learn better or admit his discrimination. I also thought it was horribly hypocritical of Charlotte Brontë to claim that all Catholic girls and women are wicked seducers with no sense of morality considering her own infatuation with a married man who was her teacher. I don't usually listen to classic audiobooks at more than 1.5 as the recordings tend to be less clear and the language sometimes takes time to digest and understand, but I found myself so impatient to be done with this book that I listened to it at twice the speed starting from about half way through, and sometimes even ventured to 2.15 in my eagerness to be done with the torture. I probably should have just DNFed it, but I do hate leaving books incomplete.

I don't know how Charlotte went from writing this monstrosity to writing the wonderful Jane Eyre, but I'm very glad that I read this after Jane Eyre or I probably wouldn't have ventured to read another of Charlotte Brontë's books.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It’s clear this is Charlotte’s first effort at writing a novel. Yet I’m glad I read it, because you can see the seeds of her talent in the way she crafts sentences. I do think the story of a teacher in Brussels is stronger when she reworks it from the female point of view in Villette. The main character is a bit insufferable and annoying. The romance fell flat for me as I never understood what Frances saw in him. Regardless, it’s Brontë, so it’s worth reading. “In sunshine, in prosperity, the flowers are very well; but how many wet days are there in life—November seasons of disaster, when a man’s hearth and home would be cold indeed, without the clear, cheering gleam of intellect.”

[booklove2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Is it crazy to say that I love all of the Bronte books more than I love any of Jane Austen's books? Of course, there are a couple I haven't read from the Bronte sisters and Austen. But I think the examples would prove the rule. I just love this book. Of course, it isn't as amazing as some of the other books, but there is so much here while also being a pretty straightforward plot. Though Charlotte fills the plot with much detail and life. Though Charlotte wrote this first, it was the last of the published novels (I think Branwell even helped with this one, possibly?) It's also interesting that Arthur decided to publish this after Charlotte's death, as it mirrors Charlotte's past. The book begins with a man not knowing what to do with his life, but coveting knowledge and intelligence above all else. He falls into teaching at a school in Brussels. He becomes entangled in a love triangle with the directors of his school and the neighboring school for girls, but soon has his eyes opened to their true character. I won't divulge more, but I found the degree of detail and pacing lovely, the main characters fully formed. And as usual I'm always in awe of Charlotte's way with words. I could especially appreciate the preface with Charlotte explaining the realistic plot "that no sudden turns should lift him in a moment to wealth and high station" which could be the only complaint of a book like 'Jane Eyre' (if I even had a complaint with that perfect book). There is no elevated unrealistic drama here. The Bronte sisters were geniuses and may their books live forever.

[madepercy-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Whenever the introduction to a classic suggests that I read the novel before I read the introduction, I shall do so. I was a little disappointed that my view of the novel was shaped by the introduction, nonetheless, this was my first Brontë novel so I am sure to recover! I found the story to be like a first-person biography (as opposed to an auto-biography), and indeed that was intended. Tainted as my view was by the introduction, I could not help but notice the effeminate nature of the protagonist, although I cannot be sure if this was a result of knowing beforehand that which I would not have taken into account without the introduction. An interesting feature is the pace of the climax - a long slow, undulating yet gentle slope upwards until a climax that engulfs a decade in a moment, only to stroll along the precipice with no real danger of excitement; yet an abrupt end that lingers tantalisingly so with even the introduction's gossipy lack of deference a pleasant enough experience.

[starbox_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A precursor to VilletteBy sally tarbox on 21 October 2017Format: Kindle EditionCharlotte Bronte's first novel; the reader familiar with her other works will soon recognize familiar themes - schools, Belgium, an exacting professor, an eager female pupil and cruel relatives.Here, however, the professor is the narrator; and while we recognise Monsieur Heger, Charlotte's adored teacher in Brussels, here the nationalities are transposed, and he is an Englishman, striving to make his way in the world. The pupil is an oppressed needlework teacher, French-speaking but likewise determined to better herself...The writing skills are all there, but it all seems a little shapeless - I kept waiting for the blunt-spoken but apparently well-meaning Mr Hunsdon to have some vital role to play, or for the dissimulating headteachers Pelet and Reuter (or the nasty elder brother) to feature significantly but it all kind of floats off into a happy ending.*3.5 - a fair but vastly weaker novel than the superlative 'Villette'.

[p_s_patrick · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Professor was Charlotte Bronte's first novel, and was not published during her lifetime. Though it does not provide the drama and juicier plot lines of her better known work, we do find realistic characters with human emotions, proportionate passions, and the ordinary troubles of employment, human interactions, and finding one's way in life. While it begins in the North of England, most of the book is set in Brussels, where our main characters are to be found teaching in an international girls' school. As Charlotte Bronte herself taught English in such an establishment in Brussels, as well as receiving lessons in other subjects, much of the detail is informed by personal experience. This includes her unrequited infatuation with one of the professors there, around which the plot of this novel is partly based. In this way, we learn almost as much about Charlotte Bronte from this novel as we do of its characters. We also see her strong notions of female capability and character here, and at a time when women's employment and position in society was frustrating to intelligent women such as the Brontes who did not want to be shut up at home with needlework and house chores, but rather finding work meaningful to them. Due to the similarities in plot to her better known novel Villette, this is sometimes considered a rough sketch of the later work. However, this work does stand on its own merits with well-developed characters with plausible interactions and a satisfactory progression and conclusion. Some readers might find it wanting in excitement and action, but it works quite well as a study on the workings, happiness, and challenges of ordinary life, due to the quality of Charlotte Bronte's style of writing and means of expression.

[philsyphe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I originally rated “The Professor” (plus “Emma”) three stars when adding it to Goodreads but having read the book a second time I’ve upped it to four stars. Not sure if this is owing to it being more palatable second time round or that my initial rating was through remembering little of my first read.Anyway, although this volume does not come close to the three novels by Charlotte Brontë’s published during her lifetime it still has some goodness to offer. On the one hand we have a story of the less fortunate members of society trying to make a living, while on the other hand we have an original boy-meets-girl scenario.The character relationships are what appealed to me the most. William Crimsworth – the narrator of the piece – has a volatile relationship with his brother. This is lightly touched on, but more interesting is the most unusual friendship William has with Yorke Hunsden, who’s a man in living in better circumstances than himself.Even better are William’s interaction with the two main female characters. Zoraide, head of an all-girls’ school in Brussels, is a complete contrast to the poor lace-making student Frances Henri. Both are likeable in their own ways, though as the story progresses the reader learns that one of these women should be given a wide berth.I liked the contrasting ways that William relates to both these women and how they respond to him. I particularly like the tutor-student relationship he has with Frances and how it grows.I do have one minor gripe and one major dislike with this novel. The minor gripe is the amount of rambling passages, especially the opening and closing chapters. In fact the last chapter could’ve been summarised into a paragraph and placed at the end of what currently serves as the penultimate chapter. Too much description and explanation are apparent here, including a story about a boy and his dog, which seemed superfluous in every respect to me.The main story in my view ended early in the third-to-last chapter, at which point my curiosities were all settled, while my interest in the continuation of events had all but ceased. In short, the good bits are sandwiched between, say, Chapters 5 and 23.The major dislike I have towards this novel is this sort of thing:>“Comme vous avez l’air rayonnant!” said he. “Je ne vous ai jamais vu aussi gai. Que s’est-il donc passe?”“Apparemment que j’aime les changements,” replied I.“Ah! je comprends — c’est cela-soyez sage seulement. Vous etes bien jeune — trop jeune pour le role que vous allez jouer; il faut prendre garde — savez-vous?”“Mais quel danger y a-t-il?”“Je n’en sais rien — ne vous laissez pas aller a de vives impressions — voila tout.”“No need to have recourse to such extreme measures, I assure you. Allons, monsieur le professeur — asseyons-nous; je vais vous donner une petite lecon dans votre etat d’instituteur.” (I wish I might write all she said to me in French — it loses sadly by being translated into English.)”Vous prie de vouloir bien conduire la petite de Dorlodot chez elle, elle vous attend dans le cabinet de Rosalie la portiere — c’est que sa bonne n’est pas venue la chercher — voyez-vous.”“Eh bien! est-ce que je suis sa bonne — moi?”“Please kindly lead the small Dorlodot home, she awaits you in Rosalie's office the car door - is that his good is not picked her up—You see.""Well! Is what I 'm his good—me"

[emanate28 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The meat of the story was interesting as a study of character and of human interaction, although as far as novels go, "The Professor" read more like a sketch, with a very straight-forward plot and little development in characters. The last chapter felt unnecessary and rambling, and I also didn't really see much point in Mr. Hunsden, although I guess he was supposed to be a rather unusual friend. Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading this book because of the unexpected bonus that I felt like it gave me insight into Charlotte Bronte's idea of Mr. Rochester and his interactions with Jane Eyre in that novel. The way Mr. Rochester teased and toyed with Jane Eyre's affections always rather puzzled me, but I felt like I understood his perspective better, thanks to "The Professor".Altogether, I don't think I'll ever read it again, but am glad that I did.

[laphenix · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Much less gripping than other books of this age. I felt little for the characters and never felt engaged by the plot.

[anniemod · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First novels are either masterpieces or show pretty clearly that they are first novels. Especially the first novels that get published only after the author died. Charlotte Bronte wrote "The Professor" before any of the more popular novels and never managed to publish it. The topics are all there, the craft is emerging (but not yet there) and you can just see the storyteller to be under all the problems. But there is nothing really new here - it is the novel that served almost as a base later, all topics that are handled not-s-nicely here were handled a lot better in the later works. This novel is also the only one written from a male perspective even though there is way too many passages that are hard to reconcile with a Victorian man... and the woman behind shines through. Adding to this the almost caricatures which are some of the main characters and the guy that always shows up exactly when things just cannot be solved without external help and the book is away from the Bronte masterpieces. But despite all this, it is still an enjoyable novel - if you know what to expect. William is an interesting character although a lot of what happens to him is exaggerated to the point of a grotesque and that last chapter set 10 years later is so unnecessary and clumsy (and yet so familiar and expected) that even if everything else was perfect, it would have betrayed this novel as the work of a not fully developed author. The Setting in Belgium contrasted with the earlier setting in England is interesting and the continent in the beginning of the 19th century is an interesting place (and a lot of people ended up washing up there). The school systems as described in the novel are probably one of the best features of the novel - education is something we now take for granted but things back then were quite different.And then comes the French. I don't speak French so all the dialogue in French was complicating the book - and in more than one case they were unnecessary - the author was making weird choices of when just to mention that the dialogue is in French and when to keep it in French. Overall - if someone is interested in the Brontes or the Victorian novels, it is worth reading. But if someone looks for a good book and expect something similar to "Villette" (which in more than one way is the second version of this book) or any of the other Victorian classics, the book will be disappointing.

[missjomarch · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This story seemed very slow and in my opinion didn't pick up until the last few chapters which I really enjoyed. I truly wanted to like this book more. Very lengthy descriptions that I normally I enjoy in novels left me bored and distracted.

[amerynth · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Charlotte Bronte made several unsuccessful attempts to have "The Professor," her earliest work published. I can see why it was only published after her death (and numerous rewrites) as it really isn't a great novel.The story follows William Crimsworth, a man (like her female characters) who is thrown to the wild and forced to find his own fortune. He becomes a teacher in Brussels and the plot moves on from there.It really takes a long time for the book to get going -- her long blocks of descriptive passages become a grind fairly quickly. While there is an interesting story buried in the book, it just drags out at such a slow pace that it really wasn't an enjoyable read.Also disappointing that this edition does not have a translation of the French phrases in the back. While I could follow the general gist of the conversations in French, there is a crucial scene with Frances Henri that really needed to be translated (or read by someone who knows French, which I don't.)Overall, this is book for Charlotte Bronte completists only.

[akblanchard_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It seems that a lot of readers don't like this book, but I did. It's not as good Jane Eyre or Villette, but it is a readable story about characters I found I cared about, flaws and all. I think the point was that even nonprepossessing people (with unattractive prejudices against Belgians, women, and Catholics) need--and can find-- love too.I didn't really like the ending--it just sort of stopped.

[simonea_533972 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I did not like this book. That's my review in brief. I was curious to read more by Charlotte Bronte, but I guess I made a mistake by starting with The Professor. The main character was not likable at all, and the events in the book not very interesting. It was a short read, otherwise I wouldn't have finished it.

[mthelibrarian_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Charlotte Bronte wrote this book before "Jane Eyre" or "Shirley" and states that it was the first of her writing attempts that she did not rip up. She writes believably from her male protagonist's point of view, though I found the lengthy assessments of his high school students to be a bit over-wrought. However, the story picked up after that point and was a worthwhile addition to the Bronte collection. (Eventually, I plan to read them all, but have completed only "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte and "Wuthering Heights" by Emily thus far.) Knowledge of French is extremely helpful - there are numerous untranslated lines in French. Even my high school/college French was useful though I could not understand all of it.

[luli81_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The first novel by Charlotte Brontë, though not published until her death. It has been reviewed as a simple, unimaginative portrait of an English teacher's life in Brussels, an early attempt to what her best known novel Villette would later become.I don't agree.This work shines in itself, it's the only story in which Charlotte dares to talk through a man's voice. She talks about responsibility, about earning your own success through effort and sacrifice, to defy the strict clichés and the hypocrisy of the English Society and to stand up to your ideals. In this novel, William Crimsworth can be seen as a mere strict teacher or as a revolutionary who chooses her wife-to-be because of her intellect and not because of her looks or her position. And later, he lets her grow professionally to work together as good companions, elbow by elbow, always treating her like an equal.I loved the message the book tries to convey, that work, perseverance and fair values lead you to a happy outcome. As worthy as any other of Charlotte's works, even more so, as I think this book talks more about the writer's own view of life than any other of her novels.

[shuffy2_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What is more important beauty, intelligence, or wealth when it concerns the heart?William Crimsworth seeks a job from his estranged brother but on discovering a hardened man, leaves England to go to Brussels at the advice of Mr Hunsden. Employed teaching English in two schools side by side, one run by M. Pelet and the other by Mlle Z. Reuter. The positions allow him to not only learn to speak Frech fluently while earning double the pay but teaches him importance of trust and love. I've read Jane Eyre and now starting to delve further into Charlotte Brontes novels and life. I have yet to read Villete but I found this book a bit slow. I could not find character to really sympathize with until the end, even then the book ended with more of a whimper instead of a bang. I understand that it was an early work, published after her death but it is worht a read for anyone interested in the life and works of Charlotte Bronte.

[soylentgreen23 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

'The Professor' was not published in Bronte's lifetime - it was rejected by every publisher that it was shown to. I can understand why, as it is a very weak piece of fiction.The story follows the narrator, William Crimsworth, as he variously sheds his aristocratic family ties, works as a clerk in the North, and finally finds himself a living as a teacher in Brussels. He flirts with the mistress of a school, and eventually settles down with a student-teacher; they marry and live happily ever after. That's all - there's very little story here, very little for the characters to struggle against and overcome. By the end of the book I felt simply tired.The characters are drab affairs. William appears to have few attractive qualities, and yet his friends stand by him even though he rejects them; we never find out why Hunsden is so devoted to him. It is also a wonder why so many women fall in love with him.There are also many strange aspects to the story. Firstly, the narrator (and therefore, presumably, Bronte herself) takes a very racist aspect with regards to the native Belgians, describing them as lower-order lifeforms. And then there is the small matter of William's wife and her English skills: at times she struggles with the language, and at other times she excels to a degree that is unreasonably grand.Speaking of language, in this edition of the book a large portion of the dialog is still presented in French, which was hard to follow - warning is due to those unfamiliar with the tongue.So, what was the point of this novel? It read to me like some sort of a wish list - a lover who values his loved as an equal; a happy marriage and career; a family and friends. No real challenge, nothing worthy of the novel; perhaps this effort should have remained unpublished.

[rainbowdarling · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The concept of this story seems good and has the potential to be intriguing. From the start, however, the characters are dull and dry without much to recommend them to the reader. The plot plods on slowly, which further cements the complete lack of interest in the outcome of the already weak plot. I found very little to recommend this story to me, and only completed it by forcing myself to finish. I cannot recommend this book.

[stouthearted_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel appears to be the precursor to "Villette," using a similar plot, but using a male voice as the narrator. The male is William Crimsworth, orphaned by poor parents, but raised by wealthy relations with resentment on both sides. Soon as he is of age, William sets off to make it on his own, which neccessitates him going into - gasp!- trade, a horrifying word among the upper class. William seeks his long-lost older brother, who didn't have the benefit of their rich relatives' protection and made a fortune on his own. William, however, is eternally an outsider, treated badly by his resentful brother, and held at bay by his coworkers, except for Mr. Hunsden, who takes up a curious, trucculent fondness for the young man. Through Hunsden's help, William gets a job in Brussels as a professor. There, he becomes besotted with two women: first, the sensual, yet deceiving Zoraide, then, the more moral and humble, Anglo-Swiss Frances. The novel is peculier for its time, but not necessarily for a Bronte, in Frances' perserverance and sense of duty to the point where she must be only in debt to herself, even after she weds. She insists on working, even though William offers her a chance to "rest" after marraige. Even when she has a child, she still works hard and worries that her salary isn't significant enough to contribute to the household. She must be her husband's equal, and together they run a school together and earn an independant living, enabling her to fulfill her dream of moving to England. You can't help but admire her character and know that she is sensible enough to take care of herself.Crimsworth prides himself on his morality and sense of duty, but his personality makes things difficult for himself. He has an air of moral superiority, both at home in England and abroad in Brussels. In Brussels, his personality seems most cruel in his descriptions of the Flemish and their Catholicism. (I believe the phrase he uses is "popish wizardry.") This is a theme that pops up in "Villette," and a little bit in "Jane Eyre," so it must be the author's bias as well. Read with the eyes of a modern-day reader, Crimsworth's feelings about Flemish Catholics are quite vitriolic and shade him in a proud, bigoted light. Interesting that he looks down upon them, but has no scruples accepting jobs from them, or teaching them. He seems to feed off of being "better," as he is always espousing English superiority. His feelings are not muted after marriage: The last chapter tells of his domestic life with Frances, where he "punishes" her for being too "French" by reading Wordsworth for an hour. In fact, any quality of Frances's that irritates WIlliam is ascribed to her foreign birth.William's judgmental nature reigns throughout the novel and makes it difficult to feel for him, especially since other people seem to work out his problems for him. While Frances has that determined spirit to care for herself drawn from years of poverty, William understands thrift but never suffers for long. Hunsden interfers on his behalf several times, and a chance encounter saving a boy's life yields a job opportunity and a wealthy connection with the boy's father. He doesn't seem deserving of Frances, a point Hunsden brings up. Yet, throughout, William never wavers in his moral pride, and is seldom forgiving for seeing pride in others. He stares at everyone, noting every detail, describing it to excess, and passing (usually unfavorable) judgement.But one judgement on which he is spot-on is the schoolmistress he had a passing fancy for, Zoraide. She has a need to be adored and wooed. When she thinks she has William ensnared, she is triumphant. But when William learns of her true nature (and relationship with his boss, M. Pelet) he turns cold, rendering her almost frantic in the attempt to win back his affections. The two would not have suited, so it is a happier conclusion to find him in a superior match with Frances. The two females of the novel are meant to represent what is ultimately desirable (Frances) and undesirable (Zoraide) in women's behavior. Frances is rewarded with a happy marriage, fulfillment through work, and a child, while Zoraide's marriage to Pelet is rewarded with domestic unhappiness and the loss of her figure. Utlimately, the novel is an entertaining read, but not as imaginative as "Villette." While "Villette"'s Lucy and this novel's William are both highly judgemental of foreigners, William comes off as uptight, while Lucy appears to be self-denying as a protective measure. WIlliam, however, after always being treated as an outsider perhaps uses his judgemental nature to protect himself as well. Yet he seems to put up blocks against getting to know anyone close, except Frances, without strong effort on their part. The novel's reward is Frances, a pioneer woman who we almost want to describe as "before her time," if she wasn't a product of her time, and her actions the most wise responses to the situations she encounters. A wise decision of Bronte to switch the narrator to a woman for "Villette," as lectures on composure and morality may have felt less hypocritical coming from Frances's point-of-view.