The Professor: Including Introductory Essays by G. K. Chesterton and Virginia Woolf

By Charlotte Brontë

First published in 1857, “The Professor” was the first novel by Charlotte Brontë. It follows the story of William Crimsworth, a young man who gets a new job as a teacher in an all-girls school in Brussels. Once there, he begins to fall in love with the headmistress, only to have his hopes dashed by an overheard conversation about marriage. Instead, his amours are directed towards a young teacher he is instructing, but problems naturally ensue. Charlotte Brontë (1816 – 31 March 1855) was an English novelist and poet, and the oldest sister in the world-famous trio of literary sisters. Along with her sisters', hers have also become classics of English literature still read and enjoyed by people of all ages the world over. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this classic volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a biography of the author by G. K. Chesterton, as well as essays by Virginia Woolf.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Classic Books Library
• Release date: Nov 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9781528782012

Charlotte Brontë

Charlotte Brontë (1816–1855) was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sister authors. Her novels are considered masterpieces of English literature – the most famous of which is Jane Eyre.

Reviews for The Professor

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.”

[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.