As it was Charlotte Bronte’s birthday yesterday I thought it would be nice to do a quick review of one of her books. In fairness The Professor is not my favourite and I can see why she had trouble publishing it.
That said it wasn’t all bad. The basic storyline is that a younger son of an industrialist, Mr Crimsworth, rejects the help of his wealthy relatives and endeavours to make his own way in life. First he attempts to work for his brother but that doesn’t work out so he ends up as an English professor in Belgium. There he meets one of his students who he later falls in love with.
And that is why I’m not a fan of this book. Both the Crimsworth brothers have a harsh streak in them. Granted the elder Crimsworth is the worst and I like him the least. But the younger Crimsworth, and hero of the book, is also questionable in how he treats people, particularly the student whom he supposedly likes so much.
The book does have its value though. And I don’t think there are many who would argue that it doesn’t provide an insight into Charlotte Bronte’s own world and experiences. Her letters show that she too fell in love with her professor and struggled to accept the coldness and often lack of response that she got from him. It’s been a long time since I read her letters but I remember them being full of passion. And I suspect that some of that passion finds its way into the character of Jane Eyre.
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