Being a fan of the Bronte clan the first section I head to in my local library would be of that shelf. It was only a very short time ago that I discovered The Professor, not even realising Charlotte Bronte had written it. Indeed, ashamedly to admit, I had never even heard of it before then.
It was created before Jane Eyre came about from the year 1845-6 and is an intimate and gentle story about William Crimsworth, a man working for his not quite so pleasant brother as a clerk but wanting so much more. On striking up an unexpected friendship with a Mr Hunsden he manages to break away to become a teacher in a Belgium school.
Despite his attentions being drawn to an 'older woman' from the adjoining girls school, it is only when he is appointed the position of teaching the young ladies to become better at speaking, writing and reading english that he discovers her cruel manipulations towards other peoples feelings and current situations.
The girls he teaches and how he reactes to their behaviour is similar to that of Lucy Snow in Villette. As to where he mocks the written work of the prettiest and unruley ladies, sometimes resorting to tearing their papers in half.
As in a few other books by Charlotte Bronte it appears to be once again the plain, unusual or obscure looking characters who find true love. Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester, Lucy Snow and Paul Emanuel, William Crimsworth and maybe a certain lace mender.
The Professor is not one full of action or adventure, more of simple anticipation about the decisions Crimsworth might make. There is no danger or obvious excitement in the words and yet it fulfills an amount of enjoyment in reading it. Especially when coming across an arguement between the lace mender and Hunsden, which exerts a lot of passion and fire in the otherwise shy and subdued lady.
There are several occassions where whole conversations have been written in french, a language which I can neither speak or translate. If I had the time maybe I could of gone online and found out the meanings but then I feel that it would of ruined it somehow.
It is just as enhancing as to try your best and simply guess what is being spoken, even saying it out loud in your worst french accent can bring another amount of appeal. Preferably when then there is no one else in the room of course.
Overall this is a great novel and despite my lack of knowing its existance until recently and having only just finished reading it for the first time, I find it a lot more satisfying than Villette. I could easily relive its delicate descriptions of people and places only too soon. Although I have never left the UK I can clearly see the school rooms and outside views of the imaginary building.
It actually makes me want to visit the country despite the fact that it would obviously be much changed to when The Professor was first invented. It is an ideal read for the closing down of the day when all you want to do is unwind.
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Sep 25th, 2008
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