Rating: Summary: Only for diehard Charlotte Bronte Fans Review: Although the spark of creativity is there, it still takes some time to appreciated this novel after reading Janes Eyre. The main character Crimsworth seems to be arrogance, aristocratic, and audacious. This could be Bronte's first take on a male perspective, but is that what she considered the male psyche to be as she portrays on her other novels' male characters. All in all the novel has some worth, but needs getting used to.
Rating: Summary: Only for diehard Charlotte Bronte Fans Review: Although the spark of creativity is there, it still takes some time to appreciated this novel after reading Janes Eyre. The main character Crimsworth seems to be arrogance, aristocratic, and audacious. This could be Bronte's first take on a male perspective, but is that what she considered the male psyche to be as she portrays on her other novels' male characters. All in all the novel has some worth, but needs getting used to.
Rating: Summary: I expected more Review: As a fan of Jane Eyre and Shirley I was thoroughly taken aback by how much this book irked me. There was much I found commendable: the attempt to write from a male point of view, the contemplation of cultures and the assertionof female rights by a good female character. There is even humor in this book (the description of the students made me laugh aloud), but I disliked the obviousness of the novel: it is easy to predict. I was also very disturbed by the character's xenophobia and attacks on Catholicism, although those were the prevalent English views of the time. This book is really for people who want to see how the great Bronte developed as an artist and one of the finest writers of the English language.
Rating: Summary: I expected more Review: As a fan of Jane Eyre and Shirley I was thoroughly taken aback by how much this book irked me. There was much I found commendable: the attempt to write from a male point of view, the contemplation of cultures and the assertionof female rights by a good female character. There is even humor in this book (the description of the students made me laugh aloud), but I disliked the obviousness of the novel: it is easy to predict. I was also very disturbed by the character's xenophobia and attacks on Catholicism, although those were the prevalent English views of the time. This book is really for people who want to see how the great Bronte developed as an artist and one of the finest writers of the English language.
Rating: Summary: Interesting perspective of victorian men. Review: Charlotte Bronte is one of the few female authors of the victroian era who chose to appropriate the male voice in a first person narrative. From this perspective, this is a very interesting novel for it presents a women's view of the male psyche, or rather the male pshyche women wish men possessed. William Crimsworth, the novel's hero, is portrayed as young man who is sympathetic toward women and their gender related struggles. However unrealistic this portrayal may be, considering the times, it does suggest that Charlotte was perhaps ahead of counterparts, recognizing the inequality that exited between men and women. Though this is not one of her more popular novels, it should be recognized for its social critique, a critique that is still applicable today
Rating: Summary: A great fiasco (is this really by Charlotte Brontë?) Review: Even one star is too much for some things. I can't believe that this boring, predictable and annoying book is by the author of "Jane Eyre"! (it may be wrong to make such a comparison, but there IS an abyss between the two novels.) This book is not only tedious and slow-moving, it also displays a surprising lack of sensitivity and warmth (which is strange, considering that Charlotte Brontë's novels usually have a good amount of both). What I disliked the most was the main character and narrator's open prejudice and racism against foreigners (the ones, incidentally, thanks to whom he could make a living outside his homeland, England). And the fact that this prejudice is not displayed as deserving criticism, or to show that it is wrong: it is just the way the worthy, women-protecting main character happens to think. I don't want to tire any of you with excessive quoting, so a few phrases will suffice: "A dog, if stared at hard enough and long enough, will show symptoms of embarrassment, and so at length did my bench of Belgians" (chapter VII). "Their [the youth of Brabant's] intellectual faculties were generally weak, their animal propensities strong (...) They were dull, but they were also singularly stubborn, heavy as lead (...) having short memories, dense intelligence, feeble reflective powers (...)" - anything else, one wonders? - (chapter VII). "(...) you would speedily receive proofs of Flemish gratitude and magnanimity in showers of Brabant saliva and handfuls of Low Country mud". (same chapter - isn't this disgusting, coming, as it supposedly does, from a teacher?) "Behind and below her were seated a band of very vulgar, inferior-looking Flamandes, including two or three examples of that deformity of person and imbecility of intellect whose frequency in the Low Countries would seem to furnish proof that the climate is such as to induce degeneracy of the human mind and body" (chapter XII - no comments). The whole book is filled with this dreadful kind of stuff. It is impossible to sympathize with its racially prejudiced and self-righteous hero - in fact, I hated him throughout the book! My advice: if you are a fan of Charlotte Brontë's work and want to keep on being one, pretend she never wrote this. And if you're just interested in her books or want to read a good one, don't buy "The Professor". It's the definitive trash.
Rating: Summary: The genius is there, but the personality isn't Review: For a young writer's first attempt this novel is quite well-written and the plot is fairly well-conceived. However, the narrator is badly done (the Bronte girls should never try to write from a man's perspective!) and the narrative is both dull and sentimental. The characters have none of the strength and personality which makes Jane Eyre such a timeless favorite. I prefer Charlotte's later work, which has acquired depth and realism. In The Professor, her emotional maturity had clearly not caught up to her precocious intellect.
Rating: Summary: I Wouldn't Recommend It to Everyone, But I Liked It Review: I read this in a class with a lot of people who love Victorian novels, and almost everyone hated it. By general consensus it was dry and featured an unlikeable main character. For this reason, I wouldn't recommend it to many people. Nevertheless, I generally enjoyed it. It wasn't as good as Jane Eyre or Villette, but I am glad I read it.
It is a love story, and as such, I thought it succeeded. What most people saw as dry, I saw as sparse, unsentimental narration. I thought it made the love story a little more original and fresh for me. Though if this sort of storytelling isn't for you, I definitely wouldn't read it.
The other problem that most people have with this is the character of William Crimsworth. At times, he is a chauvenist and a racist. These are difficult aspects to overcome for many.
I think there are two ways to see the novel. First, it can be seen as a decent love story between a flawed man and a woman who may offer him redemption. I don't think this is a totally unenjoyable way to read it. You could also see it as a satire on the chauvenistic, supposedly self-reliant Crimsworth. It's probably a little more successful if you see it this way. If you don't like it one way, look at it from the other. Don't read this novel before Jane Eyre or Villette, but this can be a pretty good read.
Rating: Summary: not much of a plot developer Review: i was rather disappointed with growth of characters. surely, bronte's characterization of pelet (head master of the boys sch)and zoraide (head mistress for richies fillies) is bland, trite and stereotypical. now, who isn't already familiar with the snopping head mistress next-door getting hitched with her neighbour head master? -snide laugh- and the mean flirtation between zoraide and william crimsworth (the protagonist) is hilarious! there are many questions to be asked.. among which is hunsden n william's relationship. why does the former assist william in getting along in the world? there is no mention of his helpful gestures to other folks, hence the reason is dubious. taking on a masculine personna does make this story stilted. the perspective is one-dimensional at most points and there's not sufficient insight into the character's mind. i believe the character of frances henri was better developed than william's. she metamorphosises into a capable school mistress and a loving mother. alas, the predictable future for both parties does spoil the story. read it to chill out on a cool sunday.
Rating: Summary: Nothing to get excited about Review: Talk about a classic with loose ends. Lots of who's and why's. Not clear on many main points, Bronte overlooked basic reader questions that were never answered. I thought more of this novel BEFORE I read it and now I'm convinced that this is the least thought of novel of all of Bronte's masterpieces.
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