A review by alireuter
The Professor by Charlotte Brontë

3.25

this could’ve been such a good story from Frances’ point of view but alas. i have a list of classics i wish were more female centred & now this is added to the collection. i’ll be focusing more on the characters than anything, as i feel it was a character centred story with a plot to drive them along, which i appreciate a lot. william, however, was not a great protagonist. although awkward & therefore sometimes funny, his judgement on women, values & intentions seemed to expose his immoral tendencies. his ‘flirtation’ with zoraide reuter (yes it was weird to read about a character whom i share the name surname with), was less of a romantic connection but rather a sad case of leading an older woman on-who he had called ugly as soon as he met her-then demonises her as soon as she felt betrayed. probably one of the early accounts of a ‘love triangle’ & i’m not even a fan of them in modern books. also, he was frances’ teacher. i don’t need to explain how falling for your pupil is weird but i understand it’s more of an exploration of the gender power struggle. frances was instead the ambitious & self determined character, a great example of an individualistic career driven women who is still sensitive & romantic. (spoiler: i also loved how they didn’t have children until she wanted to & after she was happy with her career). overall, an entertaining read with drama, a pathetic protagonist & questionable plot lines. i probably should’ve rated it lower but it was just so fun to read!