Will I love The Professor's House?

Loved this book! Tom Outland's story, a story within a story, is remarkable and worth the price of admission alone. The writing is superb throughout and really shines in descriptions of the natural world, especially in the American southwest. Cather manages to capture and portray complex inner lives with the utmost clarity. The way that Godfrey St. Peter develops throughout the story struck me as unique and also true. Willa Cather's insight into human nature and ability to express an entire lifetime in such a short space stuck with me. The Professor's House puts me in mind of Stoner by… show more.

Tried and true... Willa Cather is a great author. Her emphasis on character and characterization, especially through subtlety, is a strength, as is her skill at making setting important. This novella takes place in the Midwest, the Southwest, and to a lesser extent the East. I enjoyed the characters' internal conflicts, especially Godfrey's, and how they manifested externally. I liked the interplay between past and present, and how past relationships affect the present. The plot and the drama were not the star here, but the characters and settings kept the story moving in a way that, for me, had me… show more.

Should there be an afterlife and if there’s someone greeting me in the sweet hereafter, let it be Willa Cather. 

Maybe you read her in high school and did or didn’t fall in love, but in any case, no one in school reads The Professor’s House. As always, Cather looks down upon her characters with severe compassion, the sharp eye of someone who has seen all, and she’s wryly amused by her people. 

Professor Godfrey St. Peter is going through a mid-life crisis, he’s got a wife, two daughters, and he’s trying to see the way ahead. The center… show more.