The Professor's House

By Willa Cather

 

Professor Godfrey St. Peter, a man in his 50’s, has achieved what would seem to be remarkable success, but when he is called on by family and social duty to move to a more comfortable home, something in him rebels.


So I probably never would have read this book, or proabaly any book by Willa Cather, if it hadn't been my only choice for a required major authors class for university. I have been plesantly surprised by how much I enjoy Cather's works, but The Professor's House is my favorite, with O Pioneers! a close second. The thing about Cather that made me leery of reading her books was that I had heard they were boring as all get out. To be honest, if you don't read a big chunk of them right at the start, they will drag too much and you won't get a feel for the characters or the story. The Professor's House is so enthrawling to me because it is all about a man and his family and how they deal with the sudden upswing in their material fortunes in life. It's intriguing and very personal view of how people change when they can get what they want, or watch other people they love get what they want. It's a story, mostly about Godfrey St. Peter, and how he goes through a sort of mid-life crisis. He feels useless and un-needed.  I loved St. Peter from the start because he reminded me of myself, and I could see so many of my own good and bad qualitites in him. I understood him, so I fell in love with his predicament. 

I give this a 4 out of 5.