Book Review: The Professor's House

I am an undying Willa Cather fan. Her collection of stories was the first e-book that I bought on my Kindle (at least this electronic version will not lose it's cover or binding like my other Cather books that I may have loved a bit too hard). Of course, every writer has their slips and that's what I think The Professor's House is. Even though it is listed in the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, I don't think it even holds a candle to O! Pioneers or My Antonia. Still, it has some redeeming qualities that a Cather enthusiast will surely enjoy.

The short novel is divided into three sections the first of which focuses on the professor's family. It is clear that the professor feels at odds with most of his family for while he values education and knowledge, his wife and one of his daughters are materialistic. When they plan to move into a newly built house, the family does not understand the professor's reluctance to leave their old house behind. The second section focuses on the professor's former student, Tom Outland. In fact, the whole section is written by Outland and describes his life and connection to the ancient civilizations in America's southwest. The final section gives greater insight into the professor and his admiration for his late student, Outland.

As one can see, this novel is character driven as opposed to plot driven. However, the characters are not that interesting and seem a bit convoluted. Therefore, the story becomes bogged down. Cather clearly wants to send a message about the dangers of materialism. However, these characters do not seem to be the best vehicle for this message. Additionally, the fragmented storyline is a bit confusing which distracts from Cather's theme.

Overall, this is not one of Cather's finest but Cather fans will certain see its redeeming qualities and perhaps a different side of Cather herself.


-DLP