47 pages • 1 hour read
Willa CatherThe Professor's House
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1925A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
The Professor’s House by Willa Cather depicts the inner struggles of Godfrey St. Peter, a history professor grappling with his identity in middle age. He remains attached to his old house, where memories of his late student Tom Outland and their shared interest in the American Southwest haunt him. St. Peter navigates family tensions and his sense of missed opportunities while working on editing Tom's diaries. The book includes depictions of suicidal ideation and the misappropriation of Indigenous culture.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Willa Cather's The Professor's House blends introspective and evocative prose, exploring themes of change and disillusionment. Critics praise its rich character development and atmospheric depiction of midlife crisis. However, some find its pacing slow and the narrative structure disjointed. Overall, it's a thought-provoking, though occasionally divisive, literary work.
Who Should Read The Professor's House?
Readers who appreciate introspective narratives and character-driven stories will enjoy Willa Cather's The Professor's House. Fans of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence will find Cather's exploration of personal growth and cultural changes deeply resonant.