The Professor

The Professor, published posthumously in 1857, was Charlotte Bronte's first completed novel — written before Jane Eyre but rejected by publishers during her lifetime. It follows William Crimsworth, a young Englishman who rejects the patronage of his wealthy brother and travels to Brussels to teach English at a boys' school. There he meets the independent Frances Henri and gradually discovers his own values and capacity for love. The novel is quieter and more restrained than Jane Eyre, drawing on Bronte's own experiences in Brussels. It is the foundation from which Villette later grew. Stream this classic free, with no account or subscription required.