The Professor’s House, written in 1925, is probably my favorite of Willa Cather’s novels and I’ve read it a couple of times. This book is about a somewhat aloof, eccentric professor at a small college and it is a lovely story. Rather than dealing with the life on campus or the profession of teaching (though there is some of each in the novel), this story focuses on the changing personal life of the Professor Godfrey St. Peter. The professor is 52 years old but seems older; 52 seemed kind of old when I initially read this book, though now that I’m 60, he doesn’t seem old at all! But he is of an age to consider where he is – personally and professionally – and where he wants to go. He has a wife, two daughters, two sons-in-law, and two houses … sort of.

He describes the home where he and his wife raised their daughters as ugly and in need of many repairs. The house is a rental that has two areas close to his heart: the garden and his study on the 3rd floor. His wife likes more of the finer things in life and, once the professor’s 8-volume manuscript is published, is ready to move into a newly purchased home. But the professor is not ready to leave his two places of refuge in the old house. What I thought was wonderful about this book is the normalcy of their relationship (and other relationships, too). They have grown apart, but still care for each other. He feels like he’s falling out of love, though there are no blow-ups or melodramatic fights, no snide remarks or going behind anyone’s back – they are two grown-ups who are trying to figure out their life and what they do next. She is disappointed that he doesn’t do more with her; he feels that he has divided his time in a fair and equitable manner.

His daughters provide both affection and frustration to the professor. The elder daughter marries and becomes wealthy from an invention made by her former love, who happens to be the professor’s favorite former student, Tom Outland. Tom died in World War I, so his memory and the money from his invention creates a bit of tension with her current husband. She is a rather cold woman who, like her mother, is very focused on status, material possessions, and shopping. The younger daughter is a smart woman who married a man who has few resources. He’s clever, but the professor feels that neither he nor his daughter have lived up to their potential. She is both jealous of her sister and disappointed in her sister’s focus on material things. Again, there is a certain normalcy about these relationships – they are complex people and have complex interactions. There are tensions between the sisters and their husbands, but no big explosions. They love each other, though perhaps wouldn’t be friends if they weren’t sisters.

Overall, I think this story is about choosing between thoughts and things, considering what is meaningful, and reflecting on life as one gets older. Perhaps I am projecting my own thoughts, but there seem to be certain times in life when we become more reflective. I intentionally reviewed my life and choices when I turned 30 and again at 50. How did I get here? Am I happy? What happens next? What do I want to do or achieve in life? The professor is remembering his life, his work, his children, his wife and his interaction with Tom, who was both his intellectual equal and his emotional compatriot. Both he and Tom were drawn to the simple things, whereas his wife, eldest daughter, and her husband are drawn to a more modern and expensive lifestyle. The professor is not sure of his footing now that his major academic work is completed, his relationship with his wife is changing and his prospects are fading. He’s not “old” old but is on the side of life where there are fewer years ahead than behind. It’s a lovely story and one that I will read again – maybe when I’m 70!