The Professor at the Breakfast-table

The Professor at the Breakfast-Table is the 1860 second volume of the table-talk series by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809-1894), following the success of The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table. The Professor takes the Autocrat’s seat at the same Boston boarding-house table, and the conversation turns more often to religion, theology, and the freedom of thought, drawing criticism from orthodox reviewers who objected to Holmes’s liberal religious views. The book introduces memorable boarders including Little Boston, the deformed and fiercely intelligent gentleman whose story carries the volume’s emotional weight. The Professor continues the blend of essay, dialogue, and verse that made the series a landmark of American literature. Free PDF download available on BDeBooks.