
THE PROFESSOR AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE
by Oliver Wendell Holmes
PREFACE TO REVISED EDITION.
PREFACE TO THE NEW EDITION
THE PROFESSOR AT THE BREAKFAST-TABLE.
I
II
III. [The Professor talks with the Reader. He tells a Young Girl's Story.]
IV
V. The Professor finds a Fly in his Teacup.
A lively collection of essays, this volume gathers the sharp‑witted observations of a seasoned scholar who first set his thoughts to paper in the years before the great war. He turns a breakfast‑table conversation into a platform for probing the shifting tides of literature, science, and everyday life, all while keeping a tone that is both conversational and erudite. Readers are invited to follow his reflections on everything from the speed of a trotting horse to the quirks of literary criticism, each piece offering a glimpse into a mind that relishes both humor and earnest inquiry.
The author’s own prefatory notes reveal a self‑conscious awareness of how ideas age, acknowledging that what once shocked may now seem merely quaint. He balances a gentle apology for any past provocation with a confident push for thoughtful dialogue, inviting modern ears to hear the same “heretical” musings that once sparked lively debate. The result is a timelessly engaging tour through the intellectual salons of a bygone era, rendered fresh for today’s listeners.
Language
en
Duration
~9 hours (535K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by David Widger
Release date
2004-09-27
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1809–1894
A celebrated voice of 19th-century America, this physician-writer mixed wit, warmth, and sharp observation in poems and essays that made him a household name. He is especially remembered for the lively Breakfast-Table series and for "Old Ironsides," the poem that helped save the USS Constitution.
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by Oliver Wendell Holmes

by Oliver Wendell Holmes

by Oliver Wendell Holmes

by Oliver Wendell Holmes

by Oliver Wendell Holmes

by Oliver Wendell Holmes

by Oliver Wendell Holmes

by Oliver Wendell Holmes