Customer Reviews

Professor Romeo

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"Professor Romeo" is an intelligent, thoughtful look at sexual harassment in a university (Harvard) setting.
"Professor Romeo" is the nickname that has been given to Jacob Barker over the years at Harvard. Once a rising star, he has somehow never fulfilled his early promise in academia. However, he has fulfilled as his promise as a roue.
The book begins with Jacob being informed that a committee is examining sexual harassments allegations against him. The time is the late 80's when sexual harassment is just started being taken seriously.
The book then reviews Jacob's conquests (through his eyes) over the years: a beautiful PhD anthropology candidate who becomes his embittered wife (and later ex-wife), an anorexic student, a rising professor (who later becomes the Dean investigating the complaints against him), a poor little rich girl and so on. From Jacob's vantage point, all of these encounters were mutual, even though he was the one with power. Plus, in those days, no one had ever heard of sexual harassment.
Bernays does an excellent job of coloring her story with grey shades. She shows how such a situation is not necessarily black or white: yet that is exactly how it is (or was) portrayed in the late 1980's. She also does an outstanding job of portraying the vicious vipers that exist in university settings.
However, the book is dated. Anita Hill, Bill Clinton et al. had yet to happen-in some books, this would not matter. But this book is so tied to the times that it does make a difference.
I would recommend this book to those individuals who want a well written fictional account of the atmosphere surrounding sexual harassment in the late 1980's. In addition, Bernays' book was a roman a clef about Harvard at the time: some people may want to spot their favorite (or least) professor and students.

I am very satisfied with our transaction. Very affordable and in great condition. I was surprised I got such a great deal.