Review of Showalter's Faculty Towers: A Lively Insight

Elaine Showalter, a renowned American literary critic and feminist scholar, brings her sharp wit and deep knowledge to Faculty Towers: The Academic Novel and Its Discontents, published in 2005. Known for her groundbreaking work on women’s literature, Showalter, a former Princeton professor, dives into the academic novel—a genre that captures the quirks, dreams, and dramas of university life. The book’s main idea is that these novels, from the 1950s to the 2000s, reflect the changing face of academia, from dreamy campuses to battlegrounds of power, gender, and identity. It is like a wake-up call, showing the ground reality of

universities through stories that hit close to home. For Chaifry’s readers, especially Indian students and educators, this book is a must-read to understand the messy, human side of academia. It feels like a friend sitting you down over chai, explaining how novels reveal truths about the places we study and work in, making it perfect for anyone curious about literature or university life.

Faculty Towers explores the academic novel, or what Showalter calls the “Professorroman,” tracing its journey across five decades. Split into six chapters, each tied to a decade, the book shows how these novels mirror shifts in university culture—think of it as a storytelling lens on the highs and lows of campus life. Showalter mixes her own experiences with sharp analysis, covering classics like C.P. Snow’s The Masters and David Lodge’s Changing Places.

The book kicks off with Showalter’s personal connection: “I have been a character in academic fiction at least twice” (Showalter, 2005, p. 1). She highlights the genre’s mix of humor and heartbreak: “Many academic novels are wildly funny, and lines from them have sustained me in hard times” (p. 2). Yet, there is a deeper layer: “What appeals to me most in academic fiction is its seriousness, even sadness” (p. 2). The 1950s, called “Ivory Towers,” paint universities as peaceful havens: “The campus can be the site of pastoral and refuge” (p. 3). Snow’s The Masters captures this vibe: “C. P. Snow’s idealized world of Cambridge dons” (p. 25).

The 1960s, or “Tribal Towers,” show campuses caught in social storms: “The sixties were a time of tribalism in academic fiction” (p. 33). Alison Lurie’s The War Between the Tates nails this chaos: “Women particularly figure as angry and excluded” (p. 34). The 1970s, “Glass Towers,” bring feminist voices to the fore: “The seventies saw the rise of the feminist academic novel” (p. 49). Amanda Cross’s mysteries, with sleuth Kate Fansler, shine here: “The sleuthing Kate Fansler in Amanda Cross’s best-selling mystery series” (p. 51).

The 1980s, “Feminist Towers,” mark women as key players: “The ‘80s were also the decade of feminist literary criticism and theory” (p. 68). Carolyn Heilbrun’s Death in a Tenured Position tackles gender battles: “Female scholars are determined to expose and fight against gender inequity” (p. 70). The 1990s, “Tenured Towers,” focus on cutthroat tenure fights: “The idyllic ivory tower has fallen into ruins” (p. 95). James Hynes’s The Lecturer’s Tale pokes fun at this: “The jokes in James Hynes’s The Lecturer’s Tale” (p. 97). The 2000s, “Tragic Towers,” dive into darker issues like harassment: “The recent spate of bitter novels in which narratives of sexual harassment seem to serve as fables of power, anger, and desire” (p. 120).

Showalter admits the genre’s limits: “The academic novel proper doesn’t start until the 1950s” (p. 6). Some key works are missed: “It leaves out for instance, such important US campus novels as John Barth’s ‘Giles Goat-Boy’” (p. 123). She suggests these novels help us reflect on academia’s soul: “Novels about professors are set in academic time, which is organized and compartmentalized” (p. 124). For Chaifry readers, her final nudge is to see these stories as mirrors: “Showalter holds a mirror up to the world she has inhabited” (p. 125).

The book’s biggest win is how it blends Showalter’s insider stories with smart analysis, making it a fun yet deep read. Her time as a professor gives her take real weight: “I have been a character in academic fiction at least twice” (Showalter, 2005, p. 1). The decade-by-decade setup, like a friend mapping out a story, keeps things clear: “The sixties were a time of tribalism in academic fiction” (p. 33). For Chaifry’s Indian readers, this connects to how our universities have changed, from colonial-era colleges to today’s chaotic campuses.

The focus on women in academia is a standout, especially in the 1980s chapter: “The ‘80s were also the decade of feminist literary criticism and theory” (p. 68). Heilbrun’s novels hit hard on gender struggles: “Female scholars are determined to expose and fight against gender inequity” (p. 70). This speaks to Indian women navigating male-dominated campuses. The book’s humor, like Hynes’s sharp wit, keeps you hooked: “The jokes in James Hynes’s The Lecturer’s Tale” (p. 97). It is like sharing a laugh over academic absurdity.

Showalter’s take on power and harassment is spot-on: “The recent spate of bitter novels in which narratives of sexual harassment seem to serve as fables of power, anger, and desire” (p. 120). Her clear writing avoids heavy terms, making big ideas easy to grasp: “Many academic novels are wildly funny, and lines from them have sustained me in hard times” (p. 2). The handy list of academic novels at the end is a bonus for Chaifry readers eager to dig deeper.

The book’s focus on Western universities can feel a bit distant for Indian readers: “The academic novel proper doesn’t start until the 1950s” (p. 6). India’s campuses, shaped by caste and colonial roots, have their own story, and Showalter does not touch this. She notes missing some novels but skips non-Western ones: “It leaves out for instance, such important US campus novels as John Barth’s ‘Giles Goat-Boy’” (p. 123). A nod to caste or class would have made it more relatable for Chaifry’s diverse readers.

Showalter’s personal stories, while fun, sometimes steal the spotlight: “I have been a character in academic fiction at least twice” (p. 1). Her harsh take on some characters, like Kate Fansler, can feel too much: “I usually find Kate Fansler an obnoxious and intolerable heroine” (p. 69). Indian readers, who love a relevant story, might find this a bit off-putting. The book’s short length is also a letdown: “My only criticism is that it’s too short!” (p. 123). It skips big names like Jane Smiley’s Moo, which narrows its reach.

The ideas for fixing academia’s issues are a bit vague: “Showalter holds a mirror up to the world she has inhabited” (p. 125). Indian educators, dealing with packed classrooms, need clearer steps. Still, the book’s insights make it worth the read for Chaifry’s audience, pushing you to think about what universities really stand for.

Why Indian Youth Readers Must Read This Book

Hey Chaifry readers, if you are an Indian student slogging through exams or dreaming of university life, Faculty Towers is your kind of book. It shows how novels capture authentic about campuses, not just the shiny brochures but the fights, friendships, and frustrations. Showalter’s take on the “ivory tower” myth hits home in India, where we often see universities as golden tickets: “The campus can be the site of pastoral and refuge” (p. 3). But her stories reveal the ground reality—campuses are tough, just like cracking IIT-JEE or NEET.

The book’s focus on women fighting for their place is a big deal: “The ‘80s were also the decade of feminist literary criticism and theory” (p. 68). Indian women, balancing family expectations and campus biases, will relate to these struggles: “Female scholars are determined to expose and fight against gender inequity” (p. 70). With jobs hard to land, even with degrees, the book’s look at tenure wars feels so real: “The idyllic ivory tower has fallen into ruins” (p. 95). It is like a friend saying, “Don’t expect uni to be a cakewalk.”

Showalter’s humor, like the zingers in Hynes’s novel, will make you chuckle: “The jokes in James Hynes’s The Lecturer’s Tale” (p. 97). But the sadness of academic life hits deep for students under exam pressure: “What appeals to me most in academic fiction is its seriousness, even sadness” (p. 2). It is a nudge to look beyond marks and see education as a space to grow: “Novels about professors are set in academic time, which is organized and compartmentalized” (p. 124).

In a world pushing you to pick “safe” careers like engineering or medicine, this book’s a wake-up call to question the system: “Showalter holds a mirror up to the world she has inhabited” (p. 125). For Chaifry’s young readers playing catch-up in a globalized India, Faculty Towers is like a friend sharing stories over chai, showing why universities matter but are not perfect. It is a must-read for anyone balancing dreams, studies, and society’s expectations.

Faculty Towers is a lively, sharp look at academic novels, with gems like “What appeals to me most in academic fiction is its seriousness, even sadness” (Showalter, 2005, p. 2) capturing its heart. Its wit and feminist lens shine, despite a Western focus and some thin spots. Chaifry readers will love how it unpacks the messy truth of university life, making it a must-read for anyone into literature or education. It is a great pick for understanding the ground reality of campuses in a changing world.