Aeschylus: His Life and Works by Professor Benson

Thanks to History is Now Magazine 

Title: Aeschylus: His Life and Works in six volumes 

Author: Professor Benson 

Publisher: Not known but probably Oxford University Press

Source book: Eustacia Goes to the Chalet School by Elinor M Brent Dyer (Chalet School #6)

Poor old Professor Benson. He doesn’t qualify for a first name. In fact, he exists only to die, so that his badly brought up daughter Eustacia (it’s not her fault at all) should be orphaned and sent to the Chalet School in the Austrian Tyrol. For her own good.

But at least, for our purposes anyway, Professor Benson has written a book. In fact, he has written five volumes of a projected six, about the life and works of the Ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus. However, after a violent attack of pain, the Professor finally goes to see his doctor who tells him he has only a week to live. Men! Seriously! Don’t leave it this long. It’s not girly or sad to visit your doctor (post Covid: if you can get an appointment). Remember, your mum would have something to say about not taking care of yourself.

The Professor is, apparently, quite put out that he’s going to die this week as he hasn’t finished his life’s work. He says it’s “very trying indeed”. Hang on, what about your daughter, Professor? Obviously though, Aeschylus is more important to him than Eustacia. And it seems that the Professor works non stop to finish volume five of his magnum opus before obediently dying - but luckily leaving sufficient notes for a colleague to complete the final volume.

With a father like that, and a “doctoress” for a mother, it’s not very surprising that Eustacia has been brought up on a whole load of silly theories and is not at all prepared for living with other people. Her first term at the Chalet School is packed with incident and she doesn’t enjoy it at all. Poor Eustacia.

Yes, I know. Once again I had to invent a title because there wasn’t one. Apologies. But I thought the story of Professor Benson and his writing was too good to waste.

Eustacia grows up to become a professor of Classics and writes books herself. Her author name is E Benson. Presumably to avoid discrimination. Because it’s a well established fact that us girls can’t write serious books. 

Thanks to usu.edu