Disjoint and disconnection leaves me befuddled

I rarely encounter books such as this where the plotline leaves me baffled, utterly lost for words. I have had to re-read every page more than once to grasp its content, yet still feel disconnected from the characters and plot. The first few pages of the novel initially lead me to believe that the book was literally about the Professor’s House, with its extended descriptions of the house. I was relieved to soon discover this was not the case, slowly absorbing details about this mysterious St. Peter, whose reason for being called a saint I am curious to know, as with other characters who addressed similarly.

So, we know that the Professor leads a busy life juggling family life and lecturing students. He loves teaching the youth, and plans his time carefully around his family. His Spanish Adventures, which he spent 15 years working on, gave him some commercial success. We’ve been introduced to his two daughters and his wife, provided intricate details of their physical appearances. But what does this contribute to the novel? Each chapter introduces new characters, but the linkage between the chapters confuses me, as it seems to be unrelated to the previous chapters. I have yet to discover the purpose of the novel, or what the character or plot developments are.

St. Peter is a most intriguing character. I find him overly critical, pushing the limits of acceptability at times. There is a particular instance in the second chapter where the narrator comments on how he even goes as far as criticizing the physical appearance of his eldest daughter, despite the fact that the rest of the world stares in awe at her beauty. This reoccurs in the seventh chapter when he again comments on the flaws of Rosamund. Should he not be proud of her beauty and be able to see beyond her stooped shoulders and tall frame, like a normal being? He seems a bit too involved in his work, almost robotic in the ways he isolates himself from the world. He is undoubtedly selfless though when it comes to his family, spending his entire earnings from his Oxford prize on buying a house for his family.

The focus of the novel is unclear in my eyes. With all of the separate plotlines revolving around his daughters, his son-in-laws, rivals such as Langtry, random swimming adventures with McGregor and company, I am unsure of who or what to focus on. It seems to be a month-by-month account of snippets of Godfrey’s life. Some scenes seem utterly pointless, such as the one where Kathleen asks Godfrey to help her choose furs. Where is this conversation heading? What is its purpose? The themes of the novel are not so obvious to me either. Marriage and wealth seem to be a prominent issue in the book, especially with the circumstances of his daughters, and Godrey’s reluctance to accept money from others such as Louie. But this does not stand out to me as the primary theme of the novel.