What I just read was every bit a horror novel to me. Not that it was horrible or that3.5 Stars
Overview:
I was expecting a love story.
I didn’t get one
What I just read was every bit a horror novel to me. Not that it was horrible or that I didn’t enjoy it-- simply it reminded me stylistically of Gothic horror. Which was not was I was expecting.
For me, a “classic” book is not just an older book taught in Freshman Lit, but a book that is read and studied years after publication because of the discussion it provokes. This certainly achieved that standard, so be aware this might be one of my more rambling reviews!
Pros:
Again, this first half of this felt every bit of a Gothic horror novel. There were so many elements that just aided in this style:
- A dynamic setting that provides an eerie overtone. Including potentially dangerous moors, sweeping mists, and blinding fog.
- A second-hand narration style (sometimes even third-hand) that calls into question the reliability of the narrator and if the story has changed as its traveled from person to person. This felt very much like the ghost stories and tall-tales one hears around a campfire.
- Larger than life characters who all have convoluted schemes and selfish goals.
I’m sure everyone has a different interpretation of this story, but to me, it truly felt like a horror novel with the main monster being Heathcliff himself.
Heathcliff presents like a romance hero. He’s tall, dark, handsome, passionate, exciting and when introduced to his backstory we can’t help but think maybe he’s just misunderstood. Isabel even expresses this ideology when she confesses her attraction for him. But as the story continues and his character is revealed more fully, it’s hard to consider him anything less than a monster.
Despite his upbringing and motivations, he causes enough terror and ruins enough lives to certainly be on level with Dracula or Frankenstein’s monster.
None of these characters were good people. Almost all of them were exceedingly selfish, devious creatures and I enjoyed that the story didn’t boil down to a good vs evil as much as simply powerful characters antagonizing each other.
This story left me with one question I felt I couldn’t ever fully answer and I’m fascinated to see how others interpreted it: Is Cathy and Heatcliff’s love supposed to redeem them or condemn them?
Are they horrible people who merely share an overwhelmingly passionate love for one-another? Is this co-dependency and obsession the reasoning behind their selfish actions? Did they merely ruin their chances with each other through their self-destructive tendencies, or were they doomed from the start?
Cons:
This just felt a little long to me. Maybe it’s because everything I’ve heard about this book took place in the first half (namely most of the interaction between Cathy and Heathcliff) but the ending just seemed to drag. It felt like the initial story had been told and yet we were just continuing on?
Joseph’s character had the most insufferable, wordy and annoying dialogue. He just went on religious rants. That’s all it was. I still don’t understand the purpose, unless it was simply to contrast with the devious nature of several of the main characters. But even so why does he still work for people he thinks are so evil?
I think Nelly Dean was supposed to exist as a token “good” character. Like the narration had to occur from some very boring, morally decent, third-party. I just don’t think there was enough information or backstory on her, and she didn’t seem to exist as an actual character as much as a plot device.
I understand it was intentional, but this was so dramatic. People don’t just walk—they gallop, trudge, saunter, amble, trod, prowl and promenade. People don’t just talk—they interject, ejaculate, shout, declare, scream, wail and sob. Every emotion was intense and life-threatening, and almost everything lead to tears. Frankly, it exhausted me.
In Conclusion:
While I didn’t enjoy this as much as others have, it definitely made me think. I’m still thinking about it and its mutli-faceted storytelling. Because of that, I’m rounding up. ...more
Audio-re-read I binged in one afternoon and I still unapologetically love this. All y’all who consider Daisy to be a villain... just how?? Tha5 Stars
Audio-re-read I binged in one afternoon and I still unapologetically love this. All y’all who consider Daisy to be a villain... just how?? That’s my homegirl even if no one in this book makes particularly good decisions...more
This was one of my favorite books when I first read about 5 years ago. Finally re-reading it opened my eyes to a few elements that are definitely dateThis was one of my favorite books when I first read about 5 years ago. Finally re-reading it opened my eyes to a few elements that are definitely dated (Atticus has such a forgiveness complex he doesn’t feel real, why did the white guy have to be everyone else’s savior, Scout’s relationship with femininity is complex but ultimately forgotten, etc)
BUT I’m still rounding up to 5 stars. This really is constructed brilliantly— the voice reads like a child, but not in a way that’s simply immature and annoying. Instead we really get to learn and grow with Scout, even though sometimes we understand things she doesn’t. (And sometimes it feels like she understands things we don’t)
There really is a strong cord of empathy in this novel, which I really feel I SO SO important. ”You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view— until you climb in their skin and walk around in it.” Is STILL one of my favorite quotes.
Also I might just be nostalgic because this is one of the first books that made me love literary analysis soo 🤷🏻♀️ ...more
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