Sign in with Facebook
K.'s Reviews > Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights
by
by
I understand why many people hate this book. Catherine and Heathcliff are monstrous. Monstrous. You won't like them because they are unlikable. They are irrational, self-absorbed, malicious and pretty much any negative quality you can think a person is capable of possessing without imploding. They seek and destroy and act with no thought to consequence. And I find it fascinating that Emily Bronte chose them to be her central protagonists.
When this was first published it was met with animosity because of how utterly repugnant these two characters were. The way they go about their business caring nothing for others but themselves was enough for me to shake my head in complete and total judgment, as if Catherine and Heathcliff could see me and are then effectively shamed by their actions.
Wuthering Heights is epic, in my humble opinion, because I believe that the scope of this story is monumental. Let me explain: it is a simple tale between two families that are bound in such a way that their fates are irrevocably linked. What affects one, affects the other. Its about Catherine and Heathcliff who fall in love and how their relationship ruins the lives of those around them. The book, all 400 pages of it, occur almost entirely at Wuthering Heights, the estate of the Earnshaws, and at Thrushcross Grange, the estate of the Lintons with only a couple of miles of land in between.
And yet it is not a small story.
The emotional magnitude of this book is great and far reaching. The provoking and unapologetic quality of Bronte's writing is seductive. The process of reading this story can feel so masochistic sometimes that its almost if she's daring us to stop reading and throw the book away. Like its a game of personal endurance to see how much we can take, how far we can go. She pushes at us, challenging us and all the while knowing that we have to keep reading because redemption awaits. It is nothing like its contemporaries.
The moors, the darkness of the moors, that curses the household of Wuthering Heights and its inhabitants is ever present. Nature is personified. It is its own character; its there, lingering and simmering ever so quietly, saturating every scene with its silent threats of doom...okay, I have to stop talking like this...what am I anymore?
There is poison in this book, but let me ease your mind by saying that it is balanced with goodness also. This isn't a perfect novel. There were still moments I found myself in perplexion (recently invented word). And while everything about Catherine and Heathcliff may be corrupt, there is hope in Wuthering Heights. If you can journey through the menacing forest of Emily Bronte's imagination, do it because the view is something to behold.
Ha ha ha, this review...what even is this?
When this was first published it was met with animosity because of how utterly repugnant these two characters were. The way they go about their business caring nothing for others but themselves was enough for me to shake my head in complete and total judgment, as if Catherine and Heathcliff could see me and are then effectively shamed by their actions.
Wuthering Heights is epic, in my humble opinion, because I believe that the scope of this story is monumental. Let me explain: it is a simple tale between two families that are bound in such a way that their fates are irrevocably linked. What affects one, affects the other. Its about Catherine and Heathcliff who fall in love and how their relationship ruins the lives of those around them. The book, all 400 pages of it, occur almost entirely at Wuthering Heights, the estate of the Earnshaws, and at Thrushcross Grange, the estate of the Lintons with only a couple of miles of land in between.
And yet it is not a small story.
The emotional magnitude of this book is great and far reaching. The provoking and unapologetic quality of Bronte's writing is seductive. The process of reading this story can feel so masochistic sometimes that its almost if she's daring us to stop reading and throw the book away. Like its a game of personal endurance to see how much we can take, how far we can go. She pushes at us, challenging us and all the while knowing that we have to keep reading because redemption awaits. It is nothing like its contemporaries.
The moors, the darkness of the moors, that curses the household of Wuthering Heights and its inhabitants is ever present. Nature is personified. It is its own character; its there, lingering and simmering ever so quietly, saturating every scene with its silent threats of doom...okay, I have to stop talking like this...what am I anymore?
There is poison in this book, but let me ease your mind by saying that it is balanced with goodness also. This isn't a perfect novel. There were still moments I found myself in perplexion (recently invented word). And while everything about Catherine and Heathcliff may be corrupt, there is hope in Wuthering Heights. If you can journey through the menacing forest of Emily Bronte's imagination, do it because the view is something to behold.
Ha ha ha, this review...what even is this?
3401 likes · Like
∙
flag
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
Wuthering Heights.
Sign In »
Quotes K. Liked
“I have dreamt in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they have gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind. And this is one: I'm going to tell it - but take care not to smile at any part of it.”
― Wuthering Heights
― Wuthering Heights
Reading Progress
Finished Reading
December 18, 2010
– Shelved
Comments Showing 1-50 of 124 (124 new)
Haha, thanks! This is an old review. I actually just changed it from four to five stars because I don't know why I deducted one. Because it was a bit depressing? Well, that's the point isn't it. Have you read Agnes Grey? Its my second favourite Bronte. (I haven't finished Jane Eyre, so we'll see!)
I haven't read Agnes Grey, nor have I read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, but I probably will, one day...
I liked Jane Eyre, but Wuthering Heights is definitely one of my favourite classics. :)
I liked Jane Eyre, but Wuthering Heights is definitely one of my favourite classics. :)
lol fantastic review. felt quite.. poetic almost. i need to get into this already!! i have picked it up twice and put it down. i don't know if the beginning is supposed to lag so much or if it's just not for me. but i am so determined to at least get halfway through it before i fully give up !
The beginning was very tedious for me read too; you're not the only one! I suggest you skim the first 40 or so pages, because then the middle is much more dramatic and worthwhile, in my opinion. As an alternative, you can try out the audio version-- I don't know if it's any good, but I tend to switch between reading and listening to classics sometimes if it's a difficult book to get into.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that the first portion of Wuthering Heights is a bit tedious. The real drama starts later. But I do have to say that I absolutely loved those parts anyway because even though it's just them growing up, we really see their characters fleshing out. It's fantastic! So don't skim! Just really try try try, for me :D I wish you luck! Leanne is right, maybe audio would be better for you?
Oh, and I'm not the biggest fan of Wildfell Hall :S
I really really enjoyed this review. Thankyou. It makes me want to go read the book again, but as you say it is quite a big read.
Aw, thank you Cass. I know what you mean. You kind of have to work yourself up to re-reading it. Wait a long time, then do it. It's not an easy read.
You haven't finished Jane Eyre?!Sorry, I have to have a moment....
Anyway, K, this review is spectacular and so is this book and so are you. I must get around to reading Agnes Grey as it has come so highly recommended. :)
Jo wrote: "You haven't finished Jane Eyre?!Sorry, I have to have a moment....
Anyway, K, this review is spectacular and so is this book and so are you. I must get around to reading Agnes Grey as it has c..."
LOL my exact reaction :O. GET TO IT, LADDIE!
I'm going to have to continue with this one. It was picking up for me but then exam time swooped in and about killed me. *prances off to book*
I know, I know but just like you, Alyssa, I got sidetracked by the other books I should've finished reading already and so I put it down... That was awhile ago now, so maybe its time? And Jo, yes Agnes Grey is really good. Perhaps not quite as loud as the other Bronte novels, but it quite a masterpiece in itself :)
I'll have to say I HATED this book though I love your review! I juat couldn't get past hating the horrible characters, however well written.
Debbie wrote: "I'll have to say I HATED this book though I love your review! I juat couldn't get past hating the horrible characters, however well written."Thanks, Debbie. I'm sorry you couldn't get past them. You do kinda have to accept them for that they are...if you can't, there's no point to the book.
Great review of a book I have read a couple times. It is mesmerizing how ugly family relations can be. Thank goodness mine aren't this bad, and that they live far away. WH does that much for me, lol.
I know, me too! I look around and think "damn, I have a pretty decent family", haha :)
everyone keeps talking about how bad cathy and heathcliff are! i dont think they're that bad... sure, they do some pretty egoistic and fiendish stuff, but i still think that nelly dean is the true villain. she's the source of all evil! :P
oh btw, great review :)
Incitanemxx wrote: "... but i still think that nelly dean is the true ..." Haha, why? Pray tell...maybe because she was suspiciosuly present to almost every significant event in the book? Or maybe because she butts her nose in other people's business? It's been a while since I read this, but I remember being particularly annoyed with Nelly because of how often she lost both Cathys while they were under her charge. Like, hello.
reasons why nelly is evil (as in, the i-fuck-everything-up-for-everyone-but-act-as-if-i'm-an-angel kind of evil)you wonder why? i'd be happy to demonstrate:
1)i think she's secretly in love with linton and secretely envies cathy. remember the day he comes to visit cathy? cathy wants her to leave the room, but she refuses. than she intentionally makes cathy angry. cathy ends up hitting linton. he leaves, but then holds still - what does nelly do? she runs up to him (whom she hardly knows at this point) and shouts: leave! she's awful! save yourself! .... the fuck?
2) when cathy comes to talk to her, she knows that heathcliff is nearby. she ignores it. cathy talks about how she couldn't marry heathcliff. he leaves. nelly notices this - she ignores it. cathy goes mad because heathcliff left, but nelly is mad at her for getting sick (not like it's any of her business, but anyways). once she even tells her that it's cathy's fault heathcliff left. IT WAS YOUR FAULT BITCH
3) and this is what i hate most: the day cathy and heathcliff talk about isabella. nelly goes up to linton (even though he's not actually her lord - cathy is, isn't she?) and tells him to banish heathcliff. cathy gets sick. she doesn't eat anything for 5 fucking days. nelly, being the ever thoughtful person she is, ignores this :D when linton finds this out, he's mad at her, but she just goes like: she's just acting! WHY DONT YOU LOVE ME HJSDJSDHSGDF
cathy ends up losing her mind. then she dies. congratulations, nelly! :D you made it :D
plus the fact that she's generally annoying :D
This is one of the most gorgeous reviews I have ever read! Your ability to show the reader just how much power this book yields is amazing. I am on my first time read and if I feel exactly how you do at the end, I will be perfectly happy :).
My mom just bought me the movie in hopes that with my busy life I can still educate myself about the classics even if its through film. She remembers my grandmother telling her it was, to her the greatest love story ever told and opened the door for others like Gone with the Wind. I came here searching for a review to let me know if perhaps I should READ the story first, since it was my grandmother's FAVOURITE and all! However now having read these reviews I'm terrified I'll hate it because of the characters and the rawness in which the story is told on paper haha. Am I best to stick to the movie in hopes that the protagonists have been portrayed as less awful people haha or should I just jump in to the book and hope I agree with nana??!
you should definitely try to read it first! characters don't always have to be likable / relatable, their flaws make them much more exotic and interesting. they didn't bother me at all, i was rooting for them all the time. their strong love for each other is what makes you root for them and like them despite their disposition. so i think you should give it a try! try to get to page 50 and if you don't like it, i suggest you watch the movie ;)
Ok, deal! I'll definitely give it a try, thank you!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some find good things even when there is not one good person to applaud, and that's okay. It's not me, but like others here, I want a book or movie where there is at least one person I'm rooting for.
I wish I could share your review for the world to see as I am the truest believer that this book speaks volume and behind all of the darkness the depths show how love evolves and is all encompassing.
I would hate to confess to anyone how many times I have read this book, usually in the middle of a personal crisis, lol. I don't know why. Since the first time I read it as a teenager I loved it. I'm an old lady now and I still love it.
Great review! You have encouraged me to take it off my shelf and finally read it!
Wow. Totally blown away by the review. Totally!
Good review. I love this book because it is monstrous.
The emotional magnitude of this book is great and far reaching. The provoking and unapologetic quality of Bronte's writing is seductive. The process of reading this story can feel so masochistic sometimes that its almost if she's daring us to stop reading and throw the book away. Like its a game of personal endurance to see how much we can take, how far we can go. She pushes at us, challenging us and all the while knowing that we have to keep reading because redemption awaits. It is nothing like its contemporaries.
Ingeniously said.
Ingeniously said.
well written review - personified the book perfectly
Love your review. It would be more fascinating to me if Emily Bronte wrote this story from Heathcliff's point of view, instead of Mrs Dean's, because that would make readers discover deeper the complex psychology of the malicious characters; I am quite interested in knowing more about the thoughts and feelings of Mr Heathcliff, which were judged rather superficially by the common people (yes, in this case is Mrs Dean); Perhaps Mr Heathcliff is not entirely a demon that only deserves abhorrence? =)
Technically, most of the story occurred in Thrushcross Gringe since Nelly was narrating while Lockwood was staying there.
Technically, most of the story occurred in Thrushcross Gringe since Nelly was narrating while Lockwood was staying there.
Technically, most of the story occurred in Thrushcross Gringe since Nelly was narrating while Lockwood was staying there.
Technically, most of the story occurred in Thrushcross Gringe since Nelly was narrating while Lockwood was staying there.
Technically, most of the story occurred in Thrushcross Gringe since Nelly was narrating while Lockwood was staying there.
Technically, most of the story occurred in Thrushcross Gringe since Nelly was narrating while Lockwood was staying there.
Technically, most of the story occurred in Thrushcross Gringe since Nelly was narrating while Lockwood was staying there.
Hi K, glad that you put it so well. It is precisely that Emily Brönte is so capacable in depict intense and deep romance, in such toxic, vicious, malicious form, which is far realistic and universal, that makes this the classic it is. Indeed if you liked any of the protagonists, you would have gone off track. However disliking the protagonists maybe one thing, being touched by the book is also equally true.
Good review. I do think the setting and the isolation adds to the story in that the characters are stuck. They are all stuck and affected by Catherine and/or Heathcliff and a lot of these occurrences seem to bring negatives. Their relationship is definitely a unique one. I also like your view on the fact that with this book she pushes us to see if we can keep reading. There are many ups and downs and awful parts, and most characters are difficult to like, but getting through it all does lead to the end of a very different though interesting story.
summed up my feelings perfectly! great review :)
Love your review, I agree with every single word you just write. Amazing!
your writing in this review is incredible! I love it.
This review summed up everything i felt while reading this book. Excellent!!!!
I'm going to read this book because of you, K.! Thanks for inspiring me!
I love this book. It's my favorite. The characters were real and flawed . Every day there are people making bad choices much the same as the characters in this book. If you don't see it, you are not insightful and/or possibly living in denial! ha ha. I don't think it's fair to put all the blame on Heathcliff and Cathy. Linton knew Cathy didn't love him the way she loved Heathcliff, but he made his choice. Same with Isabella, she was warned, yet made her choice as well. Maybe I love the book because my favorite quote is.. "If you're gonna be stupid, ya gotta be tough"
It's brilliant and so eloquent, K. I am also a huge fan of this novel, and I liked it even more so than Jane Eyre (though I know many who will beg to differ). Wuthering Heights is wild and Moorish and dark and passionate, and I loved every minute of it. You put into words my thoughts exactly. :)