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Wuthering Heights

Emily Brontë

Start date: December 1, 2019

Finish date: December 31, 2019

Discussion: Group Reads

Why we're reading this: December 2019 Completist Book Selection
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What Members Thought

Mar 09, 2018 Jason rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own, favorites

Mr. Heathcliff,

(view spoiler) Mr. Heathcliff,

(view spoiler)

Largely plot driven, this book passes by from one tragedy to the next with interspersed glimpses of blissful contentment that could be, might be, and hardly were. The narrative style seems natural and lovely. So much of this story is filling in the gaps, taking us from what we know of the past to how we get to what we know of the present - how did we get there? It is largely how we learn things in life, we know this event transpired, but know not how the individual found themselves there and then we get the information to more-or-less fill in those gaps.

I did not interpret this as much of a love story; this is a book of passions, both those of love and hate. Misery and mistreatment can beget more of the same, but I will say that I came away with much more detestation than pity for those that purposefully caused others ill. I do not mind dastardly characters though, sometimes they are the most interesting, and Emily really created a top-notch villain here (perhaps the villains-est of villains). This story is really one of revenge, spitefully twisted, misplaced revenge, but revenge absolutely - eat your heart out Count of Monte Cristo. ...more

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Jan 26, 2014 Christine PNW rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

15/2014.

I hate this book. I love this book.

213/2022

This is my final book of 2022. Emily Bronte was wack.

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Apr 27, 2014 Suzan (Suus Leest) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

From my blog athousandwhirlingdreams.blogspot.com

Wuthering Heights is a gothic novel which tells the story of Catherine Earnshaw and her passionate relationship with Heathcliff. While this may sound like your ordinary love story of doomed, starcrossed lovers, it is not. This novel has so many more layers to it, and it's worth reading the book as often as needed to explore all those layers thoroughly. Now, I must admit I've personally only read it twic, and the first time I was a young ignorant t From my blog athousandwhirlingdreams.blogspot.com

Wuthering Heights is a gothic novel which tells the story of Catherine Earnshaw and her passionate relationship with Heathcliff. While this may sound like your ordinary love story of doomed, starcrossed lovers, it is not. This novel has so many more layers to it, and it's worth reading the book as often as needed to explore all those layers thoroughly. Now, I must admit I've personally only read it twic, and the first time I was a young ignorant teenager of 16. Some of you may argue that I'm still young, but having read quite a lot more and, if I may say so myself, having become slightly more intelligent, I feel the second time I actually understood the novel. I would lvoe to read it again to clsoe read certain scenes, and I'm pretty sure that after that I'd want to read it again to analyse other aspects and so on. Unfortunately, I do not -yet- have time to do so, but I hope the rest of this review will give you a sense of my initial feelings.
I tried writing a spoiler free review, but I think I've failed. However, I don't think I gave much more away than the basic knowledge, so if you've not yet read the book I don't think it would do much harm to read on. However, it is at your own risk. To summerise for those who decide to not read on: The novel is awesome, go and read it. Now for a more intelligeble comment on this beautiful piece of fiction:

Wuthering Heights is most definitely not the most liked novel of all time. The story is not fun and light, and the characters are not at all likeable. Even though at least the latter may seem like a crucial aspect - liking at least a few characters - this is in fact what makes this novel interesting.
Cathy and Heathcliff are introduced as young and innocent children, and although clearly scarred by previous events, they seem to be coping with it well. It soon becomes obvious the two are falling in love, and as a reader you've already started loving them. Gradually these obviously loving characters acquire traits which makes them more and more despiseful. Eventually they are both extremely narcisistic and cruel. This is not only the case with the two main characters as the nurse, Nelly Dean, also turns out to be a lot less caring than initially thought. This is one of the great things about Brontë's style of writing. By making us, readers, truly love characters before she shows us how they really are, forces us to care about them, despite all their flaws. You will probably dislike them greatly, but you could never hate them because of the way Brontë introduced them to us.
Not only the characters turn bleaker after a while, so does the story. What was first called love between Heathcliff and Cathy turns out to be a relationship built on hartred and obsession. The passionate dialogue and the most eloquent writing is what in fact makes this novel bearable. The plot line may be interesting, but the fact that it keeps on going down hill makes you want to stop reading - just to have a somewhat happy ending. But please, do not. Every word Brontë writes in this novel should be read.
What should be kept in mind, and is not known by many people who have not read the books - and perhaps have only seen adaptations - is that the plot of the story is not confined to Heathcliff and Catherine's story. There is a second part, and perhaps this part is even more interesting. However, I wish to not go into too much detail on the grounds of not spoiling too much. Moreover, I think the aspects I mention are applicable to both parts, in their own ways.
One negative aspect of the story is credibility. I do not mean the fact that the story may be far fetched, but the way in which it is narrated. Most parts are told by Mr Lockwood, using Miss Dean's perspective. This means, Lockwood is reproducing a story which Miss Dean has told him. The fact that Miss Dean would already remember the story in so much detail is, to me, already doubtful - but Lockwood repeating those exact words then, is rather strange. You could look at this as an unreliable narrator, and Brontë is likely to have done so on pupose, but at the times that I realised how complex the origin of the story was, it did bother me. However, for the greater part of the novel I was able to ignore this and it did by no means affect my reading experience enough to rate it down a star.
I have run out of things to say about this novel, just because I love it so much - I'd just be repeating myself. Maybe after a while, or perhaps a third read, I'd be able to talk about it with greater distance and perhaps more critical.
...more

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Jun 01, 2017 Grace rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mccrum-s-100-greatest, 2016-reads

#13 in the chronological read of McCrum's list. Another that I'd read back in high school or early college and enjoyed the reread. It has always seemed a "dark" book to me and still does..... enjoyedit greatly. Another 5 star wonder!
An explanation of my star rating.
5= Truly cream of the crop. Amazing. In a wondrous realm of its own
4= Special and well written. More than good...maybe even a great book, but not a rare 5 star wonder.
3= Moments of brilliance, a pleasure to read. I'd recommend it.
2= ...more

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