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Wuthering Heights

Emily Brontë

Start date: November 1, 2023

Finish date: November 30, 2023

Discussion: Upcoming Books: No Spoilers

Why we're reading this: Revisit the Shelf Group Read, November 2024

Previous Group Reads:
Revisit the Shelf Group Read, July 2017
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[close] Revisit the Shelf Group Read, November 2024

Previous Group Reads:
Revisit the Shelf Group Read, July 2017
Revisit the Shelf Group Read, September 2014
Book of the Month Group Read, July 2011

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last updated Dec 01, 2024 11:48AM

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What Members Thought

Jul 09, 2009 Bárbara rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: by-women, in-english

Heathcliff

It's me, Cathy, I've come home, I'm

SO COOOOOOOOOOLD~~~~~~~ ...more

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Jul 07, 2009 Leanne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics, romance

The first time I read Wuthering Heights was in the summer after 8th grade. I had read and totally adored Jane Eyre in 7th grade; and I was expecting a similar reading experience despite the authors being sisters. In fact I had purposefully put off reading Wuthering Heights in an effort to save it in the same fashion that I tried to save my my Halloween candy.....waiting as long as possible to devour it in case I needed it on a bad day.

The perfect time came. Knowing I was scheduled for dental s The first time I read Wuthering Heights was in the summer after 8th grade. I had read and totally adored Jane Eyre in 7th grade; and I was expecting a similar reading experience despite the authors being sisters. In fact I had purposefully put off reading Wuthering Heights in an effort to save it in the same fashion that I tried to save my my Halloween candy.....waiting as long as possible to devour it in case I needed it on a bad day.

The perfect time came. Knowing I was scheduled for dental surgery, I checked out Wuthering Heights from the library to be my post-operation reward. Ha!

It was bad enough that I had two impacted canine teeth. It was worse that we had to drive eight hours home after surgery. It was downright disgusting that the bleeding wouldn't stop, causing long stringy blood clots to stick to my braces or choke me as I tried to sleep which resulted in the cauterization of the area (the smell of burning flesh is the worst!) the following morning. But the real tragedy was staying awake all night reading the most depressing love story every written.

My fourteen year old brain was first bewildered and then horrified by Catherine and Heathcliff. I hated all the characters in the book. I hated the story, and I hated the ending. Between the pain of my mouth to the pain in the novel, it was a hideous experience.

Fast forward forty years. I am assigned as a substitute teacher to share the book (actually the movie) with a bunch of teenagers in the last quarter of their senior year. How was I going to overcome their apathy for the story with my repugnance? Why was Mrs. Browning assigning it? Why in the world is Wuthering Heights still considered a classic?

Then the beauty happened. As I prepared to teach, I began to understand how Wuthering Heights fits into the Romantic period and its place in Gothic literature. I revisited information on the Bronte sisters, and I even read numerous scholar's insight on the work. Surprisingly, I was once more looking forward to reading Wuthering Heights. And this time, I fell in love.....not with Heathcliff or Catherine, but with solitary, mysterious Emily Bronte who died young, lived essentially friendless, and who, despite never experiencing her own love affair, wrote so passionately that her work affected all the romance novels to follow it.

I especially love the idea that Bronte was exploring what happens when people live out their strongest passions, with no temperance or care for others, in contrast to the healing power that actual selfless love can be. I have absolute appreciation for the book now. And on top of that....my teeth have felt great through the whole experience. ;-) ...more

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Jun 23, 2010 Stephen Hegedus rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 06, 2011 Catherine rated it it was ok

I'm not sure what made me think that this was a love story, because I failed to see the love. I saw the love-hate relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff, but this book is more tragedy than anything else. It was easier to read in the end but I think it was because there were less characters to focus upon by then.

UPDATE (7/10/14): Having just reread the book, I have no wish to edit my original review. I guess I was hoping that I would understand the story better if I read it a second time. ...more

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Apr 30, 2011 Barbara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: english-literature

Though not the book I expected it too be still a wonderfull read. This is a book you love to hate or hate to love. the characters are too mean and petty to find likeable and still you're intrigued. The end is a bit rushed but still a great read. ...more

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Jun 30, 2009 Ozge rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

Jul 01, 2009 Shawnie rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-romance

Jul 19, 2009 Cindy rated it it was ok

Jul 23, 2009 Monadh rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Aug 07, 2009 Marci rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, books-i-have, ghosts, magical-realism-fabulism-slipstream, classics, favorites, standalone, read-for-college, gothic, abuse-neglect