Wuthering Heights

Title: Wuthering Heights

Author: Emily Brontë

Published in: 1847

Date read: 7th November 2021

Score: 3/5

Genre: Classic, Fiction

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Wuthering Heights," published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell, is a classic of English literature and a powerful, dark romance. It is a bleak and passionate novel that delves into themes of love, revenge, class, and the destructive nature of obsession, set against the wild and desolate Yorkshire moors.

The story is told through the layered narration of two characters. The initial narrator is Mr. Lockwood, a new tenant at the manor of Thrushcross Grange, who is recounting the events told to him by his housekeeper, Nelly Dean. Nelly, who has been a servant for both the main families for decades, is the primary narrator, providing a sweeping history of the two houses.

The central figures are Heathcliff, a mysterious foundling brought to the manor of Wuthering Heights by the patriarch, Mr. Earnshaw, and his daughter, Catherine Earnshaw. Heathcliff and Catherine form an intense, all-consuming, and almost spiritual bond from childhood. They are two wild, passionate, and fiercely independent souls who find a kinship in each other.

However, their bond is tragically fractured by the rigid social conventions of the time. When Catherine is drawn to the refined lifestyle of Thrushcross Grange and falls in love with the gentle and wealthy Edgar Linton, she makes a devastating choice. Despite her famous declaration, "I am Heathcliff," she decides to marry Edgar, believing that marriage to Heathcliff would be socially degrading and would leave her without the financial security and status she desires.

Upon hearing her confession, the heartbroken and humiliated Heathcliff leaves Wuthering Heights in the dead of night. He returns three years later, mysteriously wealthy and hardened by his experiences. He is consumed by a cold, calculating rage and a burning desire for revenge against everyone he feels wronged him, particularly Catherine and the Linton family.

He uses his newfound wealth to systematically ruin the lives of those he believes are responsible for his suffering. He marries Edgar Linton's sister, Isabella, only to treat her with cruelty. He takes control of Wuthering Heights, and later, through manipulation, inherits Thrushcross Grange. The second half of the novel focuses on the younger generation, with Heathcliff extending his revenge to their children, making them suffer for the sins of their parents.

The novel is a raw and uncompromising portrayal of passion and cruelty. It is a cyclical tale of love lost, resentment cultivated, and a revenge that outlives the central characters, culminating in a resolution where the ghosts of Heathcliff and Catherine finally find a semblance of peace. "Wuthering Heights" is a masterpiece of psychological depth, an unrelenting examination of love's darkest and most obsessive side.

Comments:
I very rarely read classics but following my enjoyment of Rebecca, I have been delving into an occasional classic. Having received lots of recommendations, I decided to give this book a go. I am sorry to announce that I did not enjoy it at all. I am under no illusions, I am no literary expert, quite the contrary, I read what I enjoy.
In this story, I learned that I am not very good at translating 19th Century Yorkshire. I read a whole page (Joseph's speech) and it made no sense to me at all and I generally could not wait for the book to be over. It is a shame that I could not appreciate what is often referred to as a masterpiece, but I like what I like. I won't give up on classics though, Jane Austen next.

Books that we've read by Emily Brontë (1):
Wuthering Heights (1847)