5 stars & 5/10 hearts. You may wonder why I love this story. My friends probably would tell you it's not my usual style. I used to wonder myself why I loved it. As I read it this time, I analyzed my feelings and I’ve discovered why I love it.
It’s a harsh, vivid, grim book. The setting is the bleak, lonely Yorkshire moors. The mood is somber and wild. The characters are violent and passionate.
Yet the bleak, lonely Yorkshire moors blossom into beauty. Though at times they are swept by fierce storms and gloomy rains, they can also become golden and lush, hummed over by birds and rioting with flowers. And I think this represents the book itself.
Heathcliff is as the moors. He is violent to excess, passionate to frenzy, mercilessly cruel, deliberately wicked, gloomy and wild and vivid. Somehow, I find myself loving Heathcliff. He broke my heart almost every chapter, and yet I could not let go of him. To the very end I was hoping desperately for him to be redeemed.
Catharine, on the contrary, I disliked from the very beginning. Spoiled, selfish, wicked, thoughtless, she died the death of a foolish woman. She deserved neither the adoration of Edgar nor the worship of Heathcliff. She ruined all around her. Had Catherine been a good woman, Heathcliff would have been redeemed. Had Catherine been a good woman, the tragedies that befell her family could have been adverted. But Catharine was utterly selfish, and she doomed herself and those she loved—or should have loved.
Edgar I started out despising, but I quickly learned to love. His character completely changed. He was a good, loving man. His only fault was that he spoiled those he loved. He was a treasure, and neither Catharine, nor Isabella, nor Ellen, nor even Cathy, valued him as they ought. He was no match for Heathcliff, and yet he WAS his match, by his righteousness and trust in God.
Isabella was a fool, from beginning to end, and deserved the fate she called upon herself. Had she repented, she might have saved Heathcliff; as it was, she only set him further down his track. Linton I utterly hated. That wicked, selfish—I have no words for Linton. He also richly deserved what he got. Jacob was a hypocritical, wicked old sinner from the beginning to end—a prime example of Godless religion. Ellen was, overall, good—I believe she did her best.
Cathy I liked, for the most part. She did a 180º turn after THE CLIMAX, and I didn’t like or approve of her actions/character several times. Yet she was usually a good girl.
And Hareton? I loved Hareton. Poor, mistreated, ignorant, helpless, kind-hearted boy! In spite of the wickedness and cruelty that surrounded him from birth, he kept a few seeds of kindness in his heart and gave them out to those who needed them. His redemption arc was splendid.
I think that the entire book explains itself in a quote from Mrs. Dean.
“I used to draw a comparison between him and Hindley Earnshaw, and perplex myself to explain satisfactorily why their conduct was so opposite in similar circumstances. They had both been fond husbands, and were both attached to their children; and I could not see how they shouldn’t both have taken the same road, for good or evil. But, I thought in my mind, Hindley, with apparently the stronger head, has shown himself sadly the worse and the weaker man. When his ship struck, the captain abandoned his post; and the crew, instead of trying to save her, rushed into riot and confusion, leaving no hope for their luckless vessel. Linton, on the contrary, displayed the true courage of a loyal and faithful soul: he trusted God; and God comforted him. One hoped, and the other despaired: they chose their own lots, and were righteously doomed to endure them.”
All the characters in this book can be drawn into two lines and placed on one side or the other of a line. There are those who chose to triumph over circumstances and seek God, and be redeemed. And there are those who chose ruin instead. All received what they deserved for their choices—those who chose to bear their own sins bore them; those who chose to trust in God were redeemed.
This wild, violent story has a beautiful, hopeful ending. It has a lovely message: good triumphs over evil; God defeats the Devil; and justice is done.
Do I recommend it to all? No. I only recommend it to those who can bear a harsh, violent story. For those who appreciate drama and redemption arcs. For those who need to see that in darkness there is light, and in mines there is gold.
Content: Some language; a couple mentions of ghosts/spirits; Heathcliff is obsessed by Catherine after her death and makes preparations to be laid in her coffin. Recommended age: 18+
Wuthering Heights
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Hate the cover, probably because it’s just stored for a really long time. But I really love the smell of it. It’s cute how a little biography about Collins and Emily Brontë are introduced too. And it came in really quick. So, all in all, 🥰.
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Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on March 4, 2023
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Hate the cover, probably because it’s just stored for a really long time. But I really love the smell of it. It’s cute how a little biography about Collins and Emily Brontë are introduced too. And it came in really quick. So, all in all, 🥰.
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Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on July 17, 2022
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Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on July 13, 2022
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Martin Gilar
Good quality printing only the font is little small.
Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on September 10, 2022Verified Purchase
simone mighall
Great Book
Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on February 19, 2021Verified Purchase
Gerard Ilott
Heavy going, but what characters!
Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on April 26, 2019Verified Purchase
Aly Watson
Print rubs off
Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on September 11, 2020Verified Purchase
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Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on September 11, 2020
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Nandhini(Books and Bliss)
The classic love story
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on May 8, 2019Verified Purchase
Nandhini(Books and Bliss)
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on May 8, 2019
Moving on to the book... It is the best book written by Emily Bronte... It is even more popular than Jane Eyre which was written by her sister. It is a love story and what I love about this book is this beautiful setting. If you have read the book already you would know what am talking about. It also have some gothic elements . And if you want to read this book then I would ask you to read in the Fall season... Because you will just have the best time of your life reading it.
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