Reviews with content warning for Violence - Wuthering Heights

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Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

110 reviews

wuthrinheights's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I first read this book a year or two ago, and I now hold two physical copies of it. This is a reread and I still harbor so much love for this story. When I was getting nearer to the ending, I was half glad, half saddened. I was excited to be finished with it so I could go on to read other books but I also didn't want to say goodbye to these characters. Seeing the story spread out for 20 years, I grew attached to them as if I was also a part of the moors.

Although I do not condone their behaviours, I was still so fascinated and amazed by the intensity of the love held between Catherine and Heathcliff. They were wild and reckless and passionate, which hurt not only each other but the people around them and others that came after them. My favourite parts of the book were their love confessions spoken to Nelly. It was so intense and agonising, it plays so vividly if I were to think back on the book.

My favourite character was Nelly. Everyone was always dramatic and taken by emotions, but Nelly was always cool and focused. Her deadpan deliveries cracked me up, which gave a lighter tone amidst the gloomy setting of the Heights. She often spoke the truth and would strive to do the right thing, even if her master(s) didn't like to hear it.

It is still so mind-blowing that despite being written hundreds of years ago, Brontë was able to pen a story that covers abuse running through generational lines, when it probably wasn't that well studied back in those days. Emily was way ahead of her time and it's a shame she never got to see how well her book was loved after the publication.

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thanhnguyen99's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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lee's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5 stars

First off, I have to admit that I actually finished this book a couple days ago, but had to put off writing the review not because of lack of time, but rather, I needed to work through the seriously mixed feelings I had toward this book as a whole. This was actually my first time reading Emily Brontë’s famous “story of unrequited love” and while part of me (the literary scholar side?) can see why this classic has been lauded and held in such high regard for over a century, another part of me (the rational reader side?) honestly finds it hard to understand the appeal of such a dark, depressing story where every single character is horrid and deplorable (more on this later).

Yes, the writing is absolutely brilliant — the symbolism, the masterful use of language, the wholly developed characters, the vivid imagery, the complex and nuanced themes, the creative and clever way Brontë structures the narrative, the interesting usage of narrative voice, etc. — from a literary standpoint, this novel is a “dream” to study and analyze as a great example of brilliant and mesmerizing storytelling. With that said though, when I take off my “scholar” hat and put on my “regular reader” one, the experience is very very different. I’m the type of reader who puts a lot of weight on the characters in a story and as such, in order for me to be fully invested in the story, I need to have at least one character that I feel like I can root for. Yes, I understand that every story will have its fair share of flawed and unlikable characters and that’s perfectly fine — but the problem with this story in particular is that EVERY SINGLE character is not just unlikable, but exceedingly so, to the point that not even one character is worth rooting for. Seriously, every character in here is in some way mean, spoiled, cruel, selfish, hypocritical, vindictive, violent, self-absorbed, abusive, etc. (I could go on, but you get the point) — though of course Heathcliff tops them all by being downright evil as well (it’s not a coincidence that he is compared to the Devil at various points in the story). Based on their actions and behavior. I honestly could not bring myself to care about any of the characters (not even Nelly or Lockwood, who were somewhat more tolerable in the grand scheme of things, but still…), which unfortunately made this a brutal and deeply unpleasant read for me.

Given the above, I’m actually glad that my first experience reading this was in a group setting (again for one of my literature classes), as being able to talk through the problematic elements as well as getting more background context did help to blunt some of the unpleasantness to some extent (though not completely of course). In this light, I definitely don’t recommend picking this one up individually as a “leisure” read, as it’s best read in an environment where the events that happen can be parsed and discussed within context (in my opinion at least).

Regarding the rating — to be honest, I agonized over this for quite some time. From a writing / literary scholarship perspective, this one definitely deserves 5 stars…but at the same time, from a reading experience (unpleasant) and “how did this book make me feel” (frustrated and miserable) perspective, my irritability with all the characters and not being able to stand any of them definitely give me pause. In the end, I decided to go with the “happy medium” of 3.5 stars. I’m pretty sure I won’t re-read this on my own accord like I do with Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (speaking of which, for some reason, people like to compare both novels as in a similar vein — a sentiment I vehemently disagree with, but that’s a whole other topic altogether). If circumstances require me to reference Wuthering Heights in the future, I’ll probably just skim it so I can avoid the torture of having to endure these frustrating characters again.

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rpreads90's review against another edition

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dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

So I get what the book is trying to say, but I don't like the way it goes about it. If you like Jane Austen's work it has similar themes, but there isn't a happy ending. Instead you're left feeling meh about the whole affair.

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chelseaisreading's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

5.0

I wasn’t able to appreciate this book in high school, but upon a second read (and listening to the amazingly narrated audiobook) I found myself totally entranced in this story!

Listen, it is purposefully confusing initially on who is who (two Cathy’s?! Of course.) but if you can muddle through it, it pays off. This book is deeply atmospheric, and it felt like Jane Austen’s dark cousin. Heathcliff stirs all the “I can fix him” vibes and the story tells you why…that’s not a good idea.

The characters are complex, all have plainly disturbing faults in character, and yet you still find yourself rooting for Heathcliff or Cathy at times. Reading through a bystander’s POV gives the reader such a removed perspective that you can find the characters strangely sympathetic even at their most horrific.

This is a gothic romance to be sure, the dark passion between Cathy and Heathcliff and how things ultimately play out in the following generation felt dramatic and poignant to me. Great book for October. I’d love to chill with Emily Brontë.

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melancholymegs's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Switching to the audiobook improved my experience with the book overall, but in the end all I feel is a relief to have finished. Despite having a certain understanding of the characters, that did not make me feel for them.

I honestly pumped my fist when Heathcliff finally died.

However I did like Nelly (I enjoy gossipy characters), and towards the end of their character arcs Isabella and Catherine Linton also grew on me. But not enough to redeem the time I spent reading this novel.

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