tobysutton_long's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I can totally understand why this is a stone cold classic! Obviously I had some cultural knowledge of this one (mainly picked up by the song in all honesty) but this had a lot of twists that I didn't expect. A particularly interesting narrative style too making us think Lockwood would be the protagonist but then we see it all through Nelly's eyes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Child abuse
lindseyhall44's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“In every cloud, in every tree-filling the air at night, and caught by glimpses in very object, by day I am surrounded by her image! The most ordinary faces of men and women-my own features-mock me with a resemblance. The entire would is a dreadful collection if memoranda that she did exist, and I have lost her.”
I cannot put into words how much this novel meant to me. It was beautiful, it was heart wrenching, it was horrifying, it was a book I hope to read 1000 times over. I would highly, highly recommend for any fans of gothic literature, or those interested in themes of love, obsession, and vengance. I will say that this is not a romance, but love is a driving factor for almost everything. Once again, I cannot stress how much I loved Wuthering Heights.
I cannot put into words how much this novel meant to me. It was beautiful, it was heart wrenching, it was horrifying, it was a book I hope to read 1000 times over. I would highly, highly recommend for any fans of gothic literature, or those interested in themes of love, obsession, and vengance. I will say that this is not a romance, but love is a driving factor for almost everything. Once again, I cannot stress how much I loved Wuthering Heights.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Abandonment, Child abuse, Grief, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Pregnancy
chelseaisreading's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse and Violence
Minor: Blood
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
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
3.0
I decided to read this book because I bought a poster with 100 books to read in your lifetime. This is the fifteenth book I've read on this poster. As with most books on this poster, I struggled with it. I don’t know if it’s the whole “classic” feel to them, but it was a mission to finish and usually if it’s a mission I would like to hope it was worth it but guess what like Jane Eyre it wasn’t worth it.
This book is based on two families both joined and riven by love and hate. Cathy is a beautiful and wilful young woman who is torn between her soft-hearted husband and Heathcliff, the passionate and resentful man who has loved her since childhood. The power of their bond creates a storm of cruelty and violence which leaves one of them dead and cast a shadow over the lives of their children.
My issue with this book is that I hated every single character in this book. They all drove me completely nuts. There are too many characters with the same names and doing the same actions as their parents. Heathcliff was just a dick, end of story. I understand it was the “old times” but Cathy should have also just stood up for herself and moved away, or just decided that she wanted Heathcliff and then it would have all been sorted. Linton knew that Cathy didn’t love him and still married her and then was wondering what the hell was going on. The storyline just hurt my head and I wanted it to end, the dialogue between the characters felt long winded just to say that Linton was dying, or someone was misbehaving, and I still couldn’t tell you what POV this book was from because I don’t know.
This book is just so toxic, and I understand at the time it was written, it would have been the best thing like sliced bread or butter but Christ, I wanted to burn my eyes out, but I am determined to finish it for the sake of the 100 books poster. However, if I have never bought this poster, I would have probably never read it and I think I would have been okay with that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, and Physical abuse
melancholymegs's review against another edition
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
2.5
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.
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.
Spoiler
I honestly pumped my fist when Heathcliff finally died.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Confinement, Incest, Misogyny, Stalking, and Death of parent
Minor: Blood, Kidnapping, and Racial slurs
lorendushku's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wuthering Heights is a story of two people who are deeply in love, but who are also deeply flawed.
Heathcliff is a wild and untamed man, while Catherine is a proud, spoiled and headstrong woman. Their love is passionate and intense, but it is also destructive. They both make mistakes, and they both suffer as a result.
I loved the locations, the moors are a place of beauty and danger, and they reflect the tumultuous relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine.
The characters in Wuthering Heights are not saints or heroes, but real people who make mistakes and suffer the consequences.
I found myself rooting for Heathcliff and Catherine, even though I knew that they were both capable of great cruelty. However, I think that this is part of what makes the story so compelling. It is a reminder that even the most flawed people are capable of love, and that even the most destructive love can be beautiful.
I was surprised when Heathcliff, instead of protecting what Catherine left, bested her. I thought that he would be more kind and forgiving, but he was instead consumed by his own rage and bitterness. This shows that even the most passionate love can be turned to hate.
My favourite scene in Wuthering Heights is when Heathcliff runs away and Catherine says that their souls are the same. This scene shows the depth of their love, even though they are unable to be together. It is a reminder that even when love is impossible, it can still be a powerful force in our lives.
I learned a lot from Wuthering Heights:
I learned that love is a powerful force, but it can also be destructive, and that even the most destructive love can be beautiful.
Wuthering Heights is a challenging and heart-breaking book, but it is also a beautiful and unforgettable one. It is a story that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.
Heathcliff is a wild and untamed man, while Catherine is a proud, spoiled and headstrong woman. Their love is passionate and intense, but it is also destructive. They both make mistakes, and they both suffer as a result.
I loved the locations, the moors are a place of beauty and danger, and they reflect the tumultuous relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine.
The characters in Wuthering Heights are not saints or heroes, but real people who make mistakes and suffer the consequences.
I found myself rooting for Heathcliff and Catherine, even though I knew that they were both capable of great cruelty. However, I think that this is part of what makes the story so compelling. It is a reminder that even the most flawed people are capable of love, and that even the most destructive love can be beautiful.
I was surprised when Heathcliff, instead of protecting what Catherine left, bested her. I thought that he would be more kind and forgiving, but he was instead consumed by his own rage and bitterness. This shows that even the most passionate love can be turned to hate.
My favourite scene in Wuthering Heights is when Heathcliff runs away and Catherine says that their souls are the same. This scene shows the depth of their love, even though they are unable to be together. It is a reminder that even when love is impossible, it can still be a powerful force in our lives.
I learned a lot from Wuthering Heights:
I learned that love is a powerful force, but it can also be destructive, and that even the most destructive love can be beautiful.
Wuthering Heights is a challenging and heart-breaking book, but it is also a beautiful and unforgettable one. It is a story that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.
He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
acasiamae's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Violence, Abandonment, Addiction, Incest, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, and Physical abuse
Minor: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
moonlitstardust's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, and Medical content
magicinavalon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Child abuse
cepbreed's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"Time brought resignation and a melancholy sweeter than common joy."
This is a surprisingly consumable classic that I enjoyed very much! I truly appreciate Brontë's commitment to creating unlikeable characters. Through all of the evil acts and biased narration (provided by Lockwood and Nelly) the characters all emerged as feeling particularly human, Heathcliff specifically. He is made out to be this tragic character, a man filled with so much vitriol, yet he has this magnetism you can't help to be attracted to. The same goes for Hareton. Nelly portrayed him in such a negative light when he was first introduced, but you can't help but find sympathy for those types of characters. That said, and with all of the parallels between them, I am struggling to understand why I was rooting for Hareton and Cathy (jr) with all of my heart, but couldn't find that same enthusiasm for Heathcliff and Cathy. Hareton and Cathy just had so much cute charm (ignoring the incest). Even when Linton was in the way I struggled to find it convincing at all. That said I don't really think of Wuthering Heights as a classic romance novel. The romance is just shrouded in so many layers of grief, class dynamics, etc. I also was surprisingly satisfied with the ending. Cathy and Hareton getting married and Heathcliff (crazy till the end) is able to end up with his Cathy in a way. I was dissatisfied with the lack of ghosts though. I feel like the first few chapters totally misled us...
The second half of the book was my favorite, I feel like it isn't mentioned enough! And why does nobody talk about the fact that Heathcliff isn't a white man!
Songs:
The second half of the book was my favorite, I feel like it isn't mentioned enough! And why does nobody talk about the fact that Heathcliff isn't a white man!
Songs:
- Ghosts - James Vincent Mcmorrow
- Knuckle Velvet - Ethel Cain
- Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush
- Shades of Cool - Lana del Rey
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, and Mental illness
Moderate: Racism and Terminal illness
Minor: Chronic illness and Pregnancy