mamabirdgraph's review against another edition
3.0
For having held this book on such a high pedestal all these years, it was a shame to finally read it. I was not impressed. At all. Boring boring boring boring. Terrible characters. I just feel like I’m missing it on this one. It was not for me. But I will go listen to Kate Bush now and maybe try to read a retelling? :)
Edit: I feel like the story could have benefited from a different POV.
Edit: I feel like the story could have benefited from a different POV.
leslieh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lee's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Ableism, Violence, and Emotional abuse
Lots of abuse and violence, to animals and people (physical and emotional)loyaultemelie's review against another edition
4.0
One of those books where a reread is a must, as my feelings developed so much this time around. Longer review coming soon, but the back half was still my favorite and the ending was still heartwrenching
tiffyofthemonts's review against another edition
4.0
Dark and twisted. Just the way I like it. Really, I'm torn between loathing and loving this book. The narration was frustrating (it was like story within story within story) and difficult to follow at times, and almost all of the characters were infuriating, but still I had a hard time putting the book down. It was an interesting "love" story, kind of a survey of what "love" can drive us to do - all the good and bad. But mostly the bad. ;)
unafleursss's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
kovu's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bookitalum's review against another edition
4.0
Subjectively, Wuthering Heights is not my favorite. Objectively, I can appreciate all of the ways it is truly amazing and an enduring classic everyone should read. It’s a beautiful, macabre tale that is set in a place isolated from high society. The moors are masterfully written as a character unto themselves. To appreciate this book, however, you really have to be able to get invested in characters who are unlikable. You have to be willing to ask “why?” and not simply judge actions without context.
This book is emotionally evocative and challenging, expect to walk away with some feels. If you haven’t read it yet, you should!
This book is emotionally evocative and challenging, expect to walk away with some feels. If you haven’t read it yet, you should!
alexrich4's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0