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A review by bluereen
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
4.0
"If all else perished, and he remained, I should continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger."
***
One reason I power through with reading classics is that they reward me with exquisite quotes like these. And I’ll always be a sucker for romance quotes (hello Jane Eyre!)
Unlike most leads, Wuthering Heights revolves around two lovers who are as toxic as can be. It’s not a black and white conflict wherein the rich girl falls in love with the poor guy— because even before Catherine and Heathcliff laid their eyes on each other, external and internal forces had commanded their separation. Heathcliff was racially and positionally inferior to Cathy and the Earnshaws from the onset. Both had personal issues that were left unaddressed: Cathy is stuck-up and temperamental; whereas Heathcliff is rebellious, and vengeful. Nevertheless, their 'love' for each other seemingly trumps all internal and external conflicts. Not cute though as they blatantly disregard the feelings of others and only tend to their own.
Brontë skillfully portrays ugly love. She traces Cathy and Heathcliff’s story from their first encounter to friendship and eventually their attraction that later borders on obsession.
My main takeaway is that we don’t get to choose the person we love. While some are lucky, plenty of us still can't help but fall for someone we (just) know will be our undoing. Case in point: Cathy and Heathcliff’s relationship epitomizes ugly love.
WH in a nutshell: Cathy and Heathcliff knew a tempest was fast approaching, but they ultimately paid no mind as their eyes were fixated on each other. After reading the novel, I can safely say these two are NOT relationship goals.
***
One reason I power through with reading classics is that they reward me with exquisite quotes like these. And I’ll always be a sucker for romance quotes (hello Jane Eyre!)
Unlike most leads, Wuthering Heights revolves around two lovers who are as toxic as can be. It’s not a black and white conflict wherein the rich girl falls in love with the poor guy— because even before Catherine and Heathcliff laid their eyes on each other, external and internal forces had commanded their separation. Heathcliff was racially and positionally inferior to Cathy and the Earnshaws from the onset. Both had personal issues that were left unaddressed: Cathy is stuck-up and temperamental; whereas Heathcliff is rebellious, and vengeful. Nevertheless, their 'love' for each other seemingly trumps all internal and external conflicts. Not cute though as they blatantly disregard the feelings of others and only tend to their own.
Brontë skillfully portrays ugly love. She traces Cathy and Heathcliff’s story from their first encounter to friendship and eventually their attraction that later borders on obsession.
My main takeaway is that we don’t get to choose the person we love. While some are lucky, plenty of us still can't help but fall for someone we (just) know will be our undoing. Case in point: Cathy and Heathcliff’s relationship epitomizes ugly love.
WH in a nutshell: Cathy and Heathcliff knew a tempest was fast approaching, but they ultimately paid no mind as their eyes were fixated on each other. After reading the novel, I can safely say these two are NOT relationship goals.