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A review by apechild
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
5.0
Thoughts on the 2018 re read: I am doing a part time course at the uni on the Brontes this autumn and felt it was important that I read this book again. I have really enjoyed it second time around, feel that I have gotten some new extra perspectives on the story, been horrified all over again by how brutal and unforgiving the plot and the atmosphere is... and the utter contempt for life, be it human or animal, that the characters show. Still was relieved when Cathy died though! My goodness what a self-absorbed narcisstic drama queen she was.
It starts off with a bang, like 'welcome to hell' with the new tenant, Lockwood turning up to the kitchen of Wuthering Heights, where everyone seems to hate each other and is swearing, the dogs are all growling and threatening to bite off his knee caps. And what a contrast to when he returns towards the end, and there is the first spark of hope in the book, with Hareton and Catherine planning the garden, she is teaching him to read, and Nelly's knitting... it feels like a home with a bit of sunlight coming through the window.
So what is it? I definately still feel that this is not a romance. A reflection on the nature of man, and is it the old environment and upbringing, or a simple case of nature? Can you be born bad? A lot of the people here have thoroughly abusive and miserable upbringings, and yet no one but Heathcliff comes out so thoroughly bad. So I'd lean towards the direction that it was in his nature. And yet at the end he just gives up on all his revenge misery making as he doesn't see any entertainment in it any longer. So is that him seeing the error of his ways? No. He's never repentant with it all, he's just bored with it, which is something entirely different. There's also what felt like a rather enlightened thought for Victorian times (given that the attitude was that people were poor because they were stupid/lazy/drunkard etc - ie they were where they deserved to be, when Catherine (the younger) is laughing about how dumb Hareton is because he can't read and just curses all the time, and Nelly scolds her and says something to the effect that would you be any better if you'd been born into the same circumstances? He is certainly a child created of his environment, and when people start showing they care again, we see him begin to blossom.
But it is a brutal book, and I wonder where Emily thought up all of this rage?
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2011 first read thoughts...
I have had this book since I was in school, and it's a school book fair edition of the book. And I am mortified to admit that at the age of 30, I have just gotten around to reading it. I think I've avoided it because of it's reputatation of not being a happy book. And it's true, it's not a happy book, but not only that but it is filled with some truely nasty, horrible characters. But it was a damn good read and I'm sorry it's taken me this long to get around to reading it!
I suppose it's very gothic with all these weak women being dominated and bullied by brutish men, and all set on the moors in the north-west of England. Very moody, stormy etc. A good story about how bearing grudges and revenge will not bring you peace and destroys your life and the lives of everyone around you. Even the animals didn't get away from it, there were a few hangings of little dogs in this story for no better reason seemingly than the characters felt like it; either that or they were trying to upset someone else.
I don't get this idea of Heathcliff and Cathy Earnshaw being this great romantic couple that everyone swoons over. Cathy Earnshaw was a self-centered, selfish, thoughtless kind of woman who had no empathy for any one else, and just ended up a pathetic drama queen. Quite frankly, it was a relief when she kicked the bucket and left the story. And Heathcliff is such a villian. He is so determined to have his revenge on the people who made his childhood a misery, and even when they're all dead he continues, having his revenge on their children. What an absolute waste of life and energy. Awful person. Ultimate fictional villian.
His son wasn't much better, he was a wet dishrag and a self-centered little bratt, but he also had no conscience or consideration for anyone. Another character you're not sad to see the back of! Nelly Dean was all right, although the poor woman is used and abused and pulled too and fro by all the main characters. And Catherine junior, although a bit vain and self-centered, turns out all right in the end, as does her cousin Hareton, even though for a lot of the book he's an ignorant foul-mouthed little devil, as created by Heathcliff.
Thing is, Heathcliff was treated badly, but he so needed to move on. I suppose the cause of all this trouble was Mr Earnshaw. He goes to Liverpool and comes back with this little orphan boy, Heathcliff, that he wants to keep, like he's a little abandoned puppy or something he found in the street. Fine, be charitable. But then he dotes on Heathcliff to the neglect of his own kids, and tells his own kids how rubbish they are and how marvellous Heathcliff is. So of course Cathy and Hindley are going to be resentful and pick on Heathcliff. This is how kids are. And of course Heathcliff will hate them back for what they did. Whilst at the same time having a mixed feeling relationship with Cathy, of adoration and hate.
It starts off with a bang, like 'welcome to hell' with the new tenant, Lockwood turning up to the kitchen of Wuthering Heights, where everyone seems to hate each other and is swearing, the dogs are all growling and threatening to bite off his knee caps. And what a contrast to when he returns towards the end, and there is the first spark of hope in the book, with Hareton and Catherine planning the garden, she is teaching him to read, and Nelly's knitting... it feels like a home with a bit of sunlight coming through the window.
So what is it? I definately still feel that this is not a romance. A reflection on the nature of man, and is it the old environment and upbringing, or a simple case of nature? Can you be born bad? A lot of the people here have thoroughly abusive and miserable upbringings, and yet no one but Heathcliff comes out so thoroughly bad. So I'd lean towards the direction that it was in his nature. And yet at the end he just gives up on all his revenge misery making as he doesn't see any entertainment in it any longer. So is that him seeing the error of his ways? No. He's never repentant with it all, he's just bored with it, which is something entirely different. There's also what felt like a rather enlightened thought for Victorian times (given that the attitude was that people were poor because they were stupid/lazy/drunkard etc - ie they were where they deserved to be, when Catherine (the younger) is laughing about how dumb Hareton is because he can't read and just curses all the time, and Nelly scolds her and says something to the effect that would you be any better if you'd been born into the same circumstances? He is certainly a child created of his environment, and when people start showing they care again, we see him begin to blossom.
But it is a brutal book, and I wonder where Emily thought up all of this rage?
------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 first read thoughts...
I have had this book since I was in school, and it's a school book fair edition of the book. And I am mortified to admit that at the age of 30, I have just gotten around to reading it. I think I've avoided it because of it's reputatation of not being a happy book. And it's true, it's not a happy book, but not only that but it is filled with some truely nasty, horrible characters. But it was a damn good read and I'm sorry it's taken me this long to get around to reading it!
I suppose it's very gothic with all these weak women being dominated and bullied by brutish men, and all set on the moors in the north-west of England. Very moody, stormy etc. A good story about how bearing grudges and revenge will not bring you peace and destroys your life and the lives of everyone around you. Even the animals didn't get away from it, there were a few hangings of little dogs in this story for no better reason seemingly than the characters felt like it; either that or they were trying to upset someone else.
I don't get this idea of Heathcliff and Cathy Earnshaw being this great romantic couple that everyone swoons over. Cathy Earnshaw was a self-centered, selfish, thoughtless kind of woman who had no empathy for any one else, and just ended up a pathetic drama queen. Quite frankly, it was a relief when she kicked the bucket and left the story. And Heathcliff is such a villian. He is so determined to have his revenge on the people who made his childhood a misery, and even when they're all dead he continues, having his revenge on their children. What an absolute waste of life and energy. Awful person. Ultimate fictional villian.
His son wasn't much better, he was a wet dishrag and a self-centered little bratt, but he also had no conscience or consideration for anyone. Another character you're not sad to see the back of! Nelly Dean was all right, although the poor woman is used and abused and pulled too and fro by all the main characters. And Catherine junior, although a bit vain and self-centered, turns out all right in the end, as does her cousin Hareton, even though for a lot of the book he's an ignorant foul-mouthed little devil, as created by Heathcliff.
Thing is, Heathcliff was treated badly, but he so needed to move on. I suppose the cause of all this trouble was Mr Earnshaw. He goes to Liverpool and comes back with this little orphan boy, Heathcliff, that he wants to keep, like he's a little abandoned puppy or something he found in the street. Fine, be charitable. But then he dotes on Heathcliff to the neglect of his own kids, and tells his own kids how rubbish they are and how marvellous Heathcliff is. So of course Cathy and Hindley are going to be resentful and pick on Heathcliff. This is how kids are. And of course Heathcliff will hate them back for what they did. Whilst at the same time having a mixed feeling relationship with Cathy, of adoration and hate.