A powerfully well written book, that brings the harshness of the characters together with the harshness of the landscape. The narrative is absorbing and emotive, as a reader one cannot help but feel involved in a story that is being told as if for our own benefit. ( )

I am glad that I read this book even though it was very difficult. You feel like you're there on the moors with them as the drama unfolds. I feel the same way as some of the other reviewers about the anger and hatred you feel for some of the characters. It is definitely not a light and happy book and its not for those who get depressed easily. As it said in the introduction, there were some errors in the book and a few things that didn't make sense, but it didnt seem to matter. The language of it was hard at first, but soon it all starts to flow. A long but lovely book. I would read it again. ( )

I am so glad I read this one! I enjoyed the many complex characters. I loved how characters shifted from good to mean as the book went along. my feelings seemed to change from like to dislike as I read each chapter. I was utterly engrossed. ( )

Wuthering Heights paints a claustrophobic view of the worse that love has to offer. I couldn’t summon any positive feelings for the cast of characters portrayed. Heathcliff is the most odious character I’ve met in print this year, sadly far too human. If your first novel is your most autobiographical then I pity Emily Bronte. A tale that leaves you rather more vexed at its conclusion. ( )

‘Wuthering Heights’ is a novel made famous by the passionate relationship between two of its central characters, Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. It is also strongly associated with the moors where readers imagine the two characters meeting and travelling together. Since I was expecting to uncover a tragic tale of love, reading the actual story brought surprise after surprise – and far more hatred and anger than love.

The initial surprise was to find the story apparently narrated by a Mr Lockwood, a name I had never heard associated with this tempestuous tale. Shortly upon arriving at his new home, he makes the mistake of visiting Wuthering Heights, his landlord’s distant abode, and is appalled to meet its embittered inhabitants. Lockwood offers unwelcome politeness as he tries to interact with a sullen servant, surly landlord and vicious dogs. Matters only become worse as he mistakes a pile of dead rabbits for pet cats and Heathcliff’s morose daughter-in-law for his wife. Unable to pursue normal discourse with his reluctant hosts, Lockwood decides to leave but is trapped by poor weather into staying in an upstairs chamber that he is guided to by candlelight. Before morning, he beholds a terrible visitation and apparently becomes obsessed by discovering the truth of Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship…

This is an excellent opening as it confounds the reader’s likely expectations while drawing them into an atmosphere of decay, distrust and malevolence which is only brightened by the prospect of solving the riddle of this strange ‘family’. Heathcliff appears to be almost completely malign and one wonders how he can be bent into any kind of hero fitting for a great love story. His only redeeming feature seems to be his grief over Catherine’s absence, revealed after an apparently supernatural incident, which appears to be both genuine and uncontrollable. This provokes compassion in Lockwood and the reader, encouraging us to discover the cause of Heathcliff’s intense emotions.

Lockwood’s confused perception is soon replaced by the more knowing narrative of Nelly, or Ellen Dean, formerly the housekeeper at Wuthering Heights and currently Lockwood’s one companion at Thrushcross Grange. Soon, Lockwood disappears almost entirely from the story as Nelly evokes the childhood of Catherine and Hindley Earnshaw, whose childhood is disrupted by an interloper: Heathcliff, a ‘gipsey’ child abandoned in the slums of Liverpool and rescued by Catherine’s father. Although both original children are initially piqued by their father’s ‘gift’, Catherine soon accepts Heathcliff as a similar spirit, while Hindley begins to shape a life-long enmity that will have far-reaching consequences.
From the very moment he is introduced to the family, even his rescuer comments that he is ‘as dark almost as if it came from the devil’. Throughout the novel, Heathcliff’s colour and character are repeatedly linked to the devil, but these references really multiply after Cathy ‘betrays’ him. From then on, Heathcliff’s revenge is at the forefront of all his actions and the novel enters a very melodramatic phase, well suited to such a gothic tale, during which Heathcliff gains such ascendancy that it seems everyone is terrified of him. Will he succeed in turning all relationships into bitter sparring, or can any descendants of this powerful pair of lovers achieve redemption?

Heathcliff’s ferocity and hatred are almost unimaginable, but Emily Bronte captures the passion which works beneath his surface. He will not allow himself to show grief, but it is clear that he is wounded at his core and this makes his basest actions seem to have some justification. Catherine’s proud nature and sense of relationship with Heathcliff is also powerfully presented. Although neither character is truly sympathetic, the power of their emotions forces the reader to feel for them even if they cannot feel with them.

Since most of the novel is told through two narrators, there is a certain distance from the action that renders some scenes slightly less powerful. This is a small criticism of a highly evocative novel, but it is worth being aware of. It is also true that such extended narratives require a certain suspension of disbelief as Mr Lockwood relates Nelly’s narrative word by word from thirty years past. Occasionally, I felt slightly frustrated when more layers were added to this screen – such as when Nelly began to give the latest version of events by giving another housekeeper’s version of events, gleaned through conversation while at market. However, the first person narrative also allows Bronte, through Nelly and Lockwood, to add a certain chill to the atmosphere by showing their horror at the events they witness.

There are two surprising gaps in the narrative, things we never see or learn as readers, which seem to cry out for answers. Did Emily Bronte deliberately choose to leave those scenes a mystery or was she unaware of the holes they created? One key incident takes place completely without detailed reference or date; our witness is locked away for a period of several days, without warning or explanation. When she is released, the deed is done and the details of it never discussed. Such gaps seem odd but could be felt to add to the mysterious atmosphere within the book: personally, they did not spoil my pleasure in reading but did strike me as quite odd, given the emphasis on telling every other aspect of the story.

Finally, I feel obliged to say a few words about the nature of the ending, without spoiling it for future readers. The final two chapters reveal such a change that it seems hardly believable and some readers may feel it is rather forced. However, I felt that, on the whole, the developments were in keeping with the characters and their situation, and allowed a clear resolution to the novel which has not previously seemed likely.

A bigger problem may be found in the attitudes towards illness displayed in the novel. Many characters are struck down by nameless illnesses and die young after lengthy convalescences. Obviously, people today are capable of suffering in such a way, but the lack of medical detail and seeming weakness of some of the characters did make me feel quite distanced from them as such weakness seemed quite unrealistic in an otherwise strikingly realistic novel. This is merely a problem created by reading a novel set two centuries ago and is presumably more realistic for the period. The many illnesses are also used to illustrate character and are important to some interpretations of the themes of the novel, so this is really a very personal and quite unjustified complaint!

Overall, this is a powerful tale incorporating gothic and melodramatic elements to create a much more textured and layered narrative than initial expectations might anticipate. I cannot claim that it is life changing or an essential read, although I know it to be a very respected and much enjoyed novel, but I did find it engaging throughout and enjoyed pondering possible interpretations of events and symbols once I had finished reading. ( )