Emily Brontë (1818–1848)
Author of Wuthering Heights
About the Author
Emily Bronte, the sister of Charlotte, shared the same isolated childhood on the Yorkshire moors. Emily, however, seems to have been much more affected by the eerie desolation of the moors than was Charlotte. Her one novel, Wuthering Heights (1847), draws much of its power from its setting in that show more desolate landscape. Emily's work is also marked by a passionate intensity that is sometimes overpowering. According to English poet and critic Matthew Arnold, "for passion, vehemence, and grief she had no equal since Byron." This passion is evident in the poetry she contributed to the collection (Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell) published by the Bronte sisters in 1846 under male pseudonyms in response to the prejudices of the time. Her passion reached far force, however, in her novel, Wuthering Heights. Bronte's novel defies easy classification. It is certainly a story of love, but just as certainly it is not a "love story". It is a psychological novel, but is so filled with hints of the supernatural and mystical that the reader is unsure of how much control the characters have over their own actions. It may seem to be a study of right and wrong, but is actually a study of good and evil. Above all, it is a novel of power and fierce intensity that has gripped readers for more than 100 years. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
Do not combine Emily with either or both of her sisters. Thank you.
Image credit: The only undisputed Emily's image.
Works by Emily Brontë
The Complete Novels: Agnes Grey / Jane Eyre / The Professor / Shirley / The Tenant of Wildfell Hall / Villette / Wuthering Heights (2012) 365 copies, 1 review
Agnes Grey / Jane Eyre / The Professor / The Tenant of Wildfell Hall / Villette / Wuthering Heights (2018) 37 copies
The Illustrated Letters of the Brontës: The Letters, Diaries and Writings of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë (2021) 25 copies, 1 review
Wuthering Heights / Agnes Grey / The Tenant of Wildfell Hall / The Professor (1980) — Author — 14 copies
The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Sixth Edition, Vol. 2/Wuthering Heights (1993) 13 copies
King Solomon's mines 10 copies
Reading & Training : Emily Brontë : Wuthering Heights {B2.2} [book + sound recording] (2003) — Writer — 9 copies
Wuthering Heights (Puffin in Bloom) 9 copies
Reading & Training : Emily Brontë : Wuthering Heights {C1} [book + sound recording] (2006) — Writer — 8 copies
The Brontë Sisters: The Complete Novels A Biography of the Author (The Greatest Writers of All Time) (2017) 6 copies
Wuthering Heights (BBC Classic Collection) A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation on four cassette tapes (1995) 5 copies
Classic British Fiction: The Bronte Family, all seven novels, the poetry, and 2 biographies, in a single file, improved 10/18/2009 (2008) 4 copies
Agnes Grey / The Professor / Poems 4 copies
Vilette / Jane Eyre / Shirley / The Tenant of Wildfell Hall / Agnes Grey / Wuthering Heights 4 copies
Classic British Love Stories: Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, Far from the Madding Crowd, and Jane Eyre (2016) 4 copies
Wuthering Heights (cd) 3 copies
Wuthering Heights, Agnes Grey, Poems 3 copies
Stormfulde højder, bind 1 3 copies
Stormfulde højder, bind 2 3 copies
The Norton Anthology of English 3 copies
Wuthering Heights (DK Classics) 2 copies
Wuthering Heights: film tie-in 2 copies
The Brontë Family Collection: Complete Works of Brontë Family (Annotated and Illustrated) (Annotated Classics) (2013) 2 copies
The Works of the Brontë Family 2 copies
Novels of the Sisters Bronte. Thornton Edition. In Twelve Volumes (Complete). Includes The Life of Charlotte Bronte (1905) — Author — 2 copies
Cime tempestose. Ediz. illustrata 2 copies
Wuthering Heights (Quick Reader 122) 2 copies
Selected poems 2 copies
Poesie 2 copies
Guthering Heights 2 copies
Jane Eyre 2 copies
Wuthering Heights, Part 1 2 copies
Grandes novelas de amor 1 copy
Tales of the Dark Romantics and Beyond: Tales of the Dark Romantics — Contributor — 1 copy
The Brontë Sisters Collection: Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Agnes Grey, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and Shirley (2020) 1 copy
Sturmhöhe 1 copy
La răscruce de vînturi 1 copy
WUTHERING HEIGHTS 1 copy
O morro dos ventos uivantes 1 copy
Wichrowe Wzgórza 1 copy
Works of The Bronte Sisters 1 copy
Poesie 1 copy
Stormfulde højder 1 copy
Novels by the Bronte sisters 1 copy
Bronte Sisters Archive 1 copy
The Penguin Brontë Sisters: Jane Eyre; Wuthering Heights; The Tenant of Wildfell Hall 1 copy, 1 review
La r♯scruce de v©Ønturi 1 copy
vl̲t szelek. [Regňy.] 1 copy
Грозовой перевал 1 copy
De oweste hoogte 1 copy
Wuthering Heights (Dover Thrift Editions) (Edition First Edition) by Emily Bront? [Paperback(1996] 1 copy
Cumbres Borrocosas 1 copy
Poètes d' Aujourd' Hui 1 copy
The Prisoner 1 copy
Fiche de lecture Les Hauts de Hurlevent (Analyse littéraire de référence et résumé complet) (French Edition) (2019) 1 copy
Novels of the Sisters Brontë 1 copy
La Materia de Gondal 1 copy
2006 1 copy
Las Flores de Gondal 1 copy
Two Poems 1 copy
Unknown Book 6097555 1 copy
Un'eco nella foresta 1 copy
Emily Brontë poems 1 copy
Wuthering Heights - BRO 1 copy
The Brontes 1 copy
No Coward Soul Is Mine 1 copy
SELECTED POEMS 1 copy
Kalnu aukas 1 copy
LARTËSITË E STUHISHME 1 copy
Associated Works
The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms (2000) — Contributor — 1,465 copies, 9 reviews
The Best Poems of the English Language: From Chaucer Through Robert Frost (2004) — Contributor — 1,244 copies, 3 reviews
Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama (1995) — Contributor, some editions — 1,011 copies, 7 reviews
Women in Praise of the Sacred: 43 Centuries of Spiritual Poetry by Women (1994) — Contributor — 382 copies, 5 reviews
The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 4th Edition, Volume 2 (1979) — Contributor — 269 copies, 1 review
The Graphic Canon, Vol. 2: From "Kubla Khan" to the Brontë Sisters to The Picture of Dorian Gray (2012) — Contributor — 212 copies, 2 reviews
Tales of Glass Town, Angria, and Gondal : Selected Writings (2010) — Contributor — 100 copies, 3 reviews
Poems Between Women: Four Centuries of Love, Romantic Friendship, and Desire (1997) — Contributor — 96 copies, 1 review
British Women Writers: An Anthology from the Fourteenth Century to the Present (1989) — Contributor — 61 copies, 1 review
The Darker Sex: Tales of the Supernatural and Macabre by Victorian Women Writers (2009) — Contributor — 55 copies, 2 reviews
Ladies of the Gothics: Tales of Romance and Terror by the Gentle Sex (1975) — Contributor — 48 copies, 1 review
The Professor to Which is Added the Poems of Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell (2009) — Author — 20 copies, 1 review
Jane Eyre/ Wuthering Heights/ Little Women/ Adam Bede/ Emma/ Pride and Prejudice (1990) — Contributor — 18 copies
The Afterlife of Frankenstein: A Century of Mad Science, Automata, and Monsters Inspired by Mary Shelley, 1818-1918 (Clockwork Editions) (2023) — Contributor — 12 copies
Oogst Der Tijden. keur uit de werken van schrijvers en dichters aller volken en eeuwen (1940) — Contributor — 12 copies
10 Penguin Classics on 45 CDs (The Mayor of Casterbridge, Pride & Prejudice, Great Expectations, Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, Crime & Punishment, Wuthering Heights, Northanger Abbey,… (2007) — Contributor — 9 copies, 1 review
Wuthering Heights [1978 TV mini series] — Original book — 7 copies
Die englische Literatur 08 in Text und Darstellung. 19. Jahrhundert 2 (1982) — Contributor — 5 copies
The Professor / Tales from Angria / Emma: A Fragment / Selected Poems by Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë (1954) — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Brontë, Emily
- Legal name
- Brontë, Emily Jane
- Other names
- Bell, Ellis (pseudonym)
- Birthdate
- 1818-07-30
- Date of death
- 1848-12-19
- Gender
- female
- Education
- private school, Brussels
at home
Pensionnat Heger, Brussels, Belgium
Miss Wooler's school - Occupations
- novelist
poet
writer
author
governess
teacher - Relationships
- Brontë, Anne (sister)
Brontë, Charlotte (sister)
Brontë, Branwell (brother)
Brontë, Reverend Patrick (father) - Short biography
- Emily Brontë was born in Yorkshire, England, one of the six children of Patrick Brontë, a clergyman, and his wife Maria Branwell. She and her siblings wrote fantastical stories together, creating imaginary worlds filled with romantic and military adventures.
At age 20, Emily worked briefly as a teacher before returning home to the parsonage at Haworth, where she continued to write poetry and fiction as well as doing much of the housework. In 1846, with her sisters Charlotte and Anne, under the pseudonym "Ellis Bell," she jointly published a volume of poems entitled Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. In 1847, she published her only novel, Wuthering Heights. She died the following year at age 30 of tuberculosis, a disease that plagued her family. - Cause of death
- tuberculosis
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Thornton, Yorkshire, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Thornton, Yorkshire, England, UK
Haworth, Yorkshire, England, UK
Brussels, Belgium
Halifax, Yorkshire, England, UK - Place of death
- Haworth, Yorkshire, England, UK
- Burial location
- Church of St Michael and All Angels, Haworth, West Yorkshire, England, UK
- Map Location
- England, UK
- Disambiguation notice
- Do not combine Emily with either or both of her sisters. Thank you.
Members
Discussions
Reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë in Book talk (May 29)
*Mar 14 2026 | Emily Brontë & Emily Dickinson: Two Poems on hope in The Poetry Collective (March 22)
A wrong corrected! in Pedants' corner (September 2024)
Wuthering Heights by Emile Bronte - BOOKS ILLUSTRATED 2017 in Fine Press Forum (January 2024)
November 2023: The Brontë Sisters in Monthly Author Reads (December 2023)
Wuthering Heights in Someone explain it to me... (January 2023)
Wuthering Heights in Gothic Literature (March 2018)
Defense of Heathcliff in The Brontës (March 2014)
Best Bronte Quote? in The Brontës (January 2014)
Jane Eyre/Wuthering Heights in Books Compared (March 2013)
September: Bronte: Wuthering Heights in Monthly Author Reads (January 2011)
Reviews
How can I find and put together the suitable words and write a review about one of the most iconic creations in World Literature? One of those books that provoke such intense feelings that either you worship them or you utterly hate them. There is no middle ground. Every year, I revisit Wuthering Heights for two reasons. First, it is one of my personal Christmas traditions and secondly, I prepare extracts to use in class for my intermediate level students. This year, I finally felt confident show more enough to write a text. I will not call it a review, but a summary of what this masterpiece means for me, what I feel each time I gaze upon its title.
I was 12 when my mother made me a special gift. (I have a mother that gave me a book about self-destructive love and a father that gave me Crime and Punishment a year later. I know, they rock!) It was a thick volume with a dark cover. A cover as black as the night scene it depicted. A young couple running in the moors against the wind, and a black, foreboding mansion looming in the background. To this day, that cherished Greek edition of Emily's only novel is the most beautiful I've ever seen. I read it in a single day. I remember it was a windy day, a summer torrent rain that lasted all afternoon. It left me speechless. It shaped me. It shaped my reading preferences, it shaped my love for eerie, dark, doomed, haunting stories with twisted anti-heroes. It even shaped the choice of my profession.
When I was 15, one of the best teachers I've ever had gave us a project. She divided us into groups and asked us to make a presentation of our favourite book. She put me in a group with two classmates. Such kind and charming souls they were but would never open a book if their lives depended on it. I didn't care, I was happy because I'd get to choose the book. We left our teacher crying buckets in the classroom, marking a heroic A on our papers. During the 3rd year in university, we had to complete individual assignments. I'll let you guess the theme and the book I chose. My professor had to interrupt me at some point, kindly but firmly. ''Yes, thank you, Amalia, this is great, but there are others waiting, you know.'' Were they? Anyway, you get the point. My level of obsession with this novel equal Heathcliff's obsession with Cathy.
Emily Brontë's novel may not be for everyone. It doesn't matter. Nothing is for everyone. But, she has created an eternal tale -or nightmare- of a love that is destructive, dark, twisted and stranger than all the other sweet, lovey-dovey stories that have been written. She has created one of the most iconic couples in Literature, she has provided the first and finest example of the Anti-hero in the face of Heathcliff. She has ruined many girls' expectations, because who wouldn't want to be loved as fiercely as Cathy was? (For years, my notion of the ideal man was Ralph Fiennes as Heathcliff in the 1992 film. The best adaptation of the novel, with Juliette Binoche as Cathy) How many writers who have written only one novel can claim to have accomplished all these?
One of the reasons I became a teacher was to have the opportunity to teach this book. It is my greatest satisfaction when I see its impact on my teenage students. They are familiar with the bleak and twisted tales of our times, nothing shocks them anymore. They love it unanimously, it is a rare case where boys and girls love the same book equally. So, mission accomplished.
''I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!'' For me, this book is my soul. It lies there, making the question ''What is your favourite book?'' the easiest ever.
P.S. Please, God, when I die, put me in a sector where I can meet Emily. You can keep Shakespeare, Austin, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. I prefer long talks with a disturbed, fragile, wild girl... show less
I was 12 when my mother made me a special gift. (I have a mother that gave me a book about self-destructive love and a father that gave me Crime and Punishment a year later. I know, they rock!) It was a thick volume with a dark cover. A cover as black as the night scene it depicted. A young couple running in the moors against the wind, and a black, foreboding mansion looming in the background. To this day, that cherished Greek edition of Emily's only novel is the most beautiful I've ever seen. I read it in a single day. I remember it was a windy day, a summer torrent rain that lasted all afternoon. It left me speechless. It shaped me. It shaped my reading preferences, it shaped my love for eerie, dark, doomed, haunting stories with twisted anti-heroes. It even shaped the choice of my profession.
When I was 15, one of the best teachers I've ever had gave us a project. She divided us into groups and asked us to make a presentation of our favourite book. She put me in a group with two classmates. Such kind and charming souls they were but would never open a book if their lives depended on it. I didn't care, I was happy because I'd get to choose the book. We left our teacher crying buckets in the classroom, marking a heroic A on our papers. During the 3rd year in university, we had to complete individual assignments. I'll let you guess the theme and the book I chose. My professor had to interrupt me at some point, kindly but firmly. ''Yes, thank you, Amalia, this is great, but there are others waiting, you know.'' Were they? Anyway, you get the point. My level of obsession with this novel equal Heathcliff's obsession with Cathy.
Emily Brontë's novel may not be for everyone. It doesn't matter. Nothing is for everyone. But, she has created an eternal tale -or nightmare- of a love that is destructive, dark, twisted and stranger than all the other sweet, lovey-dovey stories that have been written. She has created one of the most iconic couples in Literature, she has provided the first and finest example of the Anti-hero in the face of Heathcliff. She has ruined many girls' expectations, because who wouldn't want to be loved as fiercely as Cathy was? (For years, my notion of the ideal man was Ralph Fiennes as Heathcliff in the 1992 film. The best adaptation of the novel, with Juliette Binoche as Cathy) How many writers who have written only one novel can claim to have accomplished all these?
One of the reasons I became a teacher was to have the opportunity to teach this book. It is my greatest satisfaction when I see its impact on my teenage students. They are familiar with the bleak and twisted tales of our times, nothing shocks them anymore. They love it unanimously, it is a rare case where boys and girls love the same book equally. So, mission accomplished.
''I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!'' For me, this book is my soul. It lies there, making the question ''What is your favourite book?'' the easiest ever.
P.S. Please, God, when I die, put me in a sector where I can meet Emily. You can keep Shakespeare, Austin, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. I prefer long talks with a disturbed, fragile, wild girl... show less
I enjoyed my second visit to “Wuthering Heights” more than the first. This is partly because my first read was spread out over 4 –6 weeks (I think in 2005, though it could’ve been a couple of years either way), whereas my second read took 6 days, commencing from Emily Brontë’s 200th birthday, which is why I thought I’d give it another look.
I was also less enthused during my first read because I'd previously watched numerous adaptations of “Wuthering Heights” over the years, show more with all but one (which I saw after reading the novel) skipping much, if not all, of the story’s second half.
In short, my expectations were that this tale would revolve around Cathy and Heathcliff’s unique relationship. In a sense it does (won’t add more in case I spoil things for anyone), but from about halfway through, we see other characters emerge who rarely appear in most screen adaptations.
Another pre-reading influence was Kate Bush's song “Wuthering Heights”, which I’ve always loved, and this also made me think the main theme would be Heathcliff and Cathy’s passion for each other. Therefore, during my first read I felt a little disappointed that their relationship wasn’t as emphasised as expected.
When I approached “Wuthering Heights” for a second time, I knew what to expect, though after such a long gap since I first read it, I’d naturally forgotten a lot, especially events in the second half. This is by no means a beautiful love story, but rather a bleak tale of sadness, loneliness, loss, cruelty, and misery, yet it’s not entirely devoid of hope.
I admire how the author structured the narrative. It’s multi-first person, predominantly told by Nelly and Mr Lockwood, with smaller parts filled in by other characters. It all blends in very well together, and what makes the narrative’s construction even more impressive is that it’s not strictly linear. This type of thing can often prove messy, but Emily Brontë handles it smoothly.
One review I saw criticises “Wuthering Heights” for have no sense of place. This I must disagree with. In fact, I consider the sense of place as one of the book’s great strengths. I could vividly “see” the moors, the landscape, plus the rooms at the Heights and at the Grange.
My only real criticism is Joseph’s dialogue. Although I’m a Yorkshireman myself, much of Joseph’s broad dialect took some understanding – and the odd phrase I couldn’t fathom out – and overall his dialogue really slows the narrative down. I imagine anyone outside of Yorkshire – and even more so anyone outside of England – would have immense trouble understanding Joseph.
An interesting aspect to this story is of course the supernatural element. I suspect anyone who hasn’t read this book has at least seen an adaptation where, at the end, Cathy and Heathcliff reunite after death.
I was actually disappointed this wasn’t developed to a similar extent in the book, as it’s something special in the well-done adaptations where we see these thwarted lovers reunited. In the novel, however, their reunion is more of a casual reference. It's still a poignant moment – or moments – though, and reading it for the second time I appreciated it more than the first.
We also see Mr Lockwood endure a supernatural encounter at a window early on, which is one of my favourite scenes, and an important one.
I don’t always appreciate the supernatural seeping in to novels that are essentially “real life”, but in this case, the supernatural parts not only feel believable, they also add hope to a tragic story. Without the afterlife moments, “Wuthering Heights” wouldn’t hit the mark in the same way. The ending would’ve been too depressing. As it is, we’re left with hope for the living and for the dead.
While I feel Heathcliff and Cathy’s story is the novel most appealing element, I do like the story which revolves around the new characters featured in the second half, and how they interact with Heathcliff’s deceptive and despicable nature. In fact, my favourite character is the younger Catherine. She, along with Hareton and Isabella, are the three who I feel the most sympathy towards.
Most of the misery in this story stems from Heathcliff’s actions, though the likes of Hindley and Joseph don’t exactly spread light into the world. It’s hard to feel sympathy for many of the characters because of their selfishness and unkindness.
It’s debateable whether Cathy is more selfish than Heathcliff. Despite Heathcliff affecting more people’s lives for the worst, much – if not all – of this is through Cathy and her brother Hindley’s treatment of Heathcliff during his youth. While Hindley causes Heathcliff physical and mental torment, Cathy's brand of mental anguish is surely worse. I don’t think Cathy does this deliberately, as she’s too self-absorbed to realise how her motives will devastate Heathcliff.
The younger Catherine comes across as selfish and haughty many times, but I like her because deep down she has a good heart and she’s a bright character in a dark world. She’s horrible to poor Hareton, who deserves better, yet she goes out of her way to help Linton, who doesn’t deserve her attention.
Linton, in my opinion, is the most detestable character of all. Granted, some of his behaviour is owing to Heathcliff’s influence, but at heart Linton is a spineless, self-obsessed creature.
Heathcliff, whatever you think of him, is a fascinating character. The whole story pretty much revolves around his treatment of others, and how others treat or perceive him. He has that “lost soul” element about him, with his origins shrouded in mystery. I commend the author for creating such a vivid and memorable character.
I originally rated “Wuthering Heights” four stars when I added it to my Goodreads shelf in 2013. This was based on reading it circa 2005. After finishing it again in August 2018, I felt four stars was a fair rating; however, the characters and various scenes from the book have stayed with in the subsequent days.
Not many novels have this type of potency to “haunt” me, so on reflection, I feel “Wuthering Heights” deserves five stars. show less
I was also less enthused during my first read because I'd previously watched numerous adaptations of “Wuthering Heights” over the years, show more with all but one (which I saw after reading the novel) skipping much, if not all, of the story’s second half.
In short, my expectations were that this tale would revolve around Cathy and Heathcliff’s unique relationship. In a sense it does (won’t add more in case I spoil things for anyone), but from about halfway through, we see other characters emerge who rarely appear in most screen adaptations.
Another pre-reading influence was Kate Bush's song “Wuthering Heights”, which I’ve always loved, and this also made me think the main theme would be Heathcliff and Cathy’s passion for each other. Therefore, during my first read I felt a little disappointed that their relationship wasn’t as emphasised as expected.
When I approached “Wuthering Heights” for a second time, I knew what to expect, though after such a long gap since I first read it, I’d naturally forgotten a lot, especially events in the second half. This is by no means a beautiful love story, but rather a bleak tale of sadness, loneliness, loss, cruelty, and misery, yet it’s not entirely devoid of hope.
I admire how the author structured the narrative. It’s multi-first person, predominantly told by Nelly and Mr Lockwood, with smaller parts filled in by other characters. It all blends in very well together, and what makes the narrative’s construction even more impressive is that it’s not strictly linear. This type of thing can often prove messy, but Emily Brontë handles it smoothly.
One review I saw criticises “Wuthering Heights” for have no sense of place. This I must disagree with. In fact, I consider the sense of place as one of the book’s great strengths. I could vividly “see” the moors, the landscape, plus the rooms at the Heights and at the Grange.
My only real criticism is Joseph’s dialogue. Although I’m a Yorkshireman myself, much of Joseph’s broad dialect took some understanding – and the odd phrase I couldn’t fathom out – and overall his dialogue really slows the narrative down. I imagine anyone outside of Yorkshire – and even more so anyone outside of England – would have immense trouble understanding Joseph.
An interesting aspect to this story is of course the supernatural element. I suspect anyone who hasn’t read this book has at least seen an adaptation where, at the end, Cathy and Heathcliff reunite after death.
I was actually disappointed this wasn’t developed to a similar extent in the book, as it’s something special in the well-done adaptations where we see these thwarted lovers reunited. In the novel, however, their reunion is more of a casual reference. It's still a poignant moment – or moments – though, and reading it for the second time I appreciated it more than the first.
We also see Mr Lockwood endure a supernatural encounter at a window early on, which is one of my favourite scenes, and an important one.
I don’t always appreciate the supernatural seeping in to novels that are essentially “real life”, but in this case, the supernatural parts not only feel believable, they also add hope to a tragic story. Without the afterlife moments, “Wuthering Heights” wouldn’t hit the mark in the same way. The ending would’ve been too depressing. As it is, we’re left with hope for the living and for the dead.
While I feel Heathcliff and Cathy’s story is the novel most appealing element, I do like the story which revolves around the new characters featured in the second half, and how they interact with Heathcliff’s deceptive and despicable nature. In fact, my favourite character is the younger Catherine. She, along with Hareton and Isabella, are the three who I feel the most sympathy towards.
Most of the misery in this story stems from Heathcliff’s actions, though the likes of Hindley and Joseph don’t exactly spread light into the world. It’s hard to feel sympathy for many of the characters because of their selfishness and unkindness.
It’s debateable whether Cathy is more selfish than Heathcliff. Despite Heathcliff affecting more people’s lives for the worst, much – if not all – of this is through Cathy and her brother Hindley’s treatment of Heathcliff during his youth. While Hindley causes Heathcliff physical and mental torment, Cathy's brand of mental anguish is surely worse. I don’t think Cathy does this deliberately, as she’s too self-absorbed to realise how her motives will devastate Heathcliff.
The younger Catherine comes across as selfish and haughty many times, but I like her because deep down she has a good heart and she’s a bright character in a dark world. She’s horrible to poor Hareton, who deserves better, yet she goes out of her way to help Linton, who doesn’t deserve her attention.
Linton, in my opinion, is the most detestable character of all. Granted, some of his behaviour is owing to Heathcliff’s influence, but at heart Linton is a spineless, self-obsessed creature.
Heathcliff, whatever you think of him, is a fascinating character. The whole story pretty much revolves around his treatment of others, and how others treat or perceive him. He has that “lost soul” element about him, with his origins shrouded in mystery. I commend the author for creating such a vivid and memorable character.
I originally rated “Wuthering Heights” four stars when I added it to my Goodreads shelf in 2013. This was based on reading it circa 2005. After finishing it again in August 2018, I felt four stars was a fair rating; however, the characters and various scenes from the book have stayed with in the subsequent days.
Not many novels have this type of potency to “haunt” me, so on reflection, I feel “Wuthering Heights” deserves five stars. show less
Definitely the more interesting book out of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, and in my opinion, better in almost every way. The characters are much deeper and more interesting, the setting is better written, with a lot of mystique, the themes are more gray and I liked the prose more.
Heathcliff is a fascinating villain. Utterly depraved and unpredictable, which made for good reading, but also empathetic. You get such a deep glimpse into his character by following him from a child, and the show more moments he opens up to Nelly are heartbreaking.
This book is twisted. I wish Emily Bronte had more content to dig into because this one was fascinating. I haven't really read another book quite like it. show less
Heathcliff is a fascinating villain. Utterly depraved and unpredictable, which made for good reading, but also empathetic. You get such a deep glimpse into his character by following him from a child, and the show more moments he opens up to Nelly are heartbreaking.
This book is twisted. I wish Emily Bronte had more content to dig into because this one was fascinating. I haven't really read another book quite like it. show less
I anticipated an insipid romance: it was that, but not for reasons expected. Rather than mawkish and treacly behaviour, Heathcliff & Catherine display a wholly unexpected level of obsession (devotion?) to one another, contrary to any evidence of tender feeling or even physical attraction. Not only are they not doe-eyed in their expressions or interactions, each instead appears manic and possessive, verging on feral, and I am mystified as to what either sees in or feels for the other.
Beyond show more that central mystery, this is a bat-shit crazy novel. Perennial criticisms of genre fiction (which typically I consider unfair generalizations) legitimately apply here: the plot is preposterous; most everyone is cynical if not sadistic in behavior to one another; coincidence triumphs over reasonable expectation at every turn. How Brontë's novel came to be regarded as a Classic is frankly dumbfounding. How it came to be shorthand for Gothic Romance, is equally mystifying. Perhaps Heathcliff's & Catherine's obsessive devotion in the face of (what they apparently perceive to be) universal approbation by their peers and elders underwrites so many readers' love for these two. It only left me cold.
I do have some faint curiosity regarding Brontë's motives for writing the novel. Was this a cautionary tale? If so, whom did she expect to reach? The story involves mean-spirited people behaving selfishly at every turn with scarcely an empathetic character to be found. And then, Brontë chose to relay the story in perhaps the most convoluted way possible, as though recounting a soap opera family drama from the vantage of the mail carrier, and chronologically backward. (I freely acknowledge the "mail carrier", Lockwood, to be an hysterical character study worth the price of admission. To be accurate, however, he is merely the secretary, taking dictation from Nelly Deal, the house gossip who recounts him the tale over her knitting.)
It occurs to me my reaction here is similar to what I've read others describe in reference to The Catcher In The Rye. I find Holden Caulfield infinitely more sympathetic and relatable.
//
Reading presented an excuse to re-acquaint myself with the Kate Bush single: was the song perhaps critical of the couple? No, not a bit. Kate was 18, and apparently genuinely impressed with Heathcliff and Cathy. The vignette she captures in the lyric is the best part of the novel, and ignores the swaths I find so exasperating. Oh well, a good tune, but I found it wholly disconnected from my experience of the book. show less
Beyond show more that central mystery, this is a bat-shit crazy novel. Perennial criticisms of genre fiction (which typically I consider unfair generalizations) legitimately apply here: the plot is preposterous; most everyone is cynical if not sadistic in behavior to one another; coincidence triumphs over reasonable expectation at every turn. How Brontë's novel came to be regarded as a Classic is frankly dumbfounding. How it came to be shorthand for Gothic Romance, is equally mystifying. Perhaps Heathcliff's & Catherine's obsessive devotion in the face of (what they apparently perceive to be) universal approbation by their peers and elders underwrites so many readers' love for these two. It only left me cold.
I do have some faint curiosity regarding Brontë's motives for writing the novel. Was this a cautionary tale? If so, whom did she expect to reach? The story involves mean-spirited people behaving selfishly at every turn with scarcely an empathetic character to be found. And then, Brontë chose to relay the story in perhaps the most convoluted way possible, as though recounting a soap opera family drama from the vantage of the mail carrier, and chronologically backward. (I freely acknowledge the "mail carrier", Lockwood, to be an hysterical character study worth the price of admission. To be accurate, however, he is merely the secretary, taking dictation from Nelly Deal, the house gossip who recounts him the tale over her knitting.)
It occurs to me my reaction here is similar to what I've read others describe in reference to The Catcher In The Rye. I find Holden Caulfield infinitely more sympathetic and relatable.
//
Reading presented an excuse to re-acquaint myself with the Kate Bush single: was the song perhaps critical of the couple? No, not a bit. Kate was 18, and apparently genuinely impressed with Heathcliff and Cathy. The vignette she captures in the lyric is the best part of the novel, and ignores the swaths I find so exasperating. Oh well, a good tune, but I found it wholly disconnected from my experience of the book. show less
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