I have wanted to read ‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Brontë for many years now. Finally I got a chance to read it last week. The story of ‘Wuthering Heights’ starts with a man called Mr.Lockwood, who is also the narrator of the story, renting a house called Thrushcross Grange, in the countryside. The owner of the house is Mr.Heathcliff who lives a few miles away in a house called Wuthering Heights. Lockwood tries to become friends with Heathcliff but finds that Heathcliff is a difficult man to talk to. He discovers a young man and a young woman who live in Heathcliff’s house and learns that the young man is the son of the former master of Wuthering Heights, while the young woman is Heathcliff’s daughter-in-law. No one tells him anything else. One evening, while Lockwood is resting at home, because he is unwell and the weather is cold, he asks his housekeeper Ellen Dean, about Heathcliff and his family. It turns out that Ellen Dean knows Heathcliff since the time he came to Wuthering Heights as a child. So Ellen starts telling the story of Heathcliff and Hindley and Catherine, with herself as a childhood playmate of these three. She describes the childhood rivalry between Hindley and Heathcliff, about Heathcliff’s and Catherine’s love for each other, how Catherine chooses to marry Linton because that is socially more appropriate, how Heathcliff hates Hindley and Linton and disappears from Wuthering Heights only to come back a few years later and extract his revenge on them and how he carries on his revenge-taking to the next generation and what happens after that.
I found ‘Wuthering Heights’ quite dark and intense. There were a few sunny, happy scenes in the beginning and throughout the book, but most of the time it was dark and intense. The part of the book where Heathcliff returns back to Wuthering Heights and proceeds to ruin the lives of Hindley and the Lintons was quite sad and tragic. I didn’t have many favourite characters in the story – I disliked Heathcliff because he is really a man with a dark heart and I didn’t like Catherine or Hindley either. Edgar Linton was not bad. Probably the younger Catherine was my favourite character in the story. Maybe Hareton was nice too. The narrator of the story, Lockwood, and Ellen Dean who narrates Heathcliff’s story to Lockwood, were likeable, though they didn’t have a major part to play in the story. At some point I despaired on whether the atmosphere of the book will change, and whether a ray of sunshine will come out. It happened on page 360 of the book (the book had 395 pages). So sunshine did come out after 90% of the story was over and things turned out better for the younger Catherine, Hareton and Ellen Dean. I was happy when I read the last 10% of the book.
The book reminded me of an old Tamil movie that I have seen. It is called ‘Avargal’ (it had Rajinikanth and Sujatha in lead roles). In that movie a husband and a wife get because they are not able to get along well. The wife moves to a different city with her kid and starts working in a new company. She meets a guy there and falls in love with him. The husband follows her and meets her again and tries to be nice to her, and when the wife likes the new guy, he prevents her from taking it forward. He keeps on putting roadblocks to happiness in her life and when the wife discovers that it is too late. When she asks him why he is torturing her he replies that he liked torturing her because it gave him a lot of pleasure and he wants her to be miserable and didn’t want to see her happy ever. It was a very dark movie and one hated the character played by Rajinikanth after watching the movie. Heathcliff reminded me of that role – someone who always tries to be nasty and makes the other person miserable and takes pleasure out of it. At some point in the beginning he seems to have some reason for it, but later when he tries to take it out on the next generation it feels too nasty.
I read a little bit about Emily Brontë, after reading the book. It was sad that she died young – she was just thirty years old. I felt very sad when I read that. I also read that Emily Brontë alongwith her sisters Charlotte, Anne and brother Branwell had a literary club at home and used to write poems, novels and publish a newsletter which the family read. In an era, when there was no internet or telephone or email or music system or film and when avenues of entertainment or intellectual pursuits were limited and when the lives of women were restricted, it was wonderful to know that the Brontës lives a rich inner life, intellectually, culturally and literarily. It is amazing that it takes so little to live a rich inner life and create beautiful works of art, if one puts one’s mind to it, but it is so difficult in the modern age to realize that, looking at the way we are tied down by the telephone and the email and the internet and the other myriad trappings of modern life.
I want to read Emily Brontë’s sister Charlotte Brontë’s ‘Jane Eyre’ next.
I will leave you with two of my favourite passages from the book.
“You shouldn’t lie till ten. There’s the very prime of the morning gone long before that time. A person who has not done one half his day’s work by ten o’clock, runs a chance of leaving the other half undone.”
(Comment : This passage made me smile, because I remembered listening to nearly these exact lines in a Luis Buñuel movie called ‘Diary of a Chambermaid’. It is amazing how two unrelated works of art can have exactly the same dialogue. My mind also thought – Did Buñuel get inspired by Emily Brontë’s lines? Or was this a common sentiment which was expressed by everyone during that era?).
‘He said the pleasantest manner of spending a hot July day was lying from morning till evening on a bank of heath in the middle of the moors, with the bees humming dreamily about among the bloom, and the larks singing high up over head, and the blue sky, and bright sun shining steadily and cloudlessly. That was his most perfect idea of heaven’s happiness – mine was rocking in a rustling green tree, with a west wind blowing, and bright, white clouds flitting rapidly above; and not only larks, but throstles, and blackbirds, and linnets, and cuckoos pouring out music on every side, and the moors seen at a distance, broken into cool dusky dells; but close by great swells of long grass undulating in waves to the breeze, and woods and sounding water, and the whole world awake and wild with joy. He wanted all to lie in an ecstasy of peace; I wanted all to sparkle, and dance in a glorious jubilee.
‘I said his heaven would be only half alive, and he said mine would be drunk; I said I should fall asleep in his, and he said he could not breathe in mine, and began to grow snappish. At last, we agreed to try both as soon as the right weather came;
Have you read Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights’? What do you think about it?
Great review, Vishy!
I read the book a few years ago and loved it, just like I loved Jane Eyre.
A tragic love story, death, drama, revenge, all set in Victorian times – the perfect combination as far as I’m concerned. While Heathcliff did appear as the villain in the story, I could not help but sympathize with him. To love with such a intensity only to be cast aside because of social norms, to go through life never finding peace, always mourning the loved one, I can think of no greater punishment…
I like the beautiful quotes you have selected. Here’s one which stayed with me ever since I read the book:
“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”
Glad to know that you liked the review, Delia. I sympathized with Heathcliff in the first part of the story and even at the beginning of the second part when he comes back, but after that seeing his subsequent actions, I found it difficult to do that. But I can understand the agony he must have gone through for his whole life. I liked very much the line you have quoted – I remember that scene where Catherine says this to Ellen. That was one of my favourite conversations in the story.
Wonderful review, Vishy. I once read a book on psychology and Wuthering Heights was quoted as the model for an unhealthy relationship. Addictive romnace which is the contrary of true love, as the book stated. I thought it did make sense. I loved it in my teens but I have no idea how I would like it now. I don’t think Jane Eyre was this dark. I think Branwell must also have been the model for this book. He was a very self-destructive alcoholic. I have a few books on the Brontës that I should read. They are such a fascinating family. I’d like to read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall next. And Villette… As always, too many plans, not enough time. Did you get out of your reading slump?
Nice to know that you liked ‘Wuthering Heights’ when you read it, Caroline. I should read ‘Jane Eyre’ soon and compare it with this. I liked that phrase ‘addictive romance’ 🙂 It is sad that Branwell was an alcoholic and was probably the model for this book. I want to read ‘Villette’ too, after I read ‘Jane Eyre’. I think I have got out of my reading slump. Thanks for asking. I am still reading slim volumes, but am hoping to tackle one of the bigger books soon.
I’ve also wanted to read Wuthering Heights for a long time. I even have a fancy hardback version with illustrations. It’s quite a lovely book, but I lost interest in reading it shortly after I got it. I think I gave it to my mother to use as a decoration. Maybe I should ask for it back.
Hope you get to read ‘Wuthering Heights’ and like it, M—–l. Will look forward to hearing your thoughts on it. I liked very much your description of the edition you have – I love hardback editions with illustrations. There was a time when the library here used to stock editions like that – red cover with gold lettering and colour illustrations through the book. I don’t know whether they print editions like that these days.
lovely review Vishy I have to admit the fact I ve not read this Victorian fiction apart from Dickens is a large weak spot for me ,I have seen the film of this a couple of times ,all the best stu
Nice to know that you liked the film version of ‘Wuthering Heights’, Stu. I want to watch that sometime.
I don’t blame you for liking the last 10% of it. I actually read the Penguin Red edition too and found the fonts most conducive for the eye, but alas! such misery, such pain. I don’t think I’ll read this again! I hope you like Jane Eyre better.
Penguin Red editions are so nice, aren’t they? 🙂 I am hoping to read ‘Jane Eyre’ soon. I read it once when I was a child, but have forgotten most of the story. I read an interview by Australian writer Emily Maguire in which she said some interesting and inspiring things about ‘Jane Eyre’. I want to read the book now and find out whether I agree with her.
I’ve never been able to love Wuthering Heights the way I want to love it. Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books in the world — really the adult novel I’ve loved the longest, if not necessarily the absolute number one best — and I wanted Wuthering Heights to be just as awesome. But it just isn’t. Jane Eyre just is better. I hope you love love love Jane Eyre!
Sorry to know that you didn’t like ‘Wuthering Heights’ the way you would have wanted to. Your thoughts on ‘Jane Eyre’ makes me want to read it now! Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Vishy,
Wuthering Heights left me depressed and morose, but I couldn’t really hate it, it was so well written.
I loved your review, and how you drew comparison with a Tamil movie. All your reviews have a very personal touch to them. Would love to read more… Following you now!
I started my own book review blog recently, would you please come and have a look?
http://riversihaveknown.wordpress.com/
It’s quite new, but i am working hard on it
Please leave your feedback, and if you like it, Please please follow. looking forward to having you over regularly!
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Thanks for stopping by, Amritorupa. Nice to know that you liked ‘Wuthering Heights’ eventhough it left you depressed. Glad to know that you like my reviews. Thanks for sharing the link to your blog. I will go over and visit your blog soon.
Thank you for visiting, Vishy. please follow.
I don’t really like Victorian literature centered around roles of women in society and such. It’s why I didn’t like Jane Eyre, even though I pretty much read it three times through. I liked your review, though, so despite myself, I will give Wuthering Heights a try!
Really? So you are not really a Jane Austen fan, are you? It is really surprising for me to know that 🙂 Hope you get to read ‘Wuthering Heights’ and like it. Will look forward to hearing your thoughts, whenever you get around to reading it.
Great review Vishy, so happy you liked Wuthering Heights! Definitely a dark, brooding book, I remember being fascinated by it. Probably because we had to do a critical analysis of its characters as well and our teacher was really good too! 🙂 But yes it is one of my all time favorite books and one of the few I will read again 🙂
Thanks for nudging me to read ‘Wuthering Heights’, Birdy 🙂 Otherwise I would have procrastinated like I did for so long. It is wonderful to read and study a novel with a wonderful teacher. I miss my student days being inspired by wonderful teachers.
I loved wuthering heights! I’ve been wanting to read it for a while now as it has inspired a lot of authors books I have read and seems to get mentioned a lot in the books I love. I loved this book because I am an addict for the intensity of love in these stories. Although I think heathcliff and catherines love for eachother is their only redeeming quality. But I still love them and to experience a love as that I can’t wait x
Great review, Vishy.
I read Wuthering Heights when I was a teenager and loved it then. When I reread it recently, I found myself getting irritated by Heathcliff and Cathy. I suppose either the book doesn’t stand up to rereading, or I have changed significantly in my reading like/dislike. I suspect the former.
I do love the idea of a book club and a newsletter within the family. Such a charming idea. They must have all inspired each other so much. I wonder how much they influenced each other in their plot and character ideas.
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