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I have decided that I want to read all of the classics. This is a personal goal that I am setting for myself. A classic is defined as a book accepted as being exemplary or noteworthy (wikipedia.org). I decided to start with Wuthering Heights because this book was chosen for April’s Coffee and a Classic title. I purchased a subscription box (Coffee and a Classic) for one of my dearest friends for her birthday. This is a cool subscription box that sends subscribers a classic book, coffee or tea, and bookish items each month. Check it out here: https://www.coffeeandaclassic.com/
I was able to snag myself a literary classic copy of Wuthering Heights from Worzalla Publishing where my dad works. This is a beautiful book. Thank you dad!
If I were to describe Wuthering Heights in three words, I would use:
Dark
Depressing
Romantic
I was pretty certain that I had read Wuthering Heights in high school. When I started the book, I quickly realized that I have never actually read it. I must have started it but became discouraged and stopped reading it. Wuthering Heights is not an easy book to read. It was written in 1847 by Emily Bronte. The old English dialect is difficult to work through. I will admit that I had to look up chapter descriptions after reading various chapters because I was confused with what I read. This wasn’t true for all of the chapters. I found the first few chapters particularly difficult to understand. I think this is because the story starts out with Mr. Lockwood as the narrator. Mr. Lockwood is a new tenant of Heathcliff, one of the main characters of the story. After a few chapters the narrator switches to the perspective of Nelly Dean, a housekeeper, and is easier to follow. Another character, Joseph (one of Heathcliff’s housekeepers), is hard to understand. The way that he talks is difficult to read.
The premise of the story involves the lives of three main characters, Catherine, Linton, and Heathcliff. It is a timeless tale of a deeply depressing love triangle. Catherine is in love with Heathcliff, but is also in love with Linton. A famous quote from the book sums up Catherine’s feelings: “My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I’m well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff!”
It is thought that Wuthering Heights is actually written in two parts. The first half of the book centers around Catherine, Linton and Heathcliff. Halfway through the novel, the story switches to three new characters Cathy (Catherine and Linton’s daughter), Linton (Isabella and Heathcliff’s son), and Hareton (Earnshaw, Catherine’s brother’s son). The names are confusing because several of the characters share the same name.
I found the story rather dramatic and depressing. Many of the characters die and have “over-the-top” emotions. There is a lot of anger, illness, drama, and death. I think this is because of what the author, Emily Bronte, experienced in her own life. Emily Bronte was one of five children. Her mother died in 1821 and Emily had to watch two of her sisters die of tuberculosis. Emily later succumbed to tuberculosis and died of it herself in 1848. While Emily was alive she read and wrote extensively, along with her two surviving sisters, Charlotte and Anne, and her brother Branwell. (poets.org)
Even though Wuthering Heights was dark and depressing, I feel like it was a worthwhile read. I enjoy a challenging novel and Wuthering Heights definitely delivered. I am excited to continue my journey with more classical literature.
Purchase a copy of Wuthering Heights here: Wuthering Heights: The Original 1847 First Edition
alexandria hoeft 