Wuthering Heights is a story set up in the late 18th century in rural the Yorkshire moors in rural England. The story follows the lives of people living in Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange households. The main protagonist of the story, Heathcliff and Catherine belong to Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff is a homeless child, bought home by Catherine’s father, who is hated by everyone except Catherine and his father. Both of them grew together and developed a fondness for each other.
Later, in the story, Catherine has to stay in Thrushcross Grange for few weeks where she is introduced to Linton’s. Catherine’s desire for social advancement made her choose Edgar Linton over Heathcliff. Over this heartbreak, Heathcliff left home and returns a few years later as a wealthy man. Heathcliff is now full of revenge. The rest of the story follows how he takes this revenge, not only with the folks who wronged him but also with the generation that succeeds them.
My experience
This book has been a favorite of all the classic book lovers and was in my TBR for quite so long. I picked this book in April as part of a book club I am in. After reading this I would say I was not expecting this. This book is too dark, with extremely horrid and unlikable characters. One of the reasons I love classics because of the feel-good factor that I get from old times, slow living, people being more morally upright and living consciously. It does imbibe a belief in the goodness of mankind, but this book was quite the opposite.
I would say Emily Bronte has a weird sense of romance. Both Catherine and Heathcliff are great lovers but both did horrid things to each other, spoiling each other’s life. Heathcliff’s idea of revenge is also quite weird. How can one hold the grudge to the next generation and make them suffer for what their parents did? Catherine is equally irritating and too dramatic.
The next generation that followed is also like them. They are better than their predecessor and you feel sorry for them at times, but morally and character-wise they are none better than their predecessors. Young Catherine is too haughty and proud. Linton is such a ninny, I was surprised how Catherine fell in love with him. Hareton is just too crude and the most wronged person in the whole story.
The whole story has been told by Nelly who is a domestic help in the household of Wuthering Heights. I think the only likable character if there is one in the story, is her. She bears all the dramas of her master through all her life. I sometimes felt that it’s all the rich people only who have time to do all this drama, the worker class is just too busy earning wages and clearing the mess of the rich folks.
But still, I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend it too and the reason is that the execution of the story is amazing. Emily Bronte has done an amazing job in projecting the dark sides of human nature. And the language of the book is beautiful. I won’t say it is the easiest to follow, and I think beginners may find it difficult if they are new to the classics. I also took my own sweet time to finish this book, even though I consider myself an average to the fast reader. But if you like dark books, and if you like classics and if you like good literature, then this book is for you.
Be First to Comment