Wuthering Heights (Oxford World's Classics)

I loved Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and I can say without a doubt that I loved Wuthering Heights just as much. The Bronte sisters are so talented! I hope to read something by Anne Bronte, the less well known sister, too. Wuthering Heights is about a destructive and consuming love between Heathcliff, an orphan who comes to the mansion of Wuthering Heights, and Cathy, the daughter of the wealthy family that takes him in. They are drawn together as soon as they meet. The novel is narrated partly by Mr. Lockwood, a tenant who meets Heathcliff many years later. His housekeeper, Mrs. Dean, tells him about the events that happened years earlier, making for a gripping, suspenseful, and sad story.

Wuthering Heights is very complex, especially the character of Heathcliff. He's not "good" or "bad"; he's conflicted, a multi-layered character. At times, I sympathized with Heathcliff; at other times, I really hated him. Wuthering Heights is difficult to put into any category. It is realistic, but it also has supernatural beings, with ghosts and graves and a love that transcends time. But it also is a mystery, asking complicated questions. The writing is very old-fashioned, but it's not too overwritten, though I did have a little trouble with some of the Yorkshire dialect. But that occurs very rarely; there's just one minor character who speaks that way.

You can read all of my reviews at my blog novareviews.blogspot.com.

Emily Bronte was twisted. I would love to get my hands on her early writings about her childhood fantasy worlds. Unfortunately they were destroyed. What a shame that this woman and her sisters did not live longer to document more of their literary talent and genius.

Oh how tragic life can get! I just could not put down this book. Oxford World's Classics certainly provide good references.