You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment
The biggest issue I had with the book was its narration style. The story is told through multiple layers of perspectives, recounting events from third and fourth-hand accounts rather than immersing us in the moment. While I appreciate the creativity and the challenge this must have presented to the author, I found it difficult to connect with the story at first. It wasn’t so much that it was hard to follow, but more that it felt confusing at times. However, I do have to praise Emily’s writing. Even though the narration style was confusing, her ability to write emotional scenes and make the reader feel connected to the characters’ struggles was impressive. She can really evoke emotion and make you care about the events unfolding.
I have a lot more to say, but I’ll keep this brief. While there were things I liked about the book, I still disliked a bunch too. I don’t regret reading it, but it was not an enjoyable experience for me. That said, I do believe that this was Emily's intention, this is not a romance. It’s striking that so many people label it as such, as it reflects how society often misunderstands toxic relationships. Catherine and Heathcliff’s bond is not an example of romance, no matter how many "romantic" phrases they share. Their relationship is far from ideal and not something that you should wish for.
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Blood
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism
Minor: Kidnapping, Abandonment
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting
Moderate: Incest, Infidelity, Abandonment
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy
This book is so special to me. The gloomy atmosphere, the intense emotions, the wild characters, the beautiful quotes, the tragic family tree, the eerie supernatural sightings, the comedic scenes, the growth and development of the characters, the unforgettable love declarations... oh, what is there not to love? This is such an iconic book. I fiercely love Emily Jane Brontë.
This is my first time reading the Norton edition and it was enlightening. The essays helped me understand the literature better and it made me be even more in awe of this novel. How Q. D. Leavis compared Cathy to characters from Dickens, Tolstoy, Lawrence; how Inga-Stina Ewbank wrote about the symbols in the book to differentiate characters and societal classes; how John K. Mathison wrote an essay solely on Nelly and how she was an unreliable narrator (which really opened my eyes to a lot of missed details); how Carl R. Woodring wrote about the narrators of the books and how it plays with the events; how Mary Visick compared Cathy to A.G.A, a Gondal heroine; how Mark Schorer analysed WH through the analogies and how "Her metaphors instruct her, and her verbs"; and lastly, how William M. Sale, JR reiterated Miss Fanny Ratchford's conclusion that Wuthering Heights was born from the tales of Gondal. I've spent over an hour reading these essays and I've learned so much in one sitting.
C. P. Sanger summarised the book then went into detail of every date of birth and death of the characters, and wondered how Emily had knowledge of the dates as well as the laws of land ownership. He was in awe of her brilliance and knowledge. He also wrote that this was a "tempestuous book" and I couldn't find a more perfect word to describe it than that. Sums it up greatly.
David Cecil wrote that to Emily, "man and nature are equally living and in the same way; different manifestations of a single spiritual reality." That she accepted both good and evil in people: "the deeds and passion of humans do not spring from destructive impulses, but they're only destructive if they were diverted from their natural course." And that the characters' intense emotions resemble the forces of nature; they love each other not because of their pleasant personalities, but from a sense of affinity. That's such a brilliant way of reading into her works. Someone finally found the right words to explain a good reason to back up why I love this book despite the terrible characters.
As for the newspaper clippings of the book reviews, I can only imagine how much Emily must've laughed and felt a surge of pride seeing her words being reviewed in its time (especially when they just didn't get it, nor were they aware of who the actual author was).
All in all, this was such a perfect addition to my collection of WH. It's a must read by fans of Wuthering Heights who want to delve deeper into this brilliant novel. I'm so happy I found a copy so I can find more reasons to love my favourite book.
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse
Minor: Abandonment
Graphic: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Classism