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jhump89's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Racism, Violence, and Misogyny
coralyn_x's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Racism
77mimi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
—
this is my third time reading emily brontë’s only novel – the first being when i was 12 (i was highly confused and didn’t know what i was getting into), second when i was 15 (which left me thinking lord i hate these characters) – now eight years since my last read, this time around the book completely and permanently altered my brain chemistry i fear
emily brontë is a poet first and foremost, the prose is gorgeous, the storytelling absolutely brilliant; the atmosphere, the mood are all perfect — her characters? god fucking awful, worst people you could ever encounter, and it doesn’t need to be said but her characterisation is amazing; even with these horrible people this novel is genius and moving and everything a novel should be
it’s miserable — it’s miserable and it’s hauntingly beautiful with such well explored themes of social class, nature-nurture, the cycle of trauma and violence, grief, revenge – and ultimately, love and passion
the story is dark, heavy and wild – truly it did feel at times like brontë was losing her grip on it – and surrounded by this cloud of profound descriptions of the moors and the environment, just a semblance of brightness in a gloomy and uneasy climate
but there are brief moments of comedy cleverly spliced in by brontë which genuinely had me laughing aloud
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Racism and Death
Minor: Incest
steven_v's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Violence and Domestic abuse
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Also on this read, I was more interested in the structure and style. The use of two unreliable narrators is so brilliantly done, where Mr. Lockwood’s diary-style narrative depends entirely on an abbreviated version of Nelly Dean’s narrative, which depends entirely on her retelling of events that happened to other people nearly three decades ago. The layers of bias between us and the events of the story create a feeling of always viewing the action through a fun-house mirror, with the melodrama rendered farcical and the broodiness of the characters and the moors deepening into supernatural terror.
Ultimately, who but an isolated and introverted young woman confined to the English moors, writing under an alias, defying the strictures of her zealous Christian family members could have written a story even her own sister would later caution is maybe too dark? (Charlotte’s posthumous introduction to the novel is overly apologetic and explanatory to a degree that I really dislike, but her note that her sister’s writing was “moorish, and wild, and knotty as a root of heath” is perfectly said).
Graphic: Mental illness, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Physical abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Death, and Incest
Moderate: Racial slurs, Death of parent, and Racism
Minor: Pregnancy
riverofhorton's review against another edition
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Bullying, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Kidnapping, Murder, Religious bigotry, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Misogyny, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Torture, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and War
gia0203's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
so I have found a new obsession. time to watch every adaption I can get my hands on.
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Death and Pregnancy
aligrant's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Bullying, Death, and Violence
renorsomethin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Physical abuse, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Medical content, Confinement, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, and Mental illness
garvsy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I DIDN'T like the first part of the book, mainly because of the characters, not how they were written, (because they're ok), just because of their awful personalities.
I hated them, except Linton and Ellen (whom I don't entirely like), and Catherine and Hareton.
The book nailed it, I felt bad for Heathcliff at the beginning but hated him when he starts his revenge on innocent people.
For me, the first part of the book was a little hard and heavy to read (because characters as I said before). I knew that would happen since I started reading it. I started liking it in the middle when the new characters appear.
The other thing I didn't entirely like was the way the story was narrated, for me Lockwood is a little unnecessary, but well... it doesn't really bother me. I think it would be more interesting to know the background story from Catherine's diaries. And intercalate Ellen's narration with the diaries.
Having said that, yes it is... not a bad story.
Graphic: Violence and Toxic relationship