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erebus53's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- 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
2.0
This is a book I was assigned to read in highschool.. and that, like every other read I was set, I quit at page 37. I resolved to one day pick it up and digest it in it's entirety. Verdict? Not very filling, a bit dry, not that satisfying. If I hadn't deliberately exerted myself, I wouldn't have bothered to finish it.
The setting is ostensibly spooky. It's a cold and desolate windblown house, with warped trees and harsh weather. The introduction sets the reader ill at ease with a new tenant imposing himself upon the landlord's household, only to meet with dour people and rude manners. Every attempt he makes to act toward them in a warm or overly familiar way is oh so cringeworthy, and disconcerting.
The narrative is told through word of mouth stories. The main narrator on the history of the characters is a maid servant, but yet further detail is fleshed out through recounting the content of letters and anecdotes of others... this method of telling stories inside stories I have seen before in things like Shelley's Frankenstein.
The Classism in this is predictably rampant. The use of a Yorkshire accent is disparaged and laughed at. Frustratingly for me, the narrator of the audiobook couldn't do the dialect any justice and she fumbled through all the parts that are written phonetically in rustic parlance. This took a lot more work for me to interpret than if it were read fluently. Gah! t'th divvel wet ye!
Another recurring theme is the whole cliché of dark and light. A dark haired, supposedly ill-bred orphan is taken to hearth and home, and of course fair haired, light eyed, pale skinned people are seen as morally superior. A bit of vanilla Racism to rub into the literature. Well.. the book is old.. but I don't have to like it.
Honestly confused at what a teacher would hope to gain from getting teens to vivisect a book like this.. the book is pale and dreary, a litany of ills and intergenerational abuse, of slow burning insidious revenge. I mean, I used to be a goth.. I've listened to Kate Bush.. this wasn't even romantic.
The setting is ostensibly spooky. It's a cold and desolate windblown house, with warped trees and harsh weather. The introduction sets the reader ill at ease with a new tenant imposing himself upon the landlord's household, only to meet with dour people and rude manners. Every attempt he makes to act toward them in a warm or overly familiar way is oh so cringeworthy, and disconcerting.
The narrative is told through word of mouth stories. The main narrator on the history of the characters is a maid servant, but yet further detail is fleshed out through recounting the content of letters and anecdotes of others... this method of telling stories inside stories I have seen before in things like Shelley's Frankenstein.
The Classism in this is predictably rampant. The use of a Yorkshire accent is disparaged and laughed at. Frustratingly for me, the narrator of the audiobook couldn't do the dialect any justice and she fumbled through all the parts that are written phonetically in rustic parlance. This took a lot more work for me to interpret than if it were read fluently. Gah! t'th divvel wet ye!
Another recurring theme is the whole cliché of dark and light. A dark haired, supposedly ill-bred orphan is taken to hearth and home, and of course fair haired, light eyed, pale skinned people are seen as morally superior. A bit of vanilla Racism to rub into the literature. Well.. the book is old.. but I don't have to like it.
Honestly confused at what a teacher would hope to gain from getting teens to vivisect a book like this.. the book is pale and dreary, a litany of ills and intergenerational abuse, of slow burning insidious revenge. I mean, I used to be a goth.. I've listened to Kate Bush.. this wasn't even romantic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Death of parent, Confinement, Violence, Sexism, Self harm, Racism, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Death, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Classism, Mental illness, Grief, Ableism, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Bullying, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol
duarshe's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Do I get why this book is a classic? Obviously. But do I get why people romanticize Heathcliff and Catherine's relationship? Hell no.
Before studying this book in class (I'm doing an English major), I literally thought this was a romance novel. To be honest, it is in some weird way a romance novel, but taken to a toxic obsessed kind of love mixed with the characteristics of the Gothic novel of 19th-century Britain.
I'm really excited that I finally finished this book since I've been reading it since MAY and we're in AUGUST. However, I got lazy because from the moment Heathcliff leaves for three years until Catherine (junior) grows up a bit and starts visiting the Heights, it's all a big blur, and I didn't really care. It was a bit hard for me to get through the story, not only because English is not my first language and this was written in the 19th century, but also because classic novels tend to explain and describe completely unnecessary things and idle conversations.
Also, can we talk about how almost every character in this was completely and utterly annoying? The only character towards whom I didn't have any negative feelings was Nelly.
Before studying this book in class (I'm doing an English major), I literally thought this was a romance novel. To be honest, it is in some weird way a romance novel, but taken to a toxic obsessed kind of love mixed with the characteristics of the Gothic novel of 19th-century Britain.
I'm really excited that I finally finished this book since I've been reading it since MAY and we're in AUGUST. However, I got lazy because from the moment Heathcliff leaves for three years until Catherine (junior) grows up a bit and starts visiting the Heights, it's all a big blur, and I didn't really care. It was a bit hard for me to get through the story, not only because English is not my first language and this was written in the 19th century, but also because classic novels tend to explain and describe completely unnecessary things and idle conversations.
Also, can we talk about how almost every character in this was completely and utterly annoying? The only character towards whom I didn't have any negative feelings was Nelly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, and Violence
ash_is_reading_books's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The biggest problem I have with people reccomending this novel is that it's described as a romance. While love and passion is a theme, it's by no means a story about love - it's more about abuse, co-dependancy and how someone can be a victim of their own upbringing
With it's beautiful prose, excellent use of pathetic fallacy and powerful themes, it's perfect for those looking for a challenge
With it's beautiful prose, excellent use of pathetic fallacy and powerful themes, it's perfect for those looking for a challenge
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death and Child abuse
issyd23's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Holy fucking shit this nocked my socks off! The prose are phenomenal & moving. Not bad for a virgin with no friends who died at 30 from TB 5🪦
Joanne Froggatt also fucking slayed the audiobook 5🪦
NB Nelly doesn’t get paid enough to deal with all the BS from the Lintons + Earnshaws - get a better employer girl!
Joanne Froggatt also fucking slayed the audiobook 5🪦
NB Nelly doesn’t get paid enough to deal with all the BS from the Lintons + Earnshaws - get a better employer girl!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Confinement, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexism, Abandonment, Ableism, Suicide, Blood, Chronic illness, Incest, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Child death, Classism, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Cursing, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
ismildlypoetic's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Three stars means I liked the book! (tbh as i mull over it in the coming weeks, it'll probably grow higher)
Okay okay okay, so this needs a rant.
So I tried reading this book a few years ago, got ten pages in, and said nope. I just opened it again, and it took thirty pages of me Hating it, but I kept going anyways. I think I had a slow-burn relationship with this book.
If you're not used to reading classics, the language took a While to get used to.
Anyways, actual thought time: even for five-star books, it's very very rare that I care about how a book will end. But for some reason, this book had me Gripping the pages; needed to know how it ended and what becomes of the characters.
So even for how much I honestly didn't love 90% of the characters (they all pretty much annoyed me) and how I didn't care about certain plotlines, the tidbit of me caring how it ended stood out dramatically.
I also loved that it followed an entire family for like two generations. Stories like that, where you build a World, not just a couple moments, are my favorite, and I don't think I've ever actually read one before in a book.
I will say, my favorite characters were Catherine (junior), Nelly, and most importantly, Heathcliff. I have no idea why, but even when Cathy Jr. and Nelly were annoying me, even in his absolute worst moments, Heathcliff had this depth to him that even if I hated, I cared for. He was the perfect villain (or anti-hero, in my case) .
Alright, that was my rant. Would highly recommend if you're into classics, eh if you're not.
Okay okay okay, so this needs a rant.
So I tried reading this book a few years ago, got ten pages in, and said nope. I just opened it again, and it took thirty pages of me Hating it, but I kept going anyways. I think I had a slow-burn relationship with this book.
If you're not used to reading classics, the language took a While to get used to.
Anyways, actual thought time: even for five-star books, it's very very rare that I care about how a book will end. But for some reason, this book had me Gripping the pages; needed to know how it ended and what becomes of the characters.
So even for how much I honestly didn't love 90% of the characters (they all pretty much annoyed me) and how I didn't care about certain plotlines, the tidbit of me caring how it ended stood out dramatically.
I also loved that it followed an entire family for like two generations. Stories like that, where you build a World, not just a couple moments, are my favorite, and I don't think I've ever actually read one before in a book.
I will say, my favorite characters were
Alright, that was my rant. Would highly recommend if you're into classics, eh if you're not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child death, Alcoholism, Classism, Confinement, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty and Incest
A good ton of this was just because it was written in the 1800s, so like, there are 1800s societal standards. But the child abuse specifically was pretty hard to read.susanna22's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Classism, Bullying, Child abuse, and Death of parent
books_because_why_not's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
To start off, I found the characters in this book to be insufferable. They were interesting, but awful people. I only liked two characters in the entire book, but they were not even the main character. It is fine to have characters who have flaws, but many of the characters were just terrible and had hardly any redeeming quality. At least, I want one main character to be likable, that’s all I ask.
Also, this book put me in a really bad reading slump. I started this book in Early 2022 and finally got around to finishing it midway through 2023.The writing is very flowery and hard to understand in the present day. I had to look up summaries for chapters because I could not follow along. Brontë uses eye dialect (basically writing words misspelled to show how they were literally spoken) to convey Joseph’s yorkshire accent. This, however, made reading any of Joseph's dialogue absolutely unreadable.
The story was fine I guess. It did not really capture me as a reader because it was kind of slow going. Many people describe this book as a romance, but I felt like this is not true to what I read. A lot of times character’s were physically assaulting each other. In my opinion, this story is more about Heathcliff’s revenge rather than a love story.
I really did not like this book and if you have similar tastes as me, I would avoid this book. I’m not saying “Wuthering Heights” is awful, it is considered a classic after all. It is just not my cup of tea and is the worst book I have read this year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Abandonment
canyi's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Read as part of a buddy read among friends so it’s more recreational/ to mock it as a romance. But my final opinion is that its not a romance to mock because it’s not a romance but more of a horror, the true romance is not the “main” couple, they’re the source of the horror. The true romance in this book is the end couple, I guess you could look at it as a romance that blossomed from the pure evil doings of Heathcliff but it really doesn’t feel like it’s the main point.
Personally I prefer to read books where I like or enjoy the main characters so honestly it wouldn’t be my go to pick. However once I got past that I found it was actually a really easy/ captivating read once I acknowledged (not a major plot spoiler) that it was not a romance but more of a horror. .
Despite the slow moving plot I felt compelled to finish it, at least just because I wanted to see if Heathcliff is ever stopped . Although I was inclined to give this a one star because I absolutely despised most of the characters, I don’t think I was supposed to like them. Honestly it’s easier to hate a character you’re supposed to hate than not liking a character you’re supposed to like.
3.5 stars because it wasn’t a bad story just terrible people, although I will admit the rating would be lower if it didn’t have a somewhat happy ending.
Personally I prefer to read books where I like or enjoy the main characters so honestly it wouldn’t be my go to pick. However once I got past that I found it was actually a really easy/ captivating read once I acknowledged (not a major plot spoiler)
Despite the slow moving plot I felt compelled to finish it, at least just because I wanted to see if
3.5 stars because it wasn’t a bad story
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Stalking, Bullying, Incest, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Classism, Death, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Animal death, Torture, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
the_quickening_tree's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Miserable plot, average writing, drags on more than is necessary. A classic, but not an enjoyable read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Violence, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Death, and Grief
mistystar's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Death