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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
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
brontë does a really good job at making the reader feel sympathy for heathcliff and what he has been through whilst condemning his actions, and really effectively highlights the ways racism was causing conflict in society
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Too slow, made me really tired when reading and couldnt follow on the story. Will try and read it again in the future.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I fear I did not understand a word Joseph said throughout this entire book.
Jokes aside, I feel like this book is just about awful people doing awful things to each other. That can be fine if it’s entertaining, but in this case it is not particularly so. I did use Litcharts to make sure I wasn’t missing anything (spoiler alert, I was missing stuff mostly bc I got bored and just stopped paying attention randomly but I did get most of it on my own), but it all seemed rather drawn out. I guess I’ll stick to Jane Austen for my classic works.
Jokes aside, I feel like this book is just about awful people doing awful things to each other. That can be fine if it’s entertaining, but in this case it is not particularly so. I did use Litcharts to make sure I wasn’t missing anything (spoiler alert, I was missing stuff mostly bc I got bored and just stopped paying attention randomly but I did get most of it on my own), but it all seemed rather drawn out. I guess I’ll stick to Jane Austen for my classic works.
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
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
One-Sentence Book Review
A classic for a reason, a fantastic look into how generational trauma can have devastating consequences, along with a revenge-and-obsession-heavy plot.
Summary, Thoughts and Notes
Themes and Character Notes
The main themes of obsession (not love!) and revenge are present all throughout the book, and different ways they affected even Heathcliff's and Catherine's children are made very apparent very early on. It is these children, who at first are victims of said generational trauma, and who are also seen as abusive to begin with, who break the cycle of abuse, at least from the Earnshaw and Linton side, Heathcliff's only son, unfortunately, ends up being a victim of his father's obsession, but it does make for a very powerful moment when we see that these behaviors can be broken and that each person is the owner of their own destiny and have the free will to decide how to act for themselves.
What Worked, What Didn't
On the other hand, I did find the book a bit too dreary at times, which could turn some readers off the novel, make no mistake, this is a dark and emotional journey. A lot of times, the book focuses too much on what the characters, Heathcliff and Catherine, mostly, would do to take their revenge, and seeing a lot of those plans come to fruition makes the novel take on a darker tone.
On the topic of Catherine, she has a daughter, also called Catherine/Cathy, which makes an already complicated family tree more confusing. It's normal for parents to name their children after themselves, but in this case, I think it does make the plot and understanding who's who more complicated than it needed to be.
The whole story is told from one of two perspectives - Mr. Lockwood and Nelly. Mr. Lockwood is a complete stranger to both families who comes to Wuthering Heights (originally the Earnshaw's house) to rent Thrushcross Grange (originally the Linton's house) from Heathcliff, who, as part of his plan for revenge, ended up owning both houses at the end of the story. Mr. Lockwood is, in reality, a minor and fairly forgettable character, throughout the story, which makes using him as one of the voices we learn about these families an interesting decision. The other voice we hear this story from, Nelly, is originally one of the housekeepers for the Earnshaws, and hers is the main voice we learn everything from. The issue that might arise with Nelly, is that given her role as a housekeeper, it's hard to imagine she had as clear an idea of everyone's intentions and what they were thinking as she believes she has. In this sense, she might be seen as an unreliable narrator for some readers. In my opinion, that just adds to the intricacies of the story and makes it that much more interesting, to allow us, as readers, to form our own judgements towards each of the characters, since we're learning everything from someone who would have their own biases as well.
Personal Recommendation
Given the impactful story, complex characters and relationships, this is definitely a story worth diving into, I wouldn't recommend this book for people who are sensitive to dark themes or if abuse and trauma are triggers. If, on the other hand, you can handle these things and are looking for an intense read that really looks at generational trauma and how it can stop with one's own choices, this is a definitive recommendation from me.