23.9k reviews for:

Wuthering Heights

Emily Brontë

3.72 AVERAGE

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I believe there are a lot of different opinions on this book. Sone say it is great some say it is one of the worst books. In my opinion it was neither. While I have to say that I enjoyed the narrative or rather the way this story was told in general I must say the story line itsself was not as captivating as I hoped it to be. As already mentioned the way the whole story was uncovered bit after bit, starting with the very beginnings 20 years before this book is actually set I thought it to be quite fascinating. Of course the main aspect of this book was romance but there was so much more to it. I must say the characters however were almost all rather unlikable. Overall it was still a good book and i enjoyed the read but I must admit that it certainly is not something for everyone.

Peculiar story, very different than I had expected (some romantic fling). Fascinating, especially the last part I've read in one go. Better than Jane Eyre IMO. Good ending too. Not very poetically described, and characters sometimes a bit flat. 4½ stars.

They can never make me like u heathcliff …. unforgiveness really turns people into ugly creatures huh

also somehow i’ve learnt to decipher joseph’s speech towards the end n i count that as a small win!

everyone, even the narrator, is just horrible. loved the revenge though.
challenging dark hopeful sad tense slow-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

“Cime tempestose” è il primo dei classici che mi sono promessa di recuperare in questo anno e l’ho trovato bellissimo. È la storia di personaggi a dir poco mostruosi, narcisisti, egoisti e più si procede con la storia più emerge l’inclinazione alla violenza e alla cattiveria di ognuno di loro. È un libro estremamente godibile sia per tematiche (figlio del suo tempo, sono evidenti gli influssi della letteratura gotica) sia per lo stile: è estremamente moderno nel linguaggio e questo rende facile l’immersione nella lettura! Consiglio moltissimo questo libro a chi come me, sciaguratamente, non lo ha ancora letto.
challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Much has been written about Wuthering Heights, and I am not sure I can add anything of substance to it. Let me, instead, add my thoughts.
I read an abridged version of Wuthering Heights in grade 3 or 5, but clearly the "story" didn't make enough of an impact on me to get me to read the original when I went through a "classics phase" soon after I started working. I picked it up this month after signing up for a Bronte Readathon, and nearly abandoned it twice before finally forcing myself to read till the quarter way mark. Once I crossed that hump, finishing the book was easy.
Had I read the book twenty years back, I would have had deep sympathy for the 'gypsy boy' who was 'wronged' by everyone including the woman he loved, and who naturally sought revenge for what had been done to him. With more life experiences behind me, I recognised both Heathcliff and Catherine as the spoilt, selfish and wilful creatures they are. Catherine nailed it when she said, "he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." Unfortunately the deeply patriarchal nature of the society in which she lived forced Catherine to go against her heart and take some practical decisions. While Heathcliff too would have taken the same decisions had he been in her place, he chose to seek revenge on the people who he held responsible for forcing Catherine to make those choices.
It is to the author's credit that even while romanticising Heathcliff's actions, she doesn't attempt to sugarcoat the cold blooded savagery with which he destroys the people around him. When you read the book through the prism of the victims of his cruelty, Heathcliff emerges not as a romantic hero, but as a man devoid of mercy or remorse. I also appreciated how the book ends on a note of hope- love survives, not hate.
Every book is a product of its time- this one is too. The characters are guided by the norms of the time, yet, their emotions and actions are universal. The book is as relevant today as it was when it was written. Wuthering Heights is considered a classic, and it is easy to understand why.

Es un clásico del que había oído hablar mucho pero nunca me atrevía a leerlo porque creía que no lo iba a disfrutar, pero me ha encantado, es un libro maravilloso.

Es increíble como Emily Brontë ha plasmado lo oscura y retorcida que puede ser la naturaleza humana con unos personajes egoístas, manipuladores, violentos y crueles. Y tan reales que se salen de las páginas del libro.

Es alucinante como la atmósfera que ha creado te envuelve por completo, y como la autora ha jugado con el paisaje y la ambientación para diferenciar dos lugares tan distintos tanto física como emocionalmente.
Como os digo, es un clásico que me ha fascinado y que recomiendo muchísimo.
sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was a hard-read for me as I am not a native English speaker. However I found it enjoyable. I liked some quotes and Catherine and Heathcliff's strange relationship made me think about a lot of things. "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same" is the most famous quote and taken out of context is romantic, but reading the book I had second thoughts. Overall, for me this book was mostly vibes.