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dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book ripped my heart out. So heart-breaking, so devastating. Heathcliff being a dark-skinned taken-in orphan is certainly a move. I loved his character although I hated him as a person. He has an immense amount of passion, although it's mostly transformed into utter hatred, bitterness and desire for revenge.
I think that people miss the point of this book when they complain that it's pure suffering. Of course it's terrible! I feel like it's more about family trauma than love, sort of a study of the many forms of child abuse. Plus all the characters are stuck in the middle of nowhere, trapped in the never-ending cycle of trauma, of course they all act horrible. I mean, who wasn't abused in this book? Some would argue that Edgar Linton loved his daughter deeply but keeping your daughter secluded for the first 13 years of her life or so is definitely abusive if not highly problematic in my book. This girl literally never talked to anyone her age, of course she falls for the worst person in the vicinity.
I've read it in Czech and was surprised how easy it was to read. The words flowed very smoothly. Even though I love classics, I gotta say that's a rare quality.
I think that people miss the point of this book when they complain that it's pure suffering. Of course it's terrible! I feel like it's more about family trauma than love, sort of a study of the many forms of child abuse. Plus all the characters are stuck in the middle of nowhere, trapped in the never-ending cycle of trauma, of course they all act horrible. I mean, who wasn't abused in this book? Some would argue that Edgar Linton loved his daughter deeply but keeping your daughter secluded for the first 13 years of her life or so is definitely abusive if not highly problematic in my book. This girl literally never talked to anyone her age, of course she falls for the worst person in the vicinity.
I've read it in Czech and was surprised how easy it was to read. The words flowed very smoothly. Even though I love classics, I gotta say that's a rare quality.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence
Moderate: Racism
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
rest easy emily brontë, you would’ve loved ethel cain
—
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
—
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence
Moderate: Death, Racism
Minor: Incest
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wuthering Heights is a stunning, claustrophobic nightmare of a gothic novel that I appreciate more in my 30s than I did in my teens. I went into this with little memory of the plot - the entirety of my recollection of my senior-year English essay on the subject was “everyone’s awful.” But two of my childhood besties were game for an impromptu buddy (re)read, and there is nothing quite like revisiting a book you didn’t understand on your first read and realizing it’s actually more horrifying than you previously understood (as a parent, the generational cycle of abuse and the childhood trauma wrought by severe isolation, confinement and emotional manipulation color the story for me, now).
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).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
This book is incredibly violent, with every kind of toxic relationship and abuse you can think of, with the kind of casual racism and misogyny that I have at this point come to expect from 19th Century fiction. That said, I may well return to this book at a later date, since there were a few scenes that I found to be quite thrilling, and I do find myself invested in the characters and their development. Right now just isn't the right time for me to be reading a book with this amount of violence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am so infatuated with this gloomy, bleak, yet still slightly hopeful novel! catherine earnshaw will be on my mind for the rest of my life. heathcliff’s rambling about cathy’s body rotting beside his own is forever imprinted in my brain. I’m enamored by the romantic declarations that were far too late and the brutal revenge that did nothing to ease heathcliff’s pain. and oh! the tragedy every time heathcliff saw cathy in her daughter! I even enjoyed the miserable complaints of linton, who may now be my most hated character of all time.
so I have found a new obsession. time to watch every adaption I can get my hands on.
so I have found a new obsession. time to watch every adaption I can get my hands on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence
Moderate: Death, Pregnancy
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Grief, Death of parent
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
S. As a classic, it's ok I guess.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Classism