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islandofgreen's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
eddlovesyou's review against another edition
5.0
TW for swearing and mentions of mental illness (big kiss emoji)
Spoiler-free section ★★★
Reading this book has been a very long journey to me. My thoughts are really fuckin rambled but I'm gonna do my best to explain. Summed up my feelings are:
"WuTheRbIng HeihgT is tH e GreAtesT Bo OnK eVer!!!!!"
BUT more eligibly - it's a story about awful, awful people, and that's awesome!
I have never read a book with more evil, selfish main characters and the fact that I am torn between rooting for them and rooting for their opposing, more evil and more selfish counterparts is absolutely delectable.
I never felt a page didn't have a purpose as it continually strived to progress this insufferably long story of love, possessiveness and above all: forgiveness.
I'm not sure how much others would agree with me that that is the strongest theme of the book but I also don't care to listen to others' opinions on Wuthering Heights as I think it's amazing and great and the idea of someone disliking it would make me cry.
But I'll talk more about the themes (and probably crying) in the spoiler section.
Wuthering Heights is extremely character driven with the whole book basically being a gossip story as we follow one character telling another character about other characters.
I'm not going to lie, if this book was written in modern times I would've cringed at this but my girl Emily was a fuckin genius for writing it like this, especially considering that she was a rich bitch who managed to write a servant WELL and our main love interest was a PoC? Damn Emily You Are Woke.
Plus several characters are very much coded as mentally ill - very interesting seeing as it's written in 1847 but like our main girl Catherine definitely has a PD. And personally I found that very relatable. I know I might read into this a bit more than others, but I really found a connection in how far she's willing to go, just being completely driven by emotion.
I had to put it down for longer periods just because I needed time to reflect because I was overwhelmed by all of my own PD overemotionality.
Okay, anyway. If you don't like dialogue this is Hell on Earth but it's not without it's twists and turns, this old-ass book had me laughing out loud at some of the shit these pompous bastards are getting up to. I love it.
To conclude,
please read Wuthering Heights or at the very least listen to Kate Bush's homage song. It's also very good. Okay.
Spoiler section ★★★
Holy fuck, did I mention I love this book? Nelly is the smartest and the dumbest bitch ever, oh my god.
I love that we're always seeing things from her perspective, from what I can tell she's basically excluded in retellings but she's the BEST CHARACTER! If she really was just a passive bystander I would get it, but Nelly is the toughest nut in this neighbourhood, oh my god, I love that she's so fuckin opinionated about literally everything and she treats everyone like a mild nuisance even if she'd do anything for them. I love that we get to know characters like Catherine and Heathcliff and (Catherine) Junior through her and how often she'll stop just to shittalk these people, even when she admits to seeing them as her family and siblings and refuses to be separated from them.
Please love Nelly, I'd fight for that woman.
I love that she's so flawed, every character is so flawed and unique and seeing them grow, and grow up, makes my heart swell.
Which brings me to my earlier point! This is a story about ~forgiveness~.
Because everyone involved is a bad person. Except Edgar. Like I honestly wanted him to be a little bad just because he seemed like the only character who never did anything to wrong, never acted too selfish. But he just was Like That. Best boy. But that was a problem too, no? Like that big-ass heart let too many step on him. Heathcliff literally said he'd crush his ribcage like a walnut, which might be the funniest fuckin thing I've ever heard.
My point is: I think Edgar needed to be tougher in the world he lived in and staying the sweet, little cuck he was kinda was his undoing. He was too ~forgiving~.
Every character has multiple crossroads where they need to forgive someone.
From Hindley and Catherine needing to forgive their dad from bringing home a stray boy,
to Heathcliff needing to forgive Catherine for shittalking him and marrying Edgar,
to Edgar needing to forgive Catherine for loving Heathcliff,
to... everyone needing to forgive everyone for all the shit they're doing by the end, jesus christ.
And not everyone can forgive. Not everything can or SHOULD be forgiven, and I think Wuthering Heights really brings that up. I mean look at Heathcliff who, in his final days, let go of all his hatred, all that he had pent up since he was a kid, this lifelong desire to just fuck over absolutely everyone - and then died, a happy man.
Does He Deserve That Happiness Though? Ehhh. Debatable.
I found it so interesting how even at the worst of times, there was always a part of me that wanted him to be happy. I think he was wronged from a very young age, even Nelly our local Nice Guy (Nelly voice: "m'lord") pinches him just to see how he'll react. Thanks ELLEN!
So there's something almost satisfying in seeing him go off and get revenge on all these bad people.
But in the process he becomes the worst of all.
Seeing his downfall and how he grows into being the main villain while still being a man full of thought is so fuckin tight, dude.
Every scene post-Catherine's death where he mentions her is so beautiful, the way he completely romanticises her as something to escape to, even digging up her body to fulfill his need for comfort after he's driven everyone away.
And the fact that there's this horrible tragedy in thinking: what if him and Catherine had gotten together? Because there's no guarantee things would have been any better. It could've been a lot worse for all we know. Even with all the pain and suffering, at least we had a happy ending. Right?
I mean Junior and Hareton are cousins but it's hard not to root for them. They're so cute!!! Even if Junior is a lil shit who gives him lil slaps. Other than that, very cute.
I think their growth is probably my favourite part of the whole book. Every time you see Hareton there's heartache carried from Nelly until the end where we see him become a soft, gentle man like he was always meant to be. And then the contrast of watching the entirety of Junior's growth and see her naivety fade as she matures. My babies, all grown up.
I'm going to go personal now. Personal Mode Activated.
I think I found this book so profound because it's all written around a terrible, horrible, toxic relationship. Catherine and Heathcliff can't understand how bad they are for each other because they only want to see the good parts. It drives them forward, it's like a second nature that they belong to each other. It doesn't matter that they're completely dysfunctional.
I mean apart they're already pretty bad people but together they're a Storm Of Shittiness. A Shitstorm, If You Will. And I find that relatable. I think if you've ever been in a mutually toxic relationship but ESPECIALLY if there's been mental illness involved, you'll find something personal in Wuthering Heights.
Same goes for the end of the book, where we see Hareton and Junior, coming out of the mouth of Hell as two pretty good kids that try to leave behind their parents' toxic behaviours.
I think it's wonderful to see all of these chaotic, mentally ill people be represented as main characters but also that they're not ever forgiven for acting out. Nelly never lets Catherine think it's okay to have temper tantrums and when Junior starts, she's like "oh my god, here we go again." I think it's important to read a book like this, at least to me, that's so grounding while still dealing with some taboo thoughts and feelings.
In conclusion! Wutherbing Heihgt is the greatest boonk ever, please read.
Thank you so much for reading this very confusing review, I love you, stay safe.
Spoiler-free section ★★★
Reading this book has been a very long journey to me. My thoughts are really fuckin rambled but I'm gonna do my best to explain. Summed up my feelings are:
"WuTheRbIng HeihgT is tH e GreAtesT Bo OnK eVer!!!!!"
BUT more eligibly - it's a story about awful, awful people, and that's awesome!
I have never read a book with more evil, selfish main characters and the fact that I am torn between rooting for them and rooting for their opposing, more evil and more selfish counterparts is absolutely delectable.
I never felt a page didn't have a purpose as it continually strived to progress this insufferably long story of love, possessiveness and above all: forgiveness.
I'm not sure how much others would agree with me that that is the strongest theme of the book but I also don't care to listen to others' opinions on Wuthering Heights as I think it's amazing and great and the idea of someone disliking it would make me cry.
But I'll talk more about the themes (and probably crying) in the spoiler section.
Wuthering Heights is extremely character driven with the whole book basically being a gossip story as we follow one character telling another character about other characters.
I'm not going to lie, if this book was written in modern times I would've cringed at this but my girl Emily was a fuckin genius for writing it like this, especially considering that she was a rich bitch who managed to write a servant WELL and our main love interest was a PoC? Damn Emily You Are Woke.
Plus several characters are very much coded as mentally ill - very interesting seeing as it's written in 1847 but like our main girl Catherine definitely has a PD. And personally I found that very relatable. I know I might read into this a bit more than others, but I really found a connection in how far she's willing to go, just being completely driven by emotion.
I had to put it down for longer periods just because I needed time to reflect because I was overwhelmed by all of my own PD overemotionality.
Okay, anyway. If you don't like dialogue this is Hell on Earth but it's not without it's twists and turns, this old-ass book had me laughing out loud at some of the shit these pompous bastards are getting up to. I love it.
To conclude,
please read Wuthering Heights or at the very least listen to Kate Bush's homage song. It's also very good. Okay.
Spoiler section ★★★
Holy fuck, did I mention I love this book? Nelly is the smartest and the dumbest bitch ever, oh my god.
I love that we're always seeing things from her perspective, from what I can tell she's basically excluded in retellings but she's the BEST CHARACTER! If she really was just a passive bystander I would get it, but Nelly is the toughest nut in this neighbourhood, oh my god, I love that she's so fuckin opinionated about literally everything and she treats everyone like a mild nuisance even if she'd do anything for them. I love that we get to know characters like Catherine and Heathcliff and (Catherine) Junior through her and how often she'll stop just to shittalk these people, even when she admits to seeing them as her family and siblings and refuses to be separated from them.
Please love Nelly, I'd fight for that woman.
I love that she's so flawed, every character is so flawed and unique and seeing them grow, and grow up, makes my heart swell.
Which brings me to my earlier point! This is a story about ~forgiveness~.
Because everyone involved is a bad person. Except Edgar. Like I honestly wanted him to be a little bad just because he seemed like the only character who never did anything to wrong, never acted too selfish. But he just was Like That. Best boy. But that was a problem too, no? Like that big-ass heart let too many step on him. Heathcliff literally said he'd crush his ribcage like a walnut, which might be the funniest fuckin thing I've ever heard.
My point is: I think Edgar needed to be tougher in the world he lived in and staying the sweet, little cuck he was kinda was his undoing. He was too ~forgiving~.
Every character has multiple crossroads where they need to forgive someone.
From Hindley and Catherine needing to forgive their dad from bringing home a stray boy,
to Heathcliff needing to forgive Catherine for shittalking him and marrying Edgar,
to Edgar needing to forgive Catherine for loving Heathcliff,
to... everyone needing to forgive everyone for all the shit they're doing by the end, jesus christ.
And not everyone can forgive. Not everything can or SHOULD be forgiven, and I think Wuthering Heights really brings that up. I mean look at Heathcliff who, in his final days, let go of all his hatred, all that he had pent up since he was a kid, this lifelong desire to just fuck over absolutely everyone - and then died, a happy man.
Does He Deserve That Happiness Though? Ehhh. Debatable.
I found it so interesting how even at the worst of times, there was always a part of me that wanted him to be happy. I think he was wronged from a very young age, even Nelly our local Nice Guy (Nelly voice: "m'lord") pinches him just to see how he'll react. Thanks ELLEN!
So there's something almost satisfying in seeing him go off and get revenge on all these bad people.
But in the process he becomes the worst of all.
Seeing his downfall and how he grows into being the main villain while still being a man full of thought is so fuckin tight, dude.
Every scene post-Catherine's death where he mentions her is so beautiful, the way he completely romanticises her as something to escape to, even digging up her body to fulfill his need for comfort after he's driven everyone away.
And the fact that there's this horrible tragedy in thinking: what if him and Catherine had gotten together? Because there's no guarantee things would have been any better. It could've been a lot worse for all we know. Even with all the pain and suffering, at least we had a happy ending. Right?
I mean Junior and Hareton are cousins but it's hard not to root for them. They're so cute!!! Even if Junior is a lil shit who gives him lil slaps. Other than that, very cute.
I think their growth is probably my favourite part of the whole book. Every time you see Hareton there's heartache carried from Nelly until the end where we see him become a soft, gentle man like he was always meant to be. And then the contrast of watching the entirety of Junior's growth and see her naivety fade as she matures. My babies, all grown up.
I'm going to go personal now. Personal Mode Activated.
I think I found this book so profound because it's all written around a terrible, horrible, toxic relationship. Catherine and Heathcliff can't understand how bad they are for each other because they only want to see the good parts. It drives them forward, it's like a second nature that they belong to each other. It doesn't matter that they're completely dysfunctional.
I mean apart they're already pretty bad people but together they're a Storm Of Shittiness. A Shitstorm, If You Will. And I find that relatable. I think if you've ever been in a mutually toxic relationship but ESPECIALLY if there's been mental illness involved, you'll find something personal in Wuthering Heights.
Same goes for the end of the book, where we see Hareton and Junior, coming out of the mouth of Hell as two pretty good kids that try to leave behind their parents' toxic behaviours.
I think it's wonderful to see all of these chaotic, mentally ill people be represented as main characters but also that they're not ever forgiven for acting out. Nelly never lets Catherine think it's okay to have temper tantrums and when Junior starts, she's like "oh my god, here we go again." I think it's important to read a book like this, at least to me, that's so grounding while still dealing with some taboo thoughts and feelings.
In conclusion! Wutherbing Heihgt is the greatest boonk ever, please read.
Thank you so much for reading this very confusing review, I love you, stay safe.
saraaaaaann's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
gardenreader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
marwareadss's review against another edition
5.0
Rating: 5/5
“You said I killed you-haunt me, then! [...] Be with me always-take any form-drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!”
My first re-read in more than 8 years. I stalled for long in fear of older me not being fascinated by it the same way 14 years old me was. I honestly didn't think it was possible, but I found that I enjoyed and loved and obsessed over this book even more during my second read.
The way Emily Brontë so beautifully wrote.... her words pierced right through my heart, and I understood them. Her expression of love, which was really bordering more on obsession, grief, and yearning through both Heathcliff and Catherine takes my breath away. Her depiction of how environment touches on every single aspect of a person's life, and the way that reflected on Heathcliff and Catherine's love which with extreme intensity and thoughtlessness turned out to be as dark as the moors they resided in is just magnificent.
Meeting someone who actually understands you, someone whose soul mirrors yours, is something almost mythical....and how would you act if you had that? And how would you bear to ever let it go? Heathcliff's grief completely taking over him seemed to be what his fate had been determined to be, and it only made sense that he would continue the rest of his life tormented by the loss of his great love, and in bitterness, wishing to turn all those he could into soulless creatures like himself.
Simply a book that can never be repeated. Forever in love.
PS, Hareton is the best character in the book, and he deserves the world.
[Finished on October 7, 2023]
“You said I killed you-haunt me, then! [...] Be with me always-take any form-drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!”
My first re-read in more than 8 years. I stalled for long in fear of older me not being fascinated by it the same way 14 years old me was. I honestly didn't think it was possible, but I found that I enjoyed and loved and obsessed over this book even more during my second read.
The way Emily Brontë so beautifully wrote.... her words pierced right through my heart, and I understood them. Her expression of love, which was really bordering more on obsession, grief, and yearning through both Heathcliff and Catherine takes my breath away. Her depiction of how environment touches on every single aspect of a person's life, and the way that reflected on Heathcliff and Catherine's love which with extreme intensity and thoughtlessness turned out to be as dark as the moors they resided in is just magnificent.
Meeting someone who actually understands you, someone whose soul mirrors yours, is something almost mythical....and how would you act if you had that? And how would you bear to ever let it go? Heathcliff's grief completely taking over him seemed to be what his fate had been determined to be, and it only made sense that he would continue the rest of his life tormented by the loss of his great love, and in bitterness, wishing to turn all those he could into soulless creatures like himself.
Simply a book that can never be repeated. Forever in love.
PS, Hareton is the best character in the book, and he deserves the world.
[Finished on October 7, 2023]
lottam's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mushroomdance1957's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
good book...
the complexity of the characters, especially the passionate and destructive relationship between heathcliff and catherine and the multigenerational effects of it was very interesting to read
i thought heathcliff was the most interesting because of his background and marginalisation which led to him becoming vengeful. even though all of the characters were selfish and obsessed with revenge, their desires all came about in a natural and understandable way
mostly, it was very interesting to read about so many characters being as depraved as possible
the complexity of the characters, especially the passionate and destructive relationship between heathcliff and catherine and the multigenerational effects of it was very interesting to read
i thought heathcliff was the most interesting because of his background and marginalisation which led to him becoming vengeful. even though all of the characters were selfish and obsessed with revenge, their desires all came about in a natural and understandable way
mostly, it was very interesting to read about so many characters being as depraved as possible
gbrylinski's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the book. It was a classic, so it was tough to get through. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, as most of the book is told through the perspective of Nellie as she is remembering Heathcliff and Catherine when they were young. It was a very dark love story, but interesting and touching. Despite his evil, the reader is still somehow compelled to like Heathcliff. Overall, I liked the book and would recommend it. I've been told to watch the movie, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.
apple0loving0shinigami's review against another edition
3.0
This wonderful Gothic classic has put me in a reading slump. Couldn't get invested into the characters nor the story... I wish I read it when I was in highschool, maybe I would have enjoyed it then.