Reviews

Yuck, absolutely yucky! I hated this book. Everyone is extremely annoying, but more importantly the wiring is absolutely awful. Sentences drag so much you finish one and you have to reread it because to went on forever and you forgot what it was even about.

Plot so dull and boring it wasn't even worth the effort to read this book. Never again will I read it. Maybe it would work better in audiobook format? Not going to try though. That's two Brontë sisters that have disappointed, let's hope the third will be better.

aponthier's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.25

i read this because it is one of my friends’ absolute favorites.

i am not usually a classic literature kind of girl, so this was a challenge for me to get through compared to my usual fare. that being said, i enjoyed this book so much.

for those who think wuthering heights is a jane austen-esque love story like i did before reading, you are mistaken. it is dark, it is twisted, and it is in a way, horror. there are so many quotes and ideas in this book that are ahead of it’s time.

my recommendation to readers who are not experienced in this style of writing/era: do additional research online. look up every word you don’t understand (maybe the e-reader version is best for this) and look up the family tree as you are going. it will help you so much, and like me, you will enjoy this story because of it.

eliross's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

bookswithcapri's review

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reflective sad 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? N/A

3.0

libbywiz's review against another edition

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1.0

Another book I tried to read and couldn't finish. Like Lady Chatterly's Lover, just seemed overwrought.

ee_em_em_aye's review against another edition

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3.0

What I knew about Wuthering Heights before reading it can be summed up in four words:

Healthcliff
Cathy
Moors
Drama!

I blame Kate Bush and her Wuthering Heights song for raising my expectations to expect a dark, brooding but oh-so-hot Heathcliff, a hopeless but understandable Cathy, darkness (but beauty) and a whole lot of romping around the moors. I guess in a sense that’s what I got but then why did I feel so blah while reading? You may argue that I might just enjoy a happier novel but I loved our winter read (Anna Karenina), which was equally hopeless and bleak. However, Anna Karenina had moments of breathtaking writing: passages where I’d just stop and think, ‘wow’ or that were so fantastic I felt immediately spurred on to get through the next block of Russian politics.

Wuthering Heights felt a little like a Wellington winter – one of those ones where it rains and blows all the time and everything feels weighted by dampness but you strive on because you know Spring is coming. Funnily enough, Spring did come at the end of Wuthering Heights - it just brought me no joy.

Judging by what the reading group contributed to our Good Reads discussion, I wasn’t alone. There were a couple of, ‘yay I finished!’ comments and these from Penny and Pat:

Penny said, “While reading this book I keep thinking ‘yep, just another woman who doesn’t conform to society, goes crazy, dies and then comes back to haunt the living…neat.’ If I want to read about a woman going crazy in the time period, I’ll re-read Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper - I liked that one!”

Pat said, “Wuthering Heights was not what I expected. I expected less inside hysterics and more wandering on the moors. Oh well. I never found a character to like.”

Others did like it and indeed, I have friends on Good Reads that have given it 5 stars. I think overall there’s two key items that will effect anyones reading experience of Wuthering Heights:

The age you were when you read it. Anyone I’ve met who has read the book as a teenager, loves it.

Supporting information in your edition of the book. Some people had a genealogical table and a translation of what Joseph’s character was saying: take note future publishers of this work.

All in all I felt that my Wuthering Heights experience was a little meh* and I’d love to hear from people who adore the book so you can explain to me why (I’m interested, not looking for an argument).

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