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A review by kazuchuu
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
4.0
➳Full review now posted.
(This review can also be found on my blog!)
Damn. For a classic set in 1800s England with names like 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Thrushcross Grange', that was intense.
That's not to say, of course, that I didn't like it - quite the opposite, actually! Although I found it a bit difficult to get into, I ended up really enjoying Wuthering Heights - my first classic in a long time - and I encourage you to pick it up, too!
I think what really captured my attention, right from the start, was the unorthodox approach to pretty much everything: the characters, the concept of love, the ending ... Brontë does an excellent job of showing us how villains are made.
I'll tell you why a lot of people can't stand this book: the most despised characteristics are rolled into our two protagonists: Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. They're people you would detest to be with in real life - they're malicious, selfish, rude, manipulative, and vengeful. Their love for each other is even more twisted.
This is because we're so used to the typical 'heroic' characters - and hey, though I love those too, they seem to be blinding us to the reality that humans can be horrible, too. So why can't our main character be so?
What I truly love about this, however, is that Brontë doesn't just show us that they're villainous, but she also shows us how they grow up to be like that. The events of their childhood unfold before us at a slow pace, giving us time to get used to the format and method of story-telling, all while introducing the factors that would shape their personalities.
Another clever element Brontë uses is an unreliable narrator. Sure, it seems like Nelly has nothing to gain out of lying, but how would we know? She had to be there at Catherine's beck and call throughout her life, and was the on receiving end of endless taunting and manipulation - and let's not forget that she must have seen those folks as haughty no matter what they did - so how can we be certain that she doesn't exaggerate certain events? This is a powerful mode of story-telling, because you, as a reader, have to be alert enough to analyse situations for yourself and to make your own judgement.
Brontë moves forward with the events to illustrate how Heathcliff's childhood has affected him. All the abuse that he was exposed to - both verbal and physical - is embedded deep within him, so much so that it becomes a part of him. All the hurt that accumulates over the years comes flooding out, and he is so consumed by the prospect of vengeance that it becomes an obsession. He is not afraid to sneer at anyone, or to twist any situation to his advantage, to the point that it alarms the readers themselves.
Of course, me, being completely inexperienced in this genre of books besides my required reading at school, cannot give you an extremely-detailed review packed with quotes and evidence, but I can tell you this: if you want an unconventional, realistic novel with characters and scenarios you can debate about, Wuthering Heights is the book for you. Just make sure to keep look up the translations for whatever the hell Joseph says throughout this story.
❧Book club read with these lovelies: Jana, Laura, Ines, Rebekah
(This review can also be found on my blog!)
Damn. For a classic set in 1800s England with names like 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Thrushcross Grange', that was intense.
That's not to say, of course, that I didn't like it - quite the opposite, actually! Although I found it a bit difficult to get into, I ended up really enjoying Wuthering Heights - my first classic in a long time - and I encourage you to pick it up, too!
I think what really captured my attention, right from the start, was the unorthodox approach to pretty much everything: the characters, the concept of love, the ending ... Brontë does an excellent job of showing us how villains are made.
I'll tell you why a lot of people can't stand this book: the most despised characteristics are rolled into our two protagonists: Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. They're people you would detest to be with in real life - they're malicious, selfish, rude, manipulative, and vengeful. Their love for each other is even more twisted.
This is because we're so used to the typical 'heroic' characters - and hey, though I love those too, they seem to be blinding us to the reality that humans can be horrible, too. So why can't our main character be so?
What I truly love about this, however, is that Brontë doesn't just show us that they're villainous, but she also shows us how they grow up to be like that. The events of their childhood unfold before us at a slow pace, giving us time to get used to the format and method of story-telling, all while introducing the factors that would shape their personalities.
Another clever element Brontë uses is an unreliable narrator. Sure, it seems like Nelly has nothing to gain out of lying, but how would we know? She had to be there at Catherine's beck and call throughout her life, and was the on receiving end of endless taunting and manipulation - and let's not forget that she must have seen those folks as haughty no matter what they did - so how can we be certain that she doesn't exaggerate certain events? This is a powerful mode of story-telling, because you, as a reader, have to be alert enough to analyse situations for yourself and to make your own judgement.
Brontë moves forward with the events to illustrate how Heathcliff's childhood has affected him. All the abuse that he was exposed to - both verbal and physical - is embedded deep within him, so much so that it becomes a part of him. All the hurt that accumulates over the years comes flooding out, and he is so consumed by the prospect of vengeance that it becomes an obsession. He is not afraid to sneer at anyone, or to twist any situation to his advantage, to the point that it alarms the readers themselves.
Of course, me, being completely inexperienced in this genre of books besides my required reading at school, cannot give you an extremely-detailed review packed with quotes and evidence, but I can tell you this: if you want an unconventional, realistic novel with characters and scenarios you can debate about, Wuthering Heights is the book for you. Just make sure to keep look up the translations for whatever the hell Joseph says throughout this story.
❧Book club read with these lovelies: Jana, Laura, Ines, Rebekah