A review by toffishay
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Wuthering Heights has a real place in my heart. I read this for the first time in high school and loved it, but hadn't read it since. I've completed my first re-read now a decade later and I still love it. I can acknowledge now that it is far from a perfect story. It really lags in the second half, as many readers would note. But as messy and terrible as Cathy and Healthcliff are, they are so compelling as characters! Healthcliff deserves his comeuppance, but he gets such a hard rap in life that you understand why he might want revenge. And Cathy is trapped by expectation, but also doesn't fight for Healthcliff, despite her headstrong personality. They are doomed by circumstance as much as they are by their own actions, which is so frustrating and so well done. From a purely atmospheric perspective, this is a perfect Gothic romance. The revenge that spans multiple generations, the doomed romance, the moors! If you want the vibes of wandering alone through the world, then this book is a great way to spend your time.
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