I've always heard such conflicting views about this book; either you love it or hate it. I happen to lean more towards the love side, but I do have my issues with it. On the good side I find it incredible that Emily Bronte had this published (posthumously) right around the same time that Jane Austen's Emma came out because the language used is so different. Bronte's novel is MUCH easier to read and you don't have to pay attention to every word on the page in order to gather what she's writing about. Another plus in my book is that there really isn't, technically, a happy ending for the main characters. Here's my quick synopsis: Wuthering Heights is the name of an estate in Northern England owned by the Earnshaw family. Their neighbors are the Linton's who live at Thrushcross Grange. Mr. Earnshaw brings home an orphan whom he names Heathcliff. Heathcliff is very rough, and has no manners. Hindley Earnshaw, the son, hates Heathcliff and makes his life as miserable as possible. Catherine, the daughter, sort of adopts Heathcliff as her playmate though she constantly looks down upon him. So they grow up, Mr. Earnshaw dies, Hindley marries and inherits the estate. Hindley's wife dies in childbirth leaving him a son named Hareton, whom he dislikes and treats as poorly as he treats Heathcliff. Catherine has become friends with the Linton children, Edgar and Isabella, and fancies herself wanting to marry Edgar because he has money and status. Heathcliff overhears a conversation between Catherine and her maid about how Catherine can't be with Heathcliff because of his lowly stature. Heathcliff storms off just before Catherine confesses that she loves him. Cue drama.
Heathcliff doesn't return for a few years, but when he does, he's magically become wealthy! Catherine has married Edgar and Heathcliff has taken over Wuthering Heights because Hindley has become a drunkard who can't pay his bills. Heathcliff marries Isabella Linton just to piss Catherine off and to amass some of the Linton wealth. Heathcliff hates Isabella, and she hates him as well. Heathcliff goes to visit Catherine, they argue, she gets sick (EVERYONE gets sick in this book, seriously, it's kind of annoying), and on her deathbed informs Heathcliff of her true feelings for him, and vice versa. She dies in childbirth; the baby is named Catherine.
Heathcliff becomes an extremely angry and bitter man. Isabella runs off to live away from his madness. Hindley Earnshaw died at some point living poor Hareton to be raised illiterate and having poor manners, just like Heathcliff. Isabella dies 10 or so years later and low and behold she had a son (Heathcliff's) who goes to Wuthering Heights to be raised by his father. Linton, Heathcliff's son, is this biggest wuss I have ever encountered in literature. Seriously, sick all the time and whines constantly. Oddly enough, Cathy Linton (Edgar and Catherine's daughter) takes a liking to her cousin. Edgar dies, Heathcliff sees his chance to snatch up Thrushcross Grange and forces Cathy and Edgar to marry. Literally, he hits Cathy in the face and scares the crap out of her. Everyone is miserable and hates each other. Linton dies, thank god, and Cathy takes a liking to her other cousin, Hareton. She teaches him to read and the two slowly start to fall in love. Heathcliff sees this and has some weird mental breakdown. He doesn't eat or sleep for days and walks around the moors all night, apparently taking to Catherine's ghost. He dies and is buried next to Catherine. Everyone is happy and the ghosts of Heathcliff and Catherine are together, walking the moors at night.
Phew. Long summary but a lot goes on in this book. I love how the main character's children re-live the lives of their parents, only with a happy ending. If you didn't catch who was like whom, here it is: Heathcliff=Hareton, Edgar=Linton, Catherine=Cathy. I also found it very interesting at how violent Bronte made Heathcliff. He literally called Cathy a slut and hit her among the other children. His loss of Catherine turned him into such a horrible monster, but at the same time, you feel for him. It made me happy that a townsperson saw their ghosts walking together because you really want Heathcliff to find peace. There wasn't much I didn't like about the novel besides that it felt like the climax was in the middle of the book. After Catherine died the book became a little dull until the children started interacting together. Overall, I give Wuthering Heights 3/5 stars.
Hopefully I will update more, especially with spring break approaching. I'm thinking Lolita might be next ;)
