Book #16 Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Progress Book 20 of 100

Main point-Heathcliff is mean.  Emily Bronte knew how to write a character that is completely unlikeable.  This was the first time I’ve read this book and I think I’ve only seen a few scenes of the Laurence Oliver movie, so I didn’t really know much about the story.  It’s called a gothic novel, and it’s easy to see why.  There are many dark scenes and it seems like all the characters are unhappy for a majority of the novel.  The story centers around two main characters Cathy and her adopted brother Heathcliff.  They live isolated lives in the moors of Northern England.   Other main characters include Cathy’s biological brother Hindley and their neighbors the Lintons.  Cathy and family live at Wuthering Heights and the Lintons live at Thrushcross Grange. 

The novel is told almost completely as a story by Cathy’s housekeeper Nelly.  Luckily she always seems to be present when everything is happening. The beginning of the novel starts with Mr. Lockwood calling upon his landlord Mr. Heathcliff at Wuthering Heights.  He is met with the proud and powerful man, living with two younger adults, Catherine and Hareton, who are very unhappy.  They seem to have no manners and he is not used to meeting people like this.  Although he wants to get away a big storm arrives making him spend the night in the dark cold unwelcoming home.  Tucked up in a room he finds Cathy’s diary and reads about her adventures as a young girl.  Once asleep he is awaken to sounds of a ghost calling Heathcliff.  Scared out of his wits he is determined to get as far away from Wuthering Heights as possible and have as little to do with Heathcliff as possible.  When he returns to Thurshcross Grange the current housekeeper, Nelly, starts to recite the story of Catherine and Heathcliff and their families.

I enjoyed reading this novel, but it was very dark.  To have so many characters unhappy out of spite and lack of being unable to forgive was pretty gloomy.  This type of sad story isn’t the type of book that would be on the top of my list to read.  I was satisfied with the ending, but feel like overall I enjoyed her sister’s novel Jane Eyre more.

This title will still get an A- 92%