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Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights
Audiobook11 hours

Wuthering Heights

Written by Emily Brontë

Narrated by Flo Gibson

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

Classic novel of consuming passions, played out against the lonely moors of northern England, recounts the turbulent and tempestuous love story of Cathy and Heathcliff. A masterpiece of imaginative fiction, the story remains as poignant and compelling today as it was when first published in 1847.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 25, 2011
ISBN9781436100151
Author

Emily Brontë

Emily Brontë (1818-1848) was an English novelist and poet, best remembered for her only novel, Wuthering Heights (1847). A year after publishing this single work of genius, she died at the age of thirty.

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Reviews for Wuthering Heights

Rating: 3.899193548387097 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The reader sounded like the voice of the story teller

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This year I re-read "Jane Eyre," and endeavored to read the books her sisters wrote. Recently, planning to read the first novel by Daphne Du Maurier, I read that it was a kind of homage to "Wuthering Heights," and so I set out to read it before the Du Maurier novel.

    What an intensely gloomy and miserable book! I don't think that the malformation of Heathcliff's character is ever really explained, nor is his love/hate relationship with Catherine after her marriage. How can he think that torturing the offspring of his enemies is anything other than sadism? How come I've heard him referred to as a romantic character?

    This book probably paints a truer picture of the period than do others, but it's hard for me to understand how it's come to be regarded as Great Literature.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wuthering Heights is a good book and deservedly a classic. But how overwrought and overblown it all is. These bizarre characters, driven by hate, obsession, revenge...gad! Heathcliff, a truly malevolent character, does his best to destroy everyone but Cathy Earnshaw. Cathy herself isn't quite a heroine, either, being almost totally self-involved, spoiled, and having an ungovernable temper. Edgar Linton, although weak and somewhat vapid, seems to be a good person. The younger Cathy and the unfortunate Hareton are at least redeemable. With the moors, the gloom, the hint of ghosts, and the sense of impending destruction, though, this is a book that will stir your emotions. And before you become too comfortable with the somewhat happy, hopeful ending, remember that these are first cousins who will marry, and who will be carrying a boatload of genetic tendencies toward alcoholism, violence, and madness. Not so cheery after all.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of my favourite books of all time and yet if asked to explain why, I would struggle. Heathcliff and Cathy are both characters who are fundamentally difficult to actually like yet inexplicably the 'love story' between them is so compelling. Emily Bronte's originality and daring at writing such a novel is breathtaking given the age in which she was writing. Heathcliff's character in particular is for me a masterpeice and I applaud the fact that Bronte turned away from archetypal heros and chose instead a man without redemption. The kind of love that Bronte explores in this novel is brutal and honest; an obsession not to be escaped by death and is so radically different from that which is portrayed in most Nineteenth Century fiction. Her writing is perfection and upon finishing the novel, I could only feel a pang that this was the only novel that remains of one of the (in my opinion) greatest writers in the English Language.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Me, I'm of the "I love it" camp. The characters are so vibrant and chaotic, and are real enough to evoke hatred and a strong desire to march into the book and give them all lectures/a punch in the face. Bronte's writing conveys exactly the darkness and oppression caused by Heathcliff. One of my favourite "classics".
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I don't really now how I feel about this book, I am going to read it again and see if I get something different from it. But I have noticed that if you don't love it you usually hate it. I am whilling to give it a second chance.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A story of love and passion between Catherine and Heathcliff that even death could not get in the way. You either like this book or hate it. You'll be surprise the violence and cruelty surrounds the characters in this book not to mention some foul language on the side. You'll never thought that it actually was written by a woman living in the late 1880's and a being a daughter of an Anglican minister. A Gothic epic romance that has served to be a basis for the famous 1939 movie which was titled the same as the book. Obsession of loss, passion for unrequited love, ghosts, madness, desolate setting and peace at death in the end. An absolute must read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wuthering Heights is the only novel by Emily Brontë, one of the gifted Brontë sisters in the history of English literature in the early 19th century. It's the story of a forbidden love between Catherine Earnshaw from a wealthy family and Heathcliff, an outcast adopted by Catherine's father but ill-treated and badly abused by Hindley, Catherine's brother after old Mr. Earnshaw died. The forbidden love led Catherine Earnshaw to marry Edgar Linton and Heathcliff to marry Edgar's sister Isabella Linton; the abuse led Heathcliff to behave with dark heart and iron hands that made him the owner of the fortunes of both the Earnshaw and the Linton's; the unresolved passion eventually destoryed them, Hindley, Edgar and Isabella, and Heathcliff's own son with Isabella. The unexpected twists and turns in this novel makes it a captivating and engaging read for me. This is a classic English novel worth reading.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Although it took me a good 50 pages to really get into the story, I think this book is brilliant. The depth of the characters is amazing. Specifically, the range of emotions you go through while reading about each character. One minute you love them and the next you think they've gotten what they deserve. I was prepared for a romance and in the end, I beleive it was. Very satisfying to read and I am not surprised it has such a cult following. I will definitely read again.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Plot: in the background, a coming-of-age family tale. For the most dysfunctional family imaginable.Characters: Relatively small cast, and everybody gets plenty of attention and development. Even the minor characters are well-layered, and Heathcliff and Catherine are amazingly drawn. Style: 19th century prose, at times a little unpolished, but it fits the setting and the characters. Plus: Heathcliff. And the complete lack of an entirely innocent character. Minus: the frame narration isn't the most interesting. Summary: must read. Complex enough to satisfy on several reads - actually the second or third time around is more interesting than the first.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights was not too memorable for me. I thought that the premise of the story was quite original but the writing was confusing and sometimes redundant. One of the problems that I had with the novel was the way that Bronte kept recycling the names. Even though there is symbolic significance to using the same name for certain characters, it became too repetitive and convoluted. This is one of the reasons why I did not find the novel memorable. It would be too hard for me to recount the events of the story with the names that were given to the characters. I did, however, enjoy the "happy" ending because only the two people who did not seem hopeless remained.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    GAH! Pretty much disliked this one, manic depression and child abuse rolled into a package that seriously had my teeth on edge.I prefer Daphne du Maurier for the same kind of atmosphere and would much rather lose myself in a Jane Austen for a period piece.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Absolutely loved this book!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Read this for the first time aged 15 years old and at a time when I was learning about the meaning of love and lust. The ghost of Heathcliff has haunted me ever since. Fantastic but has so many layers and themes it can be read again and again.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I know there are many people that absolutely love this book. I am definitely not one of them. I thought it was ghastly. I hated it! With the possible exception of the younger Cathering and perhaps Hareton, eventually, there was not one person I could like in this story. I don't understand how a book this miserable could be considered by some as beautiful but I guess to each his own. Because I hated it so much, it took me forever to get through it thus prolonging the agony. But, now I can say that I have indeed read it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wow. I finally made it through this book. I am glad I did. Many people either love it or hate it. I guess I fall somewhere in the obscure 'I kinda liked it' category. I probably give it an extra half a star for the cultural awareness it has afforded me as I hear or read about it often enough that it mattered to me that I read the book.Be warned, six of the characters share three names. It took me a lot of time, from the very beginning of the book to figure out WHO everyone was. Once I'd done that she'd woven a web that I wanted to see untangled eventually. The plotline wraps up neatly in the end but, I think, without great resolution. The tale is one of love and hate and need, revenge and restlessness.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    12-17-09 I've just finished reading the book and last night watched the movie.I've tried reading this book in the past, and it really threw me off the way it is written. It seemed to take forever to make sense of what they were saying much less follow the story line:( However, I really wanted to understand this story and it keeps popping up. So - I came on line to LibraryThing and the wonderful reviews helped.Then going back to the book, I've enjoyed it so much more. Thank you everyone who takes the time to write their review of the books they read!!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a melancholy read with heart-wrenching twists. It's a perfect selections for the dreary days of fall as winter approaches. The love of Heathcliff and Catherine is doomed from the start. It seems they can never get in sync, yet they can't survive without one another. Doomed from the start, you can't help but hope they can get together. Everyone should read at least once in their life.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    i listened to this. i would check to see if anyone had this on hold and no one did. so i'd be listening to it and try to renew it and someone had it on hold. this happened 3 times over at least a year. i've have to start each time from the beginning. the reading was quite good with both a man and a woman but i never really warmed to the story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Every girl wishes to have the love that Catherine and Heathcliff share
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wuthering Heights Heights is the quintessential story of doomed romance, family strife and all-consuming revenge. Who doesn't know the tragic story of Catherine and Heathcliff? Ellen (Nelly) Dean is the perfect narrator for Wuthering Heights. Only her memory bridges the gap between the two generations. She served both generations of the Earnshaw and Linton families. As she explains to renter Mr. Lockwood, she was a child servant in the Earnshaw household when Mr. Earnshaw brought home gypsy orphan, Heathcliff. Earnshaw's children are slow to accept Heathcliff into the family and while Catherine softens and learns to love him, brother Hareton never does. It is a classic case of feelings magnifying over time. Catherine falls in love with Heathcliff while Hareton becomes consumed by hatred. Revenge becomes another theme in Wuthering Heights as Catherine's love for Heathcliff is overshadowed by a wealthier, more gentlemanly suitor. Soon she is sacrificing her true passion for societal standing and marries well-to-do Edgar Linton instead.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When Mr. Lockwood became tenant of the brooding Heathcliff at Wuthering Heights he had no idea of the dramatic and tragic history of the land. When faithful servant, Nelly, seeks to enlighten him he is treated to a tale of horrible proportions, of violence and revenge and the inhumanity of love turned to obsession.I can honestly say I never expected to like this story. I knew very little of what the story was about, just that it was a much venerated classic that was frequently used as inspiration for stories even until today. But, I did like it despite the fact that I'm not fond of colloquial language, tragedy or dark Gothic drama. I expected the writing to give me much more trouble with understanding than it turned out. In the end it was only Joseph's dialog that was completely incomprehensible and it was easy enough just to skim over those parts.I've seen this story referred to as a romance which rather shocks me. I didn't really find the book romantic at all. Heathcliff's obsession with Catherine was so violent and consuming and later, what happened between Linton and Catherine, was more about psychological drama, betrayal and angst than anything else. It was utterly fascinating in a watching a train wreck sort of way. Also amazing, although potentially included with just with this edition, was the illuminatory introduction written by Charlotte Bronte about her sister Emily post-mortem. It is so hard to believe a young, cloistered, quiet spinster could ever come up with such a dark and compelling storyline. It is a pity that the harshness of the critics of their time hurt Emily Bronte so badly when it comes to such an amazing piece of work. It is easy for me to see why this piece of literature has been a cornerstone classic since the 1800s and I'm so glad to have finally discovered it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The characters in Emily Brontë’s novel are so extreme, so given over to their passions, so driven and wilful that you will, certainly, want to pull your own hair out. From the dissipated yet cruel Hindley, to the emotionally divided and divisive Cathy, to the mindlessly foolish Isabella, and her ineffectual brother, Edgar, to the stunted, brutish Hareton, it is a cavalcade of distasteful, even monstrous, types. But none compare to the fiendish Heathcliff himself, whose unrelenting vengeful monomania brings ruin upon them all. How Heathcliff’s perverse passion for Catherine came to represent any sort of ideal of romantic devotion in the many years subsequent to the novel’s publication is a mystery to me.If possible, it might be best to set aside the principal characters and their extreme emotions and actions, and turn instead to the descriptive prose with which Emily Brontë renders the wild moors, the relentless inclement weather, and the brief wonder of spring or a sunny summer day. Even more intriguing is the bracketed narrative technique, initiated by the loquaciously risible Mr. Lockwood and then, more prosaically, carried forward by Ellen Dean. That Ellen Dean at one point encourages Mr. Lockwood to pursue a possible marriage with the younger Catherine deliciously risks the confusion of narrative and plot, and Mr. Lockwood does well to get himself as far away from Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights as possible. His return later in the year rightly heralds the wrapping up of loose ends and the natural dénouement of the tale.Wuthering Heights, even today, seems so singular, so extreme that, if you still have hair at the end of it, you might wish to set it on its own shelf in your library, isolated and incomparable. A curious, dark masterpiece recommended only for the brave of heart.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    ‘Wuthering Heights’ is a novel made famous by the passionate relationship between two of its central characters, Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. It is also strongly associated with the moors where readers imagine the two characters meeting and travelling together. Since I was expecting to uncover a tragic tale of love, reading the actual story brought surprise after surprise – and far more hatred and anger than love.The initial surprise was to find the story apparently narrated by a Mr Lockwood, a name I had never heard associated with this tempestuous tale. Shortly upon arriving at his new home, he makes the mistake of visiting Wuthering Heights, his landlord’s distant abode, and is appalled to meet its embittered inhabitants. Lockwood offers unwelcome politeness as he tries to interact with a sullen servant, surly landlord and vicious dogs. Matters only become worse as he mistakes a pile of dead rabbits for pet cats and Heathcliff’s morose daughter-in-law for his wife. Unable to pursue normal discourse with his reluctant hosts, Lockwood decides to leave but is trapped by poor weather into staying in an upstairs chamber that he is guided to by candlelight. Before morning, he beholds a terrible visitation and apparently becomes obsessed by discovering the truth of Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship… This is an excellent opening as it confounds the reader’s likely expectations while drawing them into an atmosphere of decay, distrust and malevolence which is only brightened by the prospect of solving the riddle of this strange ‘family’. Heathcliff appears to be almost completely malign and one wonders how he can be bent into any kind of hero fitting for a great love story. His only redeeming feature seems to be his grief over Catherine’s absence, revealed after an apparently supernatural incident, which appears to be both genuine and uncontrollable. This provokes compassion in Lockwood and the reader, encouraging us to discover the cause of Heathcliff’s intense emotions.Lockwood’s confused perception is soon replaced by the more knowing narrative of Nelly, or Ellen Dean, formerly the housekeeper at Wuthering Heights and currently Lockwood’s one companion at Thrushcross Grange. Soon, Lockwood disappears almost entirely from the story as Nelly evokes the childhood of Catherine and Hindley Earnshaw, whose childhood is disrupted by an interloper: Heathcliff, a ‘gipsey’ child abandoned in the slums of Liverpool and rescued by Catherine’s father. Although both original children are initially piqued by their father’s ‘gift’, Catherine soon accepts Heathcliff as a similar spirit, while Hindley begins to shape a life-long enmity that will have far-reaching consequences. From the very moment he is introduced to the family, even his rescuer comments that he is ‘as dark almost as if it came from the devil’. Throughout the novel, Heathcliff’s colour and character are repeatedly linked to the devil, but these references really multiply after Cathy ‘betrays’ him. From then on, Heathcliff’s revenge is at the forefront of all his actions and the novel enters a very melodramatic phase, well suited to such a gothic tale, during which Heathcliff gains such ascendancy that it seems everyone is terrified of him. Will he succeed in turning all relationships into bitter sparring, or can any descendants of this powerful pair of lovers achieve redemption?Heathcliff’s ferocity and hatred are almost unimaginable, but Emily Bronte captures the passion which works beneath his surface. He will not allow himself to show grief, but it is clear that he is wounded at his core and this makes his basest actions seem to have some justification. Catherine’s proud nature and sense of relationship with Heathcliff is also powerfully presented. Although neither character is truly sympathetic, the power of their emotions forces the reader to feel for them even if they cannot feel with them. Since most of the novel is told through two narrators, there is a certain distance from the action that renders some scenes slightly less powerful. This is a small criticism of a highly evocative novel, but it is worth being aware of. It is also true that such extended narratives require a certain suspension of disbelief as Mr Lockwood relates Nelly’s narrative word by word from thirty years past. Occasionally, I felt slightly frustrated when more layers were added to this screen – such as when Nelly began to give the latest version of events by giving another housekeeper’s version of events, gleaned through conversation while at market. However, the first person narrative also allows Bronte, through Nelly and Lockwood, to add a certain chill to the atmosphere by showing their horror at the events they witness.There are two surprising gaps in the narrative, things we never see or learn as readers, which seem to cry out for answers. Did Emily Bronte deliberately choose to leave those scenes a mystery or was she unaware of the holes they created? One key incident takes place completely without detailed reference or date; our witness is locked away for a period of several days, without warning or explanation. When she is released, the deed is done and the details of it never discussed. Such gaps seem odd but could be felt to add to the mysterious atmosphere within the book: personally, they did not spoil my pleasure in reading but did strike me as quite odd, given the emphasis on telling every other aspect of the story. Finally, I feel obliged to say a few words about the nature of the ending, without spoiling it for future readers. The final two chapters reveal such a change that it seems hardly believable and some readers may feel it is rather forced. However, I felt that, on the whole, the developments were in keeping with the characters and their situation, and allowed a clear resolution to the novel which has not previously seemed likely.A bigger problem may be found in the attitudes towards illness displayed in the novel. Many characters are struck down by nameless illnesses and die young after lengthy convalescences. Obviously, people today are capable of suffering in such a way, but the lack of medical detail and seeming weakness of some of the characters did make me feel quite distanced from them as such weakness seemed quite unrealistic in an otherwise strikingly realistic novel. This is merely a problem created by reading a novel set two centuries ago and is presumably more realistic for the period. The many illnesses are also used to illustrate character and are important to some interpretations of the themes of the novel, so this is really a very personal and quite unjustified complaint! Overall, this is a powerful tale incorporating gothic and melodramatic elements to create a much more textured and layered narrative than initial expectations might anticipate. I cannot claim that it is life changing or an essential read, although I know it to be a very respected and much enjoyed novel, but I did find it engaging throughout and enjoyed pondering possible interpretations of events and symbols once I had finished reading.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I feel good after reading this book. It's as good as the movie (yay! usually the movie version is worse), I'm talking about the one with Ralph Fiennes and Juliet Binoche.Anyway, now I know why I dislike Jane Austen's novels. Wuthering Heights offers a more interesting theme, it does not focus in Victorian culture and ways of society *cough* which is boring*cough* and it has more intriguing characters.The romance is just awesome. Who could forget Heathcliff's dedication and undying love for Catherine? I think after Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler, Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw is my most favorite romantic couple.Heathcliff is an orphan, a vagabond, taken to live with the Earnshaws in Wuthering Heights. He grew up with Catherine, who was the only person in the world that could understand him. Vice versa. Both developed a unique, unbreakable relationship, ranging from best friends, brother and sister, and finally ... love.Unfortunately, things did not work out well with them. Catherine married someone else, she had a daughter, named after her. However, Cathy Linton was different from her mother, although her charm (and heritage) made Heathcliff forced her to be his daughter-in law.Heathcliff never forget Catherine. Not ever. I shall not spoil it here, but there is one certain scene when Heathcliff pronounced his love to Catherine, which made me shudder and gave me goosebumps. Every woman in the world probably would kill to have a love just like what Heathcliff had for Catherine. That fiery, passionate, insatiable love...hmmm...
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    found this book a bit tough at the start(not for the faint hearted reader), but soon got the hang of it. loved the language used. not a big fan of the classics.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love this book so much, I know it is dark, obsessive and etc etc., however I feel it is all the human emotions we experience, not all one person, but every one of us on every level, I actually rather love all the characters, I don't find them selfish, I find them humans who make stupid, terrible mistakes, and to think of it practically, living when they did must have been quite horrific, given the weather, circumstances, poverty, society in general back, the have's and the have not's, must have made life so difficult unless you were firmly in your own societal circle and stayed there. Anyway, I love it, and I also admit I love to watch the dvd's as well.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I thought it was alright, other than the impenetrable dialect-writing of one character, but I read on the internets that apparently this book is supposed to be a love story, and that Heathcliff is apparently a tragic romantic hero. What! That made me mad. He was a complete dick! The whole book is him being horrible to other people because the amazingly shallow girl he liked said something mean about him one time! Actually, pretty much all the characters were overly shallow and immature, and I don't believe any one of them was ever in love once, no matter how much swooning they did.Sigh. I think this is one of those times where the characters bug me too much for me to enjoy the story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Catherine and Heathcliff are vindictive, manipulative, selfish and cruel characters. Despite, or perhaps because of, this their story makes for an incredibly engrossing tale of drama and revenge. It's also a little bit of a ghost story as well. Before the end of the third chapter, the reader has a sense of the melodramatic, gothic flavour of the writing. After a visitor to Wuthering Heights remarks on a nightmare he's had about a ghost clawing at his window:"[Heathcliff] got onto the bed, and wrenched open the lattice, bursting, as he pulled at it, into an uncontrollable passion of tears."Come in! come in!" he sobbed. "Cathy, do come. Oh do - once more! Oh! my heart's darling! hear me this time, Catherine, at last!" (p.33)The rest of the novel is told in the form of a maid relating the history of these characters to the understandably perplexed visitor.It is basically the story of two families: the Earnshaws who live at Wuthering Heights and the Lintons who live at Thrushcross Grange, and how Heathcliff manages to almost destroy both of them. Heathcliff was an orphaned child taken in by the head of the Earnshaw family. As a little child he was friends with Catherine Earnshaw, because the two shared a wild and reckless spirit. However, before they grew up, Heathcliff was reduced to a servant and Catherine married the wealthy pretty-boy Edgar Linton. Cue Heathcliffe leaving, only to return to Wuthering Heights as a strong and wealthy man with plans for an awesome revenge. One thing about Heathcliff is that he is totally honest about what a monster he is. When he sets out to marry Isabella Linton (Catherine's sister-in-law after she marries Edgar) he does it only to hurt and torture Edgar and Isabella Linton, whom he sees as namby-pamby snobs. But before she agrees to marry him, Heathcliff strangles her little dog in front of her! The fact that she is still stupid enough to run away with him does not make his abuse of her any better, but it does make Isabella a rather stupid and unsympathetic character in her own right. Catherine Linton nee Earnshaw is a selfish and manipulative woman who plays Edgar and Heathcliff off each other - teasing and tormenting each and mocking the other behind his back. She works herself into fits to manipulate them and eventually seems to kill herself from the strain of it. But one of the most dramatic parts of the narrative is her last meeting with Heathcliff:"Let me alone. Let me alone," sobbed Catherine. "If I've done wrong, I'm dying for it. It is enough! You left me too - but I won't upbraid you! I forgive you. Forgive me!""It is hard to forgive, and to look at those eyes, and feel those wasted hands," he answered. "Kiss me again; and don't let me see your eyes! I forgive what you have done to me. I love my murderers - but yours! How can I?"They were silent - their faces hid against each other's tears. At least, I suppose the weeping was on both sides; as it seemed Heathcliff could weep on a great occasion like this. (p.192)If you want gothic melodrama - look no further. It's all richly entertaining - especially when Heathcliff actually digs up her grave and has a wall knocked out of her coffin. I have to admit that my interest waned a little in the second half of the novel, which deals with the next generation. Catherine's daughter, Cathy Linton is manipulated by a still vengeful Heathcliff into marrying his sickly son. Heathcliff even tortures and torments his deathly ill boy into the charade - but even the sick child is not a character one wants to sympathize with - being self-centred, malicious and sadistic. Heathcliff takes out his hatred on the Earnshaw and Linton families by trying to destroy both as thoroughly as possible - abusing, torturing and harassing even the children of those he perceived wronged him, and is only thwarted by his own insane obsession with the ghost of the dead Catherine. That there actually manages to be a somewhat happy ending for the two families is pretty remarkable. Catherine the younger, freed from her marriage to the sickly Heathcliff junior by his death, finds a surprisingly complex soul to love in that of Earnshaw's grandson, Hareton, raised as a brute by Heathcliff but willing to change for her sake. And the original Catherine and Heathcliff get to be ghosts together, haunting the moors and tormenting the poor villagers that they liked to terrify when they were living! Hey, it's a surprisingly entertaining classic - a dramatic gothic read that everybody should pick up at least once in their lifetime.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The last time I read this was for a class in college, so it was different from previous readings. I did find it more interesting because of the analysis that went into it. I was struck by how much of a love story it isn't, even though it is billed as one of the greatest love stories of all times. Heathcliff and Catherine were selfish and foolish...it was more tragic than beautiful.