Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

Synopsis from Barnes & Noble:  Wuthering Heights is a novel by Emily Brontë published in 1847. The title of the novel comes from the Yorkshire manor on the moors of the story. The narrative centres on the all-encompassing, passionate but doomed love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, and how this unresolved passion eventually destroys them and many around them.

If you’ll recall from my reading of Jane Eyre, I had the plot confused with Wuthering Heights.  Well, there should be no danger of that happening in the future as I just spent the last two weeks slogging through Wuthering Heights.

I understand it’s a classic.  But I really don’t get the “timeless love story” of a lot of the reviews.  I think that Bronte does everything in her power to make you dislike all of her characters.  Yes, all of them.  There was not a single character that I felt empathy or kindness towards.  They all seemed to either be spoiled or evil…sometimes both.  Also probably part of my prejudice is I’m not big on ghosts and such. 

Cathy loved Heathcliff.  I’m pretty certain she would have married him if he would have approached her regarding it.  Clearly their love for each other was deep and abiding.  Heathcliff was wrong to run off; Cathy was even more wrong to marry someone she didn’t love.

Their love was all-consuming as was the desire and carrying out of revenge. 

The story was dark and depressing.  But at least now I won’t get the two novels confused.