Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, Daphne Merkin (Introduction)
Paperback, 353 pages, Published August 1st 2005 by Barnes Noble Classics (first published December 1847)
SYNOPSIS:
Emily Brontë's only novel, Wuthering Heights remains one of literature's most disturbing explorations into the dark side of romantic passion. Heathcliff and Cathy believe they're destined to love each other forever, but when cruelty and snobbery separate them, their untamed emotions literally consume them.
Set amid the wild and stormy Yorkshire moors, Wuthering Heights, an unpolished and devastating epic of childhood playmates who grow into soul mates, is widely regarded as the most original tale of thwarted desire and heartbreak in the English language.
SPOTTED, xoxo:
S4: E10 The first night spent at Jason's place, Lorelai must sleep in the guest quarters because of Jason's curious sleeping habits. He gives her a tour of the luxurious guest bedroom complete with its own en suite bathroom full of Kiehl's products, and all the entertainment options a girl could ever want, including: a curated library, a minibar stocked with soda, candy, and airplane bottles, a stereo system, a collection of CD's and DVD's, and a self-rising plasma television, all of which Jason must keep out of his own bedroom due to his insomnia.
JASON: There are hundreds of great books in here, ranging from the classics - Wuthering Heights - to the real classics - Valley of the Dolls. LORELAI: Nice taste.
PROP PLACEMENT:
Wuthering Heights was a location that set apart the two ill-fated lovers, Heathcliff and Catherine. Jason and Lorelai are now also physically setting themselves in nearby but separate locations like the estates of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. This parallel could be signifying the beginning of a doomed passion, but more simply Wuthering Heights is an easily recognized and referenced classic work of literature.
BOOKMARKS:
“She was a wild, wicked slip of a girl. She burned too bright for this world.” - Chapter 9
“He shall never know I love him: and that, not because he’s handsome, but because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made out of, his and mine are the same.” - Chapter 9
“I wish I were a girl again, half-savage and hardy, and free.” - Chapter 12
PAGE TURNERS:
Can I say nothing? I despise this book. It took me 25 days to read this book in the midst of my reading challenge and it was only 353 pages. This is a book that will put your reading for enjoyment on hold, the type of book that I like to refer to as histrionic-lite. The drama and thrashing of arms, and gnashing of teeth, and exaltation of lament - I just can't. Rolling my eyes over and over was the only way I forced my eyes to keep reading another sentence.
WHAT THE WHAT?
The relationship of Heathcliff and Cathy has been suggested to have mirrored Emily's own life with her brother, Branwell, with some imagination. The Brontë children grew up in an isolated environment and were often left to themselves, much like the stories written about in their books. It is very clear through the lens of the three girls' writing that they were all victim to familial abuse. Many deductions can be made of each sister's individual resilience in regards to the style of book each had written. Out of the multitude of books I have read thus far in my challenge, Wuthering Heights gains some of the most captivating researched opinions albeit its 1847 original publishing date, ranging from a cult-like obsession to rooted psychological questioning of the author's mental health.
CARO'S RATING: 1 of 5 STARS
This book is twisted in a morally bankrupt and yet entirely unemotional way, hence my previous description of histrionic-lite. There exists an immense amount of physical histrionics but no real insight into any of the thoughts or behavior as character development. The plot consists of violent, attention-seeking behavior from people who cannot understand how to communicate their perspectives properly due to having no understanding of their own perception, every action being a conditioned reaction. This includes the very clear addiction to their shared catastrophic childhood and an attempt at recreating the familiar engulfing relationship in adulthood, all whilst confusing love with abuse. The dismissed and waived abuse and moreover complete inhumanity revolted me. I would give this book a rating lower than one star if possible due to the added and unheeded animal cruelty that seems to me more affecting than any damage to the unlikable human characters. I've read many a review to understand how anyone could contrast my own sentiments to no avail. I understand that this is a classic and I understand why, but I nonetheless cannot help but loathe it.
CHEEKY EXTRAS:
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