Review: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

4.5 stars for Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.

Not sure what possesses me lately but I have the sudden urge to read a classic novel. To date, far as I can remember, I have only read young adult and children’s classic books, never adult ones. So yes, it does take some time – at least for me – to warm up to the style and language of a classic novel. Nevertheless, I am able to enjoy and appreciate author Brontë's manner of writing and her powerfully expressive descriptions of the lonely moorland and its alienated inhabitants; both of which are redolent of everything that is English.

With regard to style and language, I am certainly amused by Brontë's choice of words in penning Wuthering Heights, particularly her preference in frequently using 'ejaculated' to bring across the meaning of saying something quickly and suddenly. Thus far, I have not the chance to come across this word being used in modern-day novel writing to denote anything else other than its other literal meaning with sexual connotation. Well, actually I think this is just another sign that times have changed; after all, Wuthering Heights is originally published in the year 1847.

Amusements aside, for those of you who are wondering about the meaning of Wuthering and its significance to the story, which I certainly do when I read the book, here it goes. Wuthering as used in the book title is taken to describe the turbulent and noisy winds that blow across Mr Heathcliff’s dwelling – an ancient mansion sitting on a remote moorland farmhouse – which thus earns its name as Wuthering Heights.

Wuthering Heights is essentially a story within a story where the elderly housekeeper, Ellen Dean, eventually becomes the main narrator and tells the story of how a Mr Heathcliff comes into existence in the residence of the Earnshaws and sees to it the beginning of a wildly romantic and complex story. In truth, more of a tragedy I will say.

Before I go any further, I admit that I find it next to impossible to talk about Wuthering Heights without saying too much even though I try my best to keep spoilers at bay. So if you prefer to know nothing about the book, please stop reading right after this paragraph.

Heathcliff is a gypsy boy who is taken in and raised by this pristine family, the Earnshaws. As time passes, Heathcliff and the girl, Catherine Earnshaw, fall in love with each other. Unfortunately, due to Heathcliff’s background, the family thinks he is dirt and not worthy of the proprietor’s daughter.

Try as he may, nothing that Heathcliff does can convince the Earnshaws that he is good enough and change their opinion of him. In the end, he goes away, educates himself and returns a gentleman. But still, the people think very lowly of him. In the end, Heathcliff decides to fulfil the judgement of these people by becoming what they think of him. He turns into a brute and let loose the evil within him; he becomes a most diabolical man, delighting to wrong and ruin those he hates.

Publisher: Collector's Library; Second Printing edition
Publication date: 1 Aug 2010

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Wuthering Heights is a wild, passionate story of the intense and almost demonic love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, a foundling adopted by Catherine's father.

After Mr Earnshaw's death, Heathcliff is bullied and humiliated by Catherine's brother Hindley and wrongly believing that his love for Catherine is not reciprocated, leaves Wuthering Heights, only to return years later as a wealthy and polished man. He proceeds to exact a terrible revenge for his former miseries.

The action of the story is chaotic and unremittingly violent, but the accomplished handling of a complex structure, the evocative descriptions of the lonely moorland setting and the poetic grandeur of vision combine to make this unique novel a masterpiece of English literature.

*Blurb from Goodreads*

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