ThebookwaswrittenbyEmilyBronte,itpublishedin1847.Butatthattime,itseemedtoholdlittlepromise,sellingverypoorlyandreceivingonlyafewmixedreviews.Ifoundthisinourschoollibrary,Ichosethisbookbecausethetitleattractedme.Thebookisstructuredaroundtwoparallellovestories,thefirsthalfofthenovelcenteringonthelovebetweenCatherineandHeathcliff,whilethelessdramaticsecondhalffeaturesthedevelopinglovebetweenyoungCatherineandHareton.Incontrasttothefirst,thelattertaleendshappily,restoringpeaceandordertoWutheringHeightsandThrushcrossGrange.Inthestory,thetwohouses,WutheringHeightsandThrushcrossGrange,representopposingworldsandvalues.
Ispenttwentydaysreadingthisbook.Afterreadingthisbook,IfeltforHeathcliffatfirst.HeathcliffbeginshislifeasahomelessorphanonthestreetsofLiverpool,andthenhetyrannizedbyHindleyEarnshaw.ButhebecomesavillainwhenheacquirespowerandreturnstoWutheringHeightswithmoneyandthetrappingsofagentleman.Hismalevolenceprovessogreatandlong—lasting.Ashehimselfpointsout,hisabuseofIsabella—hiswifeispurelysadistic,asheamuseshimselfbyseeinghowmuchabuseshecantakeandstillcomecringingbackformore.
Catherinerepresentswildnature,inbothherhigh,livelyspiritsandheroccasionalcruelty.ShelovesHeathcliffsointenselythatsheclaimstheyarethesameperson.However,heractionsaredriveninpartbyhersocialambitions,whichinitiallyareawakenedduringherfirststayattheLintons,andwhicheventuallycompelhertomarryEdgar.Catherineisfree—spirited,beautiful,spoiled,andoftenarrogant,sheisgiventofitsoftemper,andsheistornbetweenherbothofthemenwholoveher.Thelocationofhercoffinsymbolizestheconflictthattearsaparthershortlife.SheisburiedinacorneroftheKirkyard.IncontrasttoCatherine,IsabellaLinton—Catherinessister—in—lawrepresentscultureandcivilization,bothinherrefinementandinherweakness.Ultimately,sheruinsherlifebyfallinginlovewithHeathcliff.HeneverreturnsherfeelingsandtreatsherasameretoolinhisquestforrevengeontheLintonfamily.
JustasIsabellaLintonservesasCatherinesfoil,EdgarLintonservesasHeathcliffs.Edgargrowsintoatender,constant,butcowardlyman.Heisalmosttheidealgentleman.However,thisfullassortmentofgentlemanlycharacteristics,alongwithhiscivilizedvirtues,provesuselessinEdgarsclasheswithhisfoil.Heseeshiswifeobviouslyinlovewithanothermanbutunabletodoanythingtorectifythesituation.Heathcliff,whogainspoweroverhiswife,sister,anddaughter.
Thewholestorymakepeoplesmoodheavy.Fortunately,theendishappy.
TheauthorEmilyBrontelivedaneccentric,closelyguardedlife.Shewasbornin1818,twoyearsafterCharlotte—theauthorofJaneEyreandayearandahalfbeforehersisterAnne,whoalsobecameanauthor.Herfatherworkedasachurchrector,andheraunt,whoraisedtheBrontechildrenaftertheirmotherdied,wasdeeplyreligious.EmilyBrontedidnottaketoherauntsChristianfervor,thecharacterofJoseph,acaricatureofanevangelical,mayhavebeeninspiredbyherauntsreligiosity.TheBronteslivedinHaworth,aYorkshirevillageinthemidstofthemoors.Thesewild,desolateexpanses—laterthesettingofWutheringHeights—madeuptheBrontesdailyenvironment,andEmilylivedamongthemherentirelife.Shediedin1848,attheageofthirty.
AfterreadingWutheringHeights,theloveandthehatredbetweenCatherineandHeathcliffstilllingerinmyhead.WutheringHeightsgivesmeacold,withering,andlonelyfeeling;however,attheendthebooktheauthorshowsusthatthehumankindnessisnotdiminishedatWutheringheights,eventhoughthewindcanbreakoffatreethatdoesntmeanitcanbreakoffthewholeforest.EventhoughhatreddestroyedHeathcliff,Catherine,EdgarandElizabethshappiness,thatdoesntmeanCathyandHaretonshappiness.
Actually,thereisnosuchacharacterIreallylikeinWutheringHeights,everycharacterseemsteemedwithagonyandanimosity,especiallyHeathcliff.HeathcliffisanorphanbeforeMr.Earnshawadopthim,andinthenovel,itsaysthatMr.EarnshawtreatsHeathcliffevenbetterthanhisownson,HindleyEarnshaw.ItsquiteamazingthatinspiteofEarnshawsnicetreatment,Heathcliffhasnogratitudeatall,herevengedHindleyandCatherine,eventheirheirs.AfterreadingHeathcliffstory,myfeelingiscomplicated,althoughheistheavengerwhodominatethewholestorybyusinghisvengefulmachinations,heisalsothemostpitifulguyinWutheringHeights;hedoesntknowwhatisloveanddontknowhowtolove.HeathcliffhaslivedwiththeEarnshawsformorethan10years,butthereisnoattachmentbetweenhimandthewholefamilyexceptCatherine,butevenCatherinewhowasdiedbecauseofHeathcliffstournament.Whenheistorturingothers,heisalsogivinghimselfasuffering.
Catherine,whoistheheroineinthebook,isdescribedbyNellyascapriciousandselfish.SheisjustlikeHeathcliff,doesntknowhowtoloveatall.
Anyways,WutheringHeightsgavemeatorment,youcantseeanywarmsceneinthebook,allyouseeisthefiercewindhowled,andwildmoor.However,attheend,thecombinationbetweenHaretonandCathyseemsahopefullightinthedarkness,andthebreakofthedayfinallycoming!
Publishedin1847，WUTHERINGHEIGHTSwasnotwellreceivedbythereadingpublic，manyofwhomcondemneditassordid，vulgar，andunnatural--andauthorEmilyBrontewenttohergravein1848believingthatheronlynovelwasafailure.Itwasnotuntil1850，whenWUTHERINGHEIGHTSreceivedasecondprintingwithanintroductionbyEmily'ssisterCharlotte，thatitattractedawidereadership.Andfromthatpointthereputationofthebookhasneverlookedback.TodayitiswidelyrecognizedasoneofthegreatnovelsofEnglishliterature.
Evenso，WUTHERINGHEIGHTScontinuestodividereaders.Itisnotaprettylovestory;rather，itisswirlingtaleoflargelyunlikeablepeoplecaughtupinobsessivelovethatturnstodarkmadness.Itiscruel，violent，darkandbrooding，andmanypeoplefinditextremelyunpleasant.Andyet--itpossessesagrandeuroflanguageanddesign，asenseoftremendouspityandgreatlossthatsetsitapartfromvirtuallyeveryothernovelwritten.
Thenovelistoldintheformofanextendedflashback.Afteravisittohisstrangelandlord，anewcomertotheareadesirestoknowthehistoryofthefamily--whichhereceivesfromNellyDeans，aservantwhointroducesustotheEarnshawfamilywhoonceresidedinthehouseknownasWutheringHeights.Itwasonceacheerfulplace，butOldEarnshawadopteda"Gipsy"childwhohenamedHeathcliff.AndCatherine，daughterofthehouse，foundinhimtheperfectcompanion：wild，rude，andasproudandcruelasshe.ButalthoughCatherineloveshim，evenrecognizeshimashersoulmate，shecannotlowerherselftomarrysofarbelowhersocialstation.Sheinsteadmarriesanother，andinsodoingsetsinmotionanobsessionthatwilldestroythemall.
WUTHERINGHEIGHTSisabitdifficultto"getinto;"theopeningchaptersaresodarkintheirportraitoftheendresultofthisobsessivelovethattheyaresomewhatoff-putting.Buttheyfeedintotheflowoftheworkinaremarkableway，settingthestageforoneofthemostremarkablestructuresinallofliterature，astorythatcirclesuponitselfinaseriesofrepetitionsasitplaysoutacrosstwogenerations.CatherineandHeathcliffareequallyremarkable，bothviciousandcruel，andyetneverabletoshedtheirimpossiblelovenomatterhowbrutallyonemaywoundtheother.
Asthenovelcoilsfurtherintoalcoholism，seduction，andoneofthemostelaboratelyimaginedplansofrevengeitgathersintoaghostlytone：Heathcliff，driventomadnessbyawomanwhoisnottherebutwhoseemsreflectedineverypartofhisworld--dragginghercorpsefromthegrave，hearinghercallingtohimfromthemoors，escalatinghisbrutalitynotforthesakeofbrutalitybutsothathermemorywillneverfade，sothatshemayneverleavehisminduntildeathitself.Yes，thisismadness，insanity，andthereisnopeacethissideofthegraveorevenbeyond.
Itisastunningnovel，frightening，inexorable，unsettling，filledwithunbridledpassionthatmakesonecringe.Evenifyoudonotlikeit，youshouldreaditatleastonce--andthosewhodolikeitwillreturntoitagainandagain.