Too much love and so much hate. Review on Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

Wuthering Heights was a part of high school curriculum. Mr Bernard Pandey was our teacher. Though he was a good teacher (he thought he was the best) he never could tell me how to pronounce the term 'Wuthering Heights' correctly. Some in my class would say it is 'Woothering' while others would say 'Wothering' and poor me would always pronounce a mix of both -Wouthering.

That however is not the reason what I wish to discuss. Bernard Pandey did gave really good lessons. In fact his grasp for Wuthering Heights was so gripping. He made Wuthering Heights an interesting read. So much so that I have till date read the novel almost seventeen times. Its difficult to reach a saturation point when it comes to Wuthering Heights. The characters whether it is Heathcliff, Hareton. Catherine or Linton. Every character and even the setting around has shades of black. And yet everything about WH is intriguing. The reason being that the reader somehow feels that life cannot be all dark and there is a bright light and a vibrant hue awaiting to be revealed. That however never happens in WH. It is this expectation that forms the basis of re-reading.

WH is a long novel. It takes time and patience to go through the entire length. Also, one requires to have an ease with the Victorian English. If you are not comfortable with such kind of writing then it is better to avoid WH.

What makes WH so special to me?

Why have I read WH so many times. Primarily because I was supposed to write an exam on it. But that counts for only two or three reads. The rest are purely because I soon grew passionate of the WH's plot. Portions of WH send a shiver down one's spine. The characters are too dark. But thats not the reason for my liking. Emily does magic with her writing style. Every feeling that she wants to convay is brought out well. In fact she makes the reader develop a hatred, sympathy or love for the different characters. No other book that I have read so far actually made me live the emotions. (Some people tell me that Harry Potter did a similar kind of magic).

The Plot

WH is a story that stretches over to three generations. This classic is set in England and begins its journey during the late eighteenth century. It is based on the lives of two affluent Yorkshire based families. Thats the introduction. The story actually revolves around Heathcliff – an orphan adopted by Earnshaw. The story begins the moment Heathcliff enters the lives of Earnshaws.

WH actually runs back in time and then comes into the present. The narrator technique has been used. The narrator being Lockwood a tenant at the Earnshaws house. Elements of love and hate are clearly narrated by Lockwood. Heathcliff was never accepted by Earnshaw's siblings as one of their own. Heathcliff falls in love with Catherine – Earnshaw's daughter. Hindley (Earnshaw's son) however hates him. This love, hate and scheming goes on for the next two generations. It may sound like a soap opera. But then I hate soap operas. This one is much better.

Emily Bronte lived spent only 30 years on this planet. Born in 1818 she passed away in 1848 (she dies of TB). This British novelist has to her literary credit only Wuthering Heights as a novel. Emily also happens to be the younger sister of Charlotte Bronte. Many claim that Bronte's environment and childhood are the factors which gave shape to this novel.

Reviews for WH are mixed. It has baffled many critics. Many complain that the plot stretches too long. It is impractical to cover three generations. But I guess thats exactly what Emily has proved. Also, many are surprised to see some weird relationships in the novel.

For me however, the characters do not matter so much. What matters is how Emily makes me live the feelings being portrayed. Some of the dialogues are too good.

There is one when Heathcliff says tp Lockwood:

Lockwood - 'For shame, Heathcliff! It is for God to punish wicked people; we should learn to forgive.'

Heathcliff - 'No, God won't have the satisfaction that I shall, I only wish I knew the best way! Let me alone, and I'll plan it out: while I'm thinking of that I don't feel pain.'

I love this book thoroughly. There is too much passion in here. The interesting part is that I did not attempt even a single question form WH during my ISC exams. Simply because I did not want the feelings to be marked and weighed by some examiner who does not even fully understand what I feel for WH. I instead opted for the choices. I am glad Shakespeare too was in our curriculum. Without him life would have been terrible. (We had Twelfth Night then).

To sum up. WH is a book which if you pick once will force you to forget everything else. It pushes you to withdraw into a world of your own. A world where all you want to do is read the novel again and again. However, whether one will like this book is all to unpredictable. Tastes differ and this one is no exception. Of all those who have read WH the same number would have liked it and a similar number hated it. The equation remains unchanged.