Wuthering Heights Book Review

 

A Classic Novel with a Current Message

 

The novel Wutheing Heights by Emily Brontë was published in 1847 but takes place between 8o and 40 years prior. Set in a remote area of England the novel tells a story taking place over generations between two families. The Earnshaws live at Wuthering Heights and are not quite as well off as the Lintons at Thrushcross Grange. In the beginning, the Earnshaw children show a lot of jealousy and hatred towards each other, but eventually Catherine and the adopted Heathcliff fall in love. However, Catherine later chooses to marry Edgar Linton, as he is a better prospect and will make her prouder. This creates chaos and misery spanning over both Catherine and her daughter’s lifetime.

 

The most important message this book displays is the fact that love can be very dangerous and destructive. Both Catherine and Heathcliff are driven into madness because of the love between them. For instance, when Heathcliff has the opportunity to take advantage of Catherine’s daughter, he takes it out of spite, so that he can take from Edgar Linton who he despises more than anything. He also agrees to marry Edgar’s sister just to get a claim to his property when he dies and to make him upset, so that he can get revenge on Edgar for stealing Catherine. He also shows a great need to prove that he is better than everybody else because he was rejected by Catherine. Although Brontë lived a very desolate life, rarely leaving her own home and only reaching 30 years of age, she manages to tell such a vivid story filled with action and amusement. I find this to be a very interesting piece and I have never read anything similar before. With its multiple angles and profound characters, it is one of a kind. Therefore, this is a very good novel to read to experience the intensity. The piece manages to describe the content in a way that is still very contemporary and that matches the literary expectations of today, even if it is over 150 years old.