Name: Wuthering Heights
Author: Emily Bronte
Genre: Revenge, Tragedy, "Gothic Romance"
Story Outline: Spanning over roughly 35 years, Wuthering Heights tells the story of the Earnshaws and the Lintons, Heathcliff is an orphan who is adopted by Mr. Earnshaw on his trip to Liverpool. Mr. Earnshaw raises Heathcliff as if he was one of his own. Hindley hates (In this instance, "hate" certainly is NOT too strong a word) Heathcliff and sees him as an usurper - of his father's affections, and of the property of Mr. Earnshaw. Conversely, the wild and savage Catherine becomes Heathcliff's constant companion. He violently falls in love with her. Her perceived rejection of him motivates him into wreaking havoc into the lives of the Earnshaws and the Lintons.
Why do you recommend it: What is so great about this story? Well, that is a relatively simple question: the prose is intense and emotionally-laden, the characters are unforgettable, the structure of the novel is non-linear which gives the impression that the past is forever linked with the future and accentuates the theme of transcendence of love, and a glance at a haunting obsession.
The literary features aside, the characters of the book are intriguing. Bronte manages to evoke both anger and sorrow for each character at least once. Heathcliff and Catherine are, without a doubt, the more impressionable characters that will stay with you.
Unlike other Victorian novels which focus on the sunnier aspects of life, Wuthering Heights focuses on the darker aspect of human psyche and passion. Bronte steers clear of 19th century stereotypes; as such, there aren't any charming or pleasant heroines, or the good handsome guy waiting to sweep his godly maiden off her feet. There are, however, realistic characters who have faults and strengths. It can be argued that Bronte tends to focus on their flaws more than their strengths.
Other comment: Wuthering Heights is not the greatest love story ever told. A few of the adaptations (Oberon/Olivier version, especially, despite being enjoyable certainly isn't accurate) take liberties with the character -- to the point of the original characters being near unrecognisable. So, if you go in expecting to be wow-ed by the love story of Catherine and Heathcliff, you'll probably be disappointed.
The story is written in Old English and some words are antiquated. However, someone familiar with the works of the time should not find this too overwhelming. Keeping a dictionary in arm's reach will resolve this issue :)
If you're looking for something like Jane Eyre given that Emily and Charlotte are sisters, you'll be sorely disappointed. The writing styles of these two sisters couldn't be farther apart. On the other hand, if you did like something by Anne Bronte, you might - for lack of another word - "enjoy" the book.
The characters aren't lovable; you can easily understand their motivations but you might find it hard to sympathize with them. The opening two chapters, while necessary, can seem off-putting enough to put the book away for a while. Nonetheless, it is such a fantastic book that superlatives such as "fantastic" are not enough to describe it.
Watch for the scene where Catherine and Heathcliff have a confession of sorts. It is filled with as much scorn and vehemence as it is with adoration and love.
Rating(scale of 1-5, 5 being the best): 5/5 - I rarely think that books are written so well to be given 5/5 but in case of Wuthering Heights, yes, I think that the rating is certainly merited.
Regardless of whether or not you might enjoy the work, I think you owe it to yourself to try ;)
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