Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic that fits no genre, 3 Feb 2003
WH is, essentially, a story about turbulent people living in a turbulent place. I don’t think Bronte meant her characters to fit certain “social types” or be analogies for something else but to be real people unfortunately in very difficult circumstances and I believe that is how WH is best read. As dark, haunting and changeable as the other Bronte sisters’ infamous classic: Charlotte’s Jane Eyre is personal and gently loving- the two novels are both works of genius but a million miles from each other. However, both have wonderful descriptions of the Yorkshire moors and a sense of real feeling behind their story line. One of WH strengths is its change of narrative voice- there are two main narrators and letters and other media between. This gives a sense of many people affected by one story thus heightening the strength of Heathcliff and Cathy’s passion. The end of WH is one of the most discussed in literature and if you are reading it for the first time the question of whether it’s happy or not will occupy you for a long time. With so much literary criticism spent on WH it is difficult to add original comments. So I would simply urge you, if you haven’t read it yet, to get a copy- it will live with you forever.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Mad, The Bad and The Grumpy, 17 Jun 2006
What an extraordinary collection of characters Emily Brontë has invented and described here. They really do seem a dour lot with one or two exceptions. There are readers who don't believe it's possible to enjoy a book unless there are likeable people included in the story - the sort you can care about, feel affection for or empathise with. However, apart from the servant, Nelly Dean, it's hard to think of any sympathetic characters in the tale and I thoroughly enjoyed the book despite this apparent lack. From the beginning of the tragedy, when old Mr Earnshaw returned to Wuthering Heights from Liverpool, bringing with him the lost or abandoned child, Heathcliff - to the end, when all the pain and sorrow caused by the old gentleman's act of kindness, finally show signs of loosening their grip on his unfortunate family, the story is compelling. Old Mr Earnshaw might have learned to regret his compassion, perceiving, as some philosophical bod once said: "no act of kindness ever goes unpunished" - but he never concluded anything of the sort. He formed a strange attachment for the surly boy and took his side against his own children. And the servant, Joseph, cast a gloomy influence over the household and encouraged old Earnshaw's partiality. We'd think of Joseph as a sanctimonious, cantankerous old git but this is how Nelly Dean describes him: "He was ... the wearisomest self-righteous Pharisee that ever ransacked the Bible to rake the promises to himself and fling the curses on his neighbours". It's so easy to picture this mean, old curmudgeon - not just from descriptions of him but from what he says and the way he says it. In fact, all the main characters have a kind of solidity and made quite an impression on this reader. I've never read a book quite like it. For a romance, it's not very romantic and for a ghost story, there's not very much haunting after the narrator's initial disturbing encounter with Catherine Earnshaw. Heathcliff wills Catherine to haunt him, but without the incident experienced by Mr Lockwood, the shade of his old love could easily seem nothing more than a phantom of Heathcliff's deranged imaginings. So I wouldn't know how to categorise the book, but can report that I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected and have no hesitation in recommending it.
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26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
WOW!, 29 Nov 2001
Right, where do i begin??? how did i ever live without reading this book?? i was told by some idiot that it was boring which put me off for a while, but i read it recently and was totally blown away!! It is honestly the most intense, passionate, maddening book i've ever read. It starts out strong and keeps on going, i actually had to force myself not to read it all in one night and to save some for the next day! Emily Bronte uses such powerful imagery in her prose that it just stuns you. The setting of the story in the Yorkshire moors was absolutely fitting, i doubt that if it had been set anywhere else it couldn't have possibly been half as powerful. The moors add to the air of mystery, gloom, beauty, passion,love, and tragedy. Heathcliff and Cathy are definately the most interesting and intense pair of lovers i have ever read of. Heathcliff especially provokes me, mostly because i cannot decide whether i love or hate him, and that is but one part of the genius of this book. Heathcliff is the hero/anti-hero of the book and just so utterly fascinating a character. The best ingredient of this masterpiece is the fact that the story takes place in such a secluded region, with equally interesting characters, away from the social niceties and civilities that are common in other books of this time. Therefore, the passion and tragedy of the love and hatred in this story is more strongly felt. I could honestly go on forever but i'll spare all you readers out there. All i will say is that you definately must read this book, i know that this is horribly cliche but it truly is one of the best books i have ever read in my life! You will not be sorry.
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