Wuthering Heights

Article written by Victor Onuorah

Degree in Journalism from University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Despite the fact, ‘Wuthering Heights’ would later attain an esteemed height and even gets to be called a classic, a fit it didn’t previously manage following poor ratings. After Emily Brontë’s passing, the book goes on to score higher reviews from critics following a careful re-evaluation of the fine piece of art.

Key Facts About Wuthering Heights

• Book Name: ‘Wuthering Heights’
• Book Author: Emily Jane Brontë
• Publishers: Thomas Cautley Newby
• Date: December 1847
• Genre: Gotic fiction, tragedy
• Pages: 416 pages
• Settings: Yorkshire, England.
• Climax: When Catherine decided against marrying Heathcliff, the man for whom she had a longtime affection, to wed Edgar.

Emily Brontë and Wuthering Heights

Emily Brontë started by writing poems and got quite good at it. By her early adult age, she had garnered several good poems and created great fictional stories and characters. Before publishing ‘Wuthering Heights’ in 1847, she had a few years back published a collection of poems along with those written by her two sisters, Catherine and Anne.

In the late 1830s, during the release of their anthology, their first publication, the Brontë sisters resolved to use male-given names each, including only their initials. This decision was perhaps driven because the sisters wanted the public to view their works objectively and not based on the gender behind the works’ authorship – as, at the time, there was a prevalence of existing prejudices and gender inequalities

Later in 1847 when Emily went solo and published her would-be groundbreaking and only book, she continued using her pseudonym and the same happened with Charlotte and Anne, who also used their pen names. Of the three sisters, Charlotte’s book, ‘Jane Eyre,’ was more popular and became an instant hit – and even influenced the publisher’s acceptance of Emily’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ and later, Anne’s ‘The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.’

For Emily’s ‘Wuthering Heights,’ reviews were bad and critics were relentless with it. However, in later years, after a much better understanding of the message of the book, ‘Wuthering Heights’ started gathering momentum as critics, and public readers began praising the superior creativity and imagination the book carried. By this time, Emily had already passed away, aged 30.

Books Related to Wuthering Heights

Many might see Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ as a book overly inflicted with scenic plots, awash with grim events and outcomes. This may be true, judging by how the plot plays throughout the book. But to Emily, ‘Wuthering Heights’ was much more than just another gothic fiction filled with a little sweet, but mostly bitter, tragic events. She tailored the book to suitably portray a fictional version of her life’s experiences.

Several books are related to Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights,’ in terms of the book’s character, themes, and intent of the author. One such book is Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice.’ Other books in this category include ‘Jane Eyre’ written by Charlotte Brontë, Emily’s older sister.

The Lasting Impact of Wuthering Heights