Review

Wuthering Heights

‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Brontë is as gripping as it is thrilling, but most of all, it is a book that informs on the subject of revenge, and how its tail end may not always be as gratifying as one might imagine.

Victor Onuorah

Article written by Victor Onuorah

Degree in Journalism from University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Emily Brontë’s storytelling is impeccable, and her ability to be poetic goes further in refining ‘Wuthering Heights’ into a book with greater appeal – as readers get to observe this in her popular lines and quotes from the book. However, the book has a history of public rejection after its publication, because it promoted certain human and meta-human aspects that didn’t quite fit well with the then society. 

Expect Some Dramatic and Haunting Themes

There’s a reason why Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ received a stern backlash from the majority of reviewers in the early stages of the book’s life. That reason is nothing but the fact that some of the book’s themes were, by then society’s standard, considered too dark and outrageous to be included in a novel, much less for a 19th-century Victorian mindset-driven society. 

For author Emily Brontë, ‘Wuthering Heights’ was much more than just fiction, but imaging of her reality stretched into existence, and all she wanted to was bring them to life. Her use of such dreary, dark themes as her deaths and ghosts, scholars have found, is tied to her experiences or what she felt at different points in her life – having endured a lifetime of watching too many important people in her life being wiped out by death. This then validates why the themes of death and ghosts are replete in ‘Wuthering Heights.’ 

A Hero Is Lurking About With Villainous Tendencies

Every book has its hero, who is usually not the same person as the villain. But, in Emily Brontë’s book, one cannot help but be surprised by how Heathcliff, the supposed hero of ‘Wuthering Heights,’ switches between being a hero and, later in the book, a villain. 

Heathcliff is introduced as being a sweet and lovable boy character for whose reason readers have a good book to read. However, further down the middle – to the end – our hero has been corrupted by abuse and misdeeds, and that’s how he changes from the good old protagonist who wouldn’t hurt a fly to the treacherous – even wicked – villain who would go as far as hurting anyone, including children, in his pursuit of revenge. Heathcliff starts with the hero complex, but in the end, Hareton appears to end with it.

A Pure Work of the Classics

Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights,’ by a fair assessment, is no short of a literary classic, a remarkable demonstration of a typical gothic-style book. Only by reading ‘Wuthering Heights,’ the reader more than just glance and nibble the words on its pages, but is magically put in unsafe surroundings, breathed with fear, with an unidentified ghost hunter constantly visiting and tormenting characters with whom it has a score to settle. 

A Fitting End

Although we get to see great personalities, maybe even our best characters, being fallen by death, Emily Brontë couldn’t have planned a more fitting end than she did. The author saw to it that Heathcliff ends his misery in life by uniting in death with Catherine, his unconditional love, who is also expected to Rest In Peace after their unification finally. 

Well, for those still in the land of the living, the high-spirited and strong-willed Cathy reclaims her freedom from Heathcliff’s bondage and is set to tie the knot with Hareton, the underdog, who rises against all odds to repossess his rightful inheritance.

FAQs

Is ‘Wuthering Heights’ a tough novel to read?

Wuthering Heights’ is typically a tough novel to read in that it’s one with several strong themes and characters, and written off dark, maybe even slightly disturbing plot lines. 

What is the prevalent message conveyed by Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights’?

The prevailing power of love comes top as the positive message in ‘Wuthering Heights,’ however, on the negative side are the pains and torment that come when love goes wrong or is unfulfilled. 

Who is the hero in ‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Brontë?

Heathcliff appears to be the hero of Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ from the book’s start, but looks far from it towards the end, with an unlikely hero in Hareton, son of Hindley, Heathcliff’s half-brother, emerging as the ultimate hero of ‘Wuthering Heights.’ 

Wuthering Heights Review: A Gripping and Thrilling Read
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë Digital Art

Book Title: Wuthering Height

Book Description: Emily Brontë's 'Wuthering Heights,' is a cornerstone of English literature and explores a PG-13 version of love and revenge.

Book Author: Emily Brontë

Book Edition: Penguin Classics

Book Format: Paperback

Publisher - Organization: Penguin Classics

Date published: January 29, 2003

Illustrator: Charles Robinson

ISBN: 978-0-14-043904-4

Number Of Pages: 384

  • Style
  • Presentation
  • Characters
  • Plot
  • Setting
  • Climax
  • Denouement
4.7

Wuthering Heights Review: A Revenge Served Cold Is Not Nearly as Gratifying as One Not Served at All

Emily Brontë’s only novel, ‘Wuthering Heights,’ is a book that has come a long way through the centuries fighting off criticisms to become one of the cornerstones of English literature. It is a delightful book to read for PG-13 with several lessons taught on hard themes and subjects – love and revenge being the most frontal of them all.

Pros

  • Great Storyline
  • Invaluable lessons
  • Exquisite poetic rhythm

Cons

  • Racial prejudice
  • Strong themes
  • Leaves several questions unanswered

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Victor Onuorah

About Victor Onuorah

Degree in Journalism from University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Victor is as much a prolific writer as he is an avid reader. With a degree in Journalism, he goes around scouring literary storehouses and archives; picking up, dusting the dirt off, and leaving clean even the most crooked pieces of literature all with the skill of analysis.

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