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| the Brontë sisters painted by Branwell Brontë |
Wuthering Heights
Emily Brontë
(1847)
Did Not Finish
When I read this novel previously, I only found it to be the dark and distasteful story of relationships that are abusive, unhealthy, or both, and certainly not the great romance many find it. When recently discussing it with a friend, she pointed out that it should be viewed as a Gothic novel, and appreciated as that genre. After pondering on this, I decided I could see that Wuthering Heights certainly includes some of the characteristics of a Gothic novel:
- gloomy setting
- elements of the supernatural
- excessive emotion
- violence, specifically against women
- insanity
- a hero-villain
- secrets
- revenge
- an overarching sense of dread
With this in mind, I decided to give this classic another try.
To begin with, I enjoyed the Gothic atmosphere and the tragic story.
Then, at about the half-way point, I was so repulsed by the cruel, sadistic Heathcliff that I had to stop. I really can't understand why he is considered to be a romantic hero, or why his and Cathy's love is called a great love story. I had no sympathy for either, and since his actions made my stomach clench, I dreaded returning to the book.
Bottom line is that this classic and I are truly unsuited, and I still feel it be the dark and distasteful story of relationships that are abusive, unhealthy, or both.
(On a side note: I have truly enjoyed the novels of the other two Brontë sisters, and consider both Jane Eyre and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall to be among my favorites.)
Read as part of the Classics Club. My explanation is here.
