A review by whatsheread
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 
I first read Emily Brontë’s masterpiece, Wuthering Heights, as a preteen and fell in love with it then. There is something about Heathcliff and Catherine’s relationship that always made me swoon. They have so much individual trauma and are truly awful people, but together they make so much sense. 
Also, you know how much I love a good, dark revenge story, and more than half of Wuthering Heights is all about revenge. Hell, Heathcliff devotes his entire life to seeking revenge against those who abused him. I never could blame him for that. I mean, they made his life miserable, and there was no such thing as therapy back then. 

Holly reminded me how much I love this story when she asked me about it for a term paper. Talking about Wuthering Heights made me anxious to do another re-read, as it had been a few years since the last time. This time around, I opted to listen to it versus read it. 

Unfortunately, no matter how great an actress Joanne Froggett is, I did not enjoy the audio version. Ms. Froggett’s performance is fine. I think my lack of enjoyment is because I have read it so many times that I have my own way of interpreting the dialogue. On top of that, some books are simply better in print, and, for me, Wuthering Heights is one of those. 

I know some people detest this book or question why people consider it a romantic story. Me? I will go to my grave thinking Catherine and Heathcliff are one of the most romantic couples in all of literature. Now, I do recognize their relationship is not healthy and would never set them up as examples of true love. But they are perfect for each other, and that is what makes them such a powerful couple. Man, I love Wuthering Heights