Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights is reputedly one of the greatest love stories of all time, though it's hardly pink and fluffy. Set on the inhospitable Yorkshire Moors, the protagonists are Cathy, a headstrong young madam with a quick temper, and Heathcliffe, a scruffy, resentful gypsy boy who is taken in by the girl's father. At a young age, the two wreak havoc and become inseparable friends, much to the despair of the household. After an accident, Cathy is taken in by the Lintons, a local respectable family. Heathcliffe is beaten and mistreated and longs for her return, but when she does her reaction to him was not at all what he expected. She shuns him, instead humouring the handsome master Linton. Heathcliffe learns that Cathy, despite loving Heathcliffe, will marry Linton, as marrying Heathcliffe would disgrace her. Heathcliffe goes missing but returns years later a learned gentleman, hell-bent on reuniting with his love and enacting his revenge...

I cannot stress how wonderful this book is. It is dark and passionate and I don't know anyone who has read this book who doesn't like Heathcliffe, despite his misgivings.

Wuthering Heights is a timeless classical love story. Emily Bronte puts a huge emphasis on the rift in society in the nineteenth century using a heartwrenching story of Heathcliff and Catherine. It shows how a difference in social status can tear apart the destined lovers.

Emily Bronte's novel, Wuthering Heights, is generally held up as not only a classic example of the 19th century novel but also, perhaps, as one of the greatest romantic books ever written. While it is a good book, I'm not so sure about the romantic part. It relates the turbulent relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine, a couple very much in love but kept apart by social conventions and by their own stubbornness. The book was frightening and suspenseful and wonderfully descriptive, however, I fail to understand the greatness of the love story contained therein. Frankly, Heathcliff was in no way likeable, being a mean, vicious, horrible man and Catherine was vain and selfish. I came away feeling that they both deserved everything they suffered and should probably not have been together - and that's not the reaction I think was intended.

In any case, I really did enjoy the book, and it's worth reading, I just hope others perhaps get the romantic aspect a bit better than I did, because, frankly, as a couple, Catherine & Heathcliff are a pretty wretched pair.