Having been reprimanded on more than one occasion by learned
friends (who all hail from near Yorkshire) for not having read Wuthering
Heights and deigning to prefer Austen over the Brontés, I have finally decided
to read the accursed novel. My aim is to discover exactly what it is I’ve been
missing and remedy a gap in my literary knowledge which really should have
prevented me from graduating!
The issue, of course, is that I already know bits and bobs of the plot, having seen various adaptations and being taught how to recognise a Heathcliff character type at the drop of a hat. This presents several issues, the principal being that I am unlikely to be surprised by much that happens in the novel, and I'll be expecting most of the twists and developments. It’s strange how books like this can make their way into a conscious without every having been opened- I imagine it's the same with Pride and Prejudice, despite never reading it almost everyone knows who Mr Darcy is.
In order to make sure that I actually finish reading Wuthering Heights, and it doesn't become like that time I picked up Bleak House and gave up after a few chapters, I am going to blog every few chapters. I would say every chapter but they're kind of short and it's a long book!
Chapters 1 and 2
Firstly, I am not a fan of the narrator. Your landlord is a grumpy old git with - what seems like - twenty dogs who want to eat you and yet you think nothing of inviting yourself over to his house on more than one occasion. I hope this guy stops being so irritating.
Heathcliff is as expected: intimidating, angry, and appearing in my mind a little like a pre-transformation Beast from Beauty and the Beast. I've never really understood how he became the epitome of dark, brooding romantic characters, but it's early days. All I can say so far is that he's a rubbish host, treats everyone like a dog, except his dogs, and seems to have a sadistic streak.
The sole opinion I have of the other characters thus far is that I’m probably going to struggle with the vernacular speech. I have met Heathcliff's daughter-in-law, a Linton, Joseph and the housekeeper. The narrator - in what seems to be classic tactless style - completely misjudges every relationship permitting the characters to define their connections for themselves. I’m already confused by who is who and imagine my confusion will only increase as the novel develops.
At the end of the second chapter, having invited himself over, been attacked by some dogs and consequently demanded somewhere to stay, the narrator has found himself in a room which once belonged to Catherine Earnshaw. Now if I didn't know the story I wouldn't have thought, "ah ha!" but as I do I did. The narrator has no qualms about rummaging through other people's belongings and so starts to read Catherine's diaries. At the close of the chapter I am now aware that Catherine and Heathcliff were children together, that she had wanted to marry him, (her scored out Catherine Heathcliff on the wall unintentionally creates the image of some tween romcom star) and that she enjoyed writing her diaries within other novels.
My impression after these two chapters is a little mixed. I feel like I’ve been bombarded by characters and character history. It’s rather difficult to match grumpy Heathcliff to the tween heart throb of Catherine's diaries. Bronté has a heavy way of writing. I'm reading a little slower than normal to take it all in.
The issue, of course, is that I already know bits and bobs of the plot, having seen various adaptations and being taught how to recognise a Heathcliff character type at the drop of a hat. This presents several issues, the principal being that I am unlikely to be surprised by much that happens in the novel, and I'll be expecting most of the twists and developments. It’s strange how books like this can make their way into a conscious without every having been opened- I imagine it's the same with Pride and Prejudice, despite never reading it almost everyone knows who Mr Darcy is.
In order to make sure that I actually finish reading Wuthering Heights, and it doesn't become like that time I picked up Bleak House and gave up after a few chapters, I am going to blog every few chapters. I would say every chapter but they're kind of short and it's a long book!
Chapters 1 and 2
Firstly, I am not a fan of the narrator. Your landlord is a grumpy old git with - what seems like - twenty dogs who want to eat you and yet you think nothing of inviting yourself over to his house on more than one occasion. I hope this guy stops being so irritating.
Heathcliff is as expected: intimidating, angry, and appearing in my mind a little like a pre-transformation Beast from Beauty and the Beast. I've never really understood how he became the epitome of dark, brooding romantic characters, but it's early days. All I can say so far is that he's a rubbish host, treats everyone like a dog, except his dogs, and seems to have a sadistic streak.
The sole opinion I have of the other characters thus far is that I’m probably going to struggle with the vernacular speech. I have met Heathcliff's daughter-in-law, a Linton, Joseph and the housekeeper. The narrator - in what seems to be classic tactless style - completely misjudges every relationship permitting the characters to define their connections for themselves. I’m already confused by who is who and imagine my confusion will only increase as the novel develops.
At the end of the second chapter, having invited himself over, been attacked by some dogs and consequently demanded somewhere to stay, the narrator has found himself in a room which once belonged to Catherine Earnshaw. Now if I didn't know the story I wouldn't have thought, "ah ha!" but as I do I did. The narrator has no qualms about rummaging through other people's belongings and so starts to read Catherine's diaries. At the close of the chapter I am now aware that Catherine and Heathcliff were children together, that she had wanted to marry him, (her scored out Catherine Heathcliff on the wall unintentionally creates the image of some tween romcom star) and that she enjoyed writing her diaries within other novels.
My impression after these two chapters is a little mixed. I feel like I’ve been bombarded by characters and character history. It’s rather difficult to match grumpy Heathcliff to the tween heart throb of Catherine's diaries. Bronté has a heavy way of writing. I'm reading a little slower than normal to take it all in.
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