The arrival of Catherine Number 2

Chapters 14-17

Recently I found out that Wuthering Heights was beaten by Jane Eyre on the BBC 100 Books List. At around the midway point of the novel, I could not agree more. Maybe Emily should have just decided that writing was Charlotte's thing. That would have been okay, not all siblings are good at the same things. We all have our strengths.

Cathy's dead. Apparently I should be more cut up about that. I'm not. I'm taking the Bronte approach to death. Accepting that it was coming all along and not really getting too worked up about it, cause let's face it, no one really liked them anyway. Hindley is also dead and before he was cold in his grave Nelly also detailed the demise of both Isabella and Linton. In fairness they don't die for another thirteen years, but it seems a little overly maudlin to describe all four deaths within the space of a few chapters. I feel like JK Rowling took a leaf out of Bronte's book for the last chapters of Deathly Hallows. 

Before Catherine's death she gave birth to a baby girl, also called Catherine - CAUSE THERE AREN'T ENOUGH OF THOSE ALREADY. Who seems to have been unceremoniously ignored and rejected in light of her mother's death. Although, this changes later on and Linton becomes a fairly okay father. Bronte draws a comparison between Linton dealing with his child after his wife's death and that of Hindley, who went a little off the rails: drank himself into oblivion, attempted several murders, including that of his son by throwing him off the balcony to be saved by Heathcliff, losing all of his money and then finally dying after attacking Heathcliff with a gun and a knife. I suppose anyone looks like a great paternal figure when compared to that.

I've also been treated to more of that four people removed narration which I love so much. Isabella manages to escape Wuthering Heights and run back to the Grange before disappearing. She gives the account of Hindley's unsuccessful attempt on Heathcliff's life. Including her own implicit participation, both encouraging Hindley and warning Heathcliff that he was going to die, makes her totally innocent in the whole thing - right? I kind of like Isabella, she seems to have treated all this melodrama with exactly the right amount of OMG What is my Life?! Shown by her hasty and definite departure. Isabella also gave birth to a son just after she disappeared, called Linton. Show some imagination PLEASE?!

I'm about to embark on Chapter 18. For all that I'm uninterested in the story I have to admit that I like the way Bronte writes. It's quick and descriptive and I'm sure if I was more invested in the characters I would be turning the pages at the speed of noughts. My average velocity more closely resembles that of a glacier pre-global warming.