Thoughts on Wuthering Heights
I figured, after listening to an audiobook about Jane Austen that included a quote from Emily Bronte complaining about how boring Austen's characters, plots, and settings were, that I was probably not really going to enjoy Wuthering Heights. And I was mostly right.
There wasn't a single character I really liked in this book, and quite a few I outright hated. The events and various interactions between characters were written in such a high-strung overwrought style that I found myself frequently outside of the book and just not giving a crap. I frankly don't understand why anybody would sympathize at all with Heathcliff. I found him completely contemptible, without anything to recommend him.
The story basically went like this, as far as I was concerned.
Stranger arrives at SETTING, meets Heathcliff, is rebuffed. Talks with housekeeper forever. Visits SETTING again, is rebuffed again. Talks to housekeeper some more. Leaves for London. Comes back to SETTING, discovers that Heathcliff is dead and everything is better off without him, by God. The end.
Or, if you like, I can expand a little on the housekeeper's story.
Heathcliff is wronged as a child, and doomed to being a complete jackwagon for the rest of his life. Catherine marries someone else, wronging Heathcliff further. Catherine dies, wronging Heathcliff further. Heathcliff is a jackwagon. Heathcliff gives jackwagons a bad name. Heathcliff is the jackwaggoniest of jackwagons. Heathcliff goes insane, and obsesses over Catherine even more than usual. Heathcliff dies, and everyone who suffered under his jackwaggonry rejoices. The end.
It's tough to really enjoy a book that revolves entirely around a character I despise. I hope other excursions into Bronte books won't be so tedious.
There wasn't a single character I really liked in this book, and quite a few I outright hated. The events and various interactions between characters were written in such a high-strung overwrought style that I found myself frequently outside of the book and just not giving a crap. I frankly don't understand why anybody would sympathize at all with Heathcliff. I found him completely contemptible, without anything to recommend him.
The story basically went like this, as far as I was concerned.
Stranger arrives at SETTING, meets Heathcliff, is rebuffed. Talks with housekeeper forever. Visits SETTING again, is rebuffed again. Talks to housekeeper some more. Leaves for London. Comes back to SETTING, discovers that Heathcliff is dead and everything is better off without him, by God. The end.
Or, if you like, I can expand a little on the housekeeper's story.
Heathcliff is wronged as a child, and doomed to being a complete jackwagon for the rest of his life. Catherine marries someone else, wronging Heathcliff further. Catherine dies, wronging Heathcliff further. Heathcliff is a jackwagon. Heathcliff gives jackwagons a bad name. Heathcliff is the jackwaggoniest of jackwagons. Heathcliff goes insane, and obsesses over Catherine even more than usual. Heathcliff dies, and everyone who suffered under his jackwaggonry rejoices. The end.
It's tough to really enjoy a book that revolves entirely around a character I despise. I hope other excursions into Bronte books won't be so tedious.