Wuthering Heights

 Set on the Yorkshire moors in the 19th century, Wuthering Heights is a gothic tale of love and jealousy that has inspired many film adaptations, TV series and even a song. It tells the story of two star-crossed lovers, Catherine (or Cathy) and Heathcliff, both of whom are unpleasant and difficult to like.

When a young gentlemen, Mr Lockwood, comes to live as a tenant at Thrushcross Grange in Yorkshire, he finds his new landlord and the master of Wuthering Heights, Mr Heathcliff, to be a cold, unfriendly and unwelcoming character and his companions to be perplexing, to say the least. Due to an unexpected storm, he is forced to stay the night, and ends up reading the diary of the girl who used to have the room he is in. After a being woken up by her ghost attempting to get in, Lockwood returns to his house. Confused and curious, he asks his housekeeper, Ellen Dean, to explain the story of the odd people that live at Wuthering Heights. Luckily, Mrs Dean knows Mr Heathcliff’s doleful tale all too well and informs her new master of how Heathcliff came to be living at the house with his daughter-in-law, his friend (or servant?) Hareton Earnshaw and his grumpy, pious servant Joseph, as well as who the girl in the diary was.

The wild, harsh moors of Yorkshire are the perfect setting for this novel, reflecting the wildness and harshness of the characters and creating a desolate feeling throughout the novel.
The novel was very daring in its day, as the two lovers are both disagreeable and complex characters, unlike many other books at the time where the two main characters were stereotypically the “good guys”. However, because the characters are so selfish and flawed, they are more like human beings rather than the typical perfectly selfless, brave and honest protagonists of other books.
The plot line is definitely gripping, although very sad in some places and bewildering in others. Personally, my favourite scene is Cathy and Heathcliff's moving reunion about half way through the novel. Bronte's language really helps us understand this love/hate relationship.
Of all the characters, I think that Cathy’s daughter, Catherine, is the one I admire the most due to her stubbornness, spirit and affection for those she loves.

As books go, this one didn't have much for me to criticise, other than the fact that the two narrators can be confusing as both Mr Lockwood and Mrs Dean narrate the novel at different times and the Yorkshire dialect is a little hard to understand at times.
I would recommend this to those who enjoy romance, or gothic fiction- though be warned- it is heavy going and may make you cry.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and hope you do too.

Lily Hayward