Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

I've done it! I've done it! I've DONE IT! For the past 20 years years I have ignored not just one, but TWO copies of this on my shelves! Had I known that this would be quite easy (and painless) to read, I might have picked it up at least a decade ago.

This is a story of slowly simmered revenge disguised as a 'love' story gone completely off the rails. Heathcliff returns to Wuthering Heights embittered with revenge: revenge against Hindley Earnshaw, the son of the man who took him in; revenge against the man his 'love', Catherine, married, Edgar Linton. His revenge is cast onto the following generation with a grotesque intent for their suffering. Wow, I tried to write that synopsis five times, and it is near impossible to find the words, especially since I want to write a blog post, not an essay. Can I honestly say that Heathcliff loved Catherine? If so, that was the unhealthiest use of the word 'love' I have ever used. It was obsessive, dangerous and depraved.

This book is filled with complex characters. There was definitely a moment, early in the story, where I felt that Heathcliff's character could be redeemed, or at least his actions justified. Until he decided to take things as far as he did. While Edgar Linton was not one of the obvious horrors, he too had some responsibility for the disaster that occurred. Even Nelly, the narrator, was at fault for keeping her own errors quiet and therefore causing more harm and for being manipulated by Heathcliff and by Cathy Junior. On the whole though, because of the complete casts' flaws, they come across as real people, responding irrationally to circumstances and over-reacting. While people might cringe reading this book because of the unlikable characters, I have a feeling that these character and their reactions are far more likely to occur in real life (not to this extent, I hope), than the logical, forgiving, gentle responses people are generally portrayed in books as having. In fact, that is one of the biggest reasons I have for recommending this.

This read like watching a mass pile up on the freeway, where one can't drag their eyes away from the horror that is unfolding slowly in front of one. It was a page turner though - which is always good. The writing was first class. It was not swamped in long-winded descriptions, but painted just the perfect amount of scenery for the setting to become real. I cannot believe that Emily Brontë wrote this while living a secluded life! That alone states pure genius! Her understanding of the bitter side of humanity is applaudable.

There is only one thing I did not enjoy, and that was trying to work out anything Joseph had to say in his thick Yorkshire accent. Crickey, that was unpleasant. I don't mind some of the accent coming through in some books, but for this Africa-raised gal who has never met anyone from Yorkshire, that was damned near indecipherable.

I'm glad I have this one behind me now. I will now have to find another 'book you are most embarrassed to not have read' for memes.

I gave this 4 stars initially, but have bumped it up to 5. Well worth the time. An intelligent read.