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Hey! Welcome to the Empty Shelf. I'm Leon and...
This is a spoiler free review of Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë.
Originally published in 1847, this book is another one of those classics that many fans
of literature regard as one of the all time great English works. Not only was this the
first novel by Emily Brontë, but also the last. Sadly, the author was not able to enjoy
the fruits of her labour. Emily Brontë died only a year after this book was published.
Leaving readers with only a taste of her talent.
Before I had an interest in classic literature, I had never actually heard of this book. However,
that very quickly changed as I started to develop my pallet. Emily along with her sisters
Charlotte and Anne are all legendary poets and novelists. I think the Brontë sisters
were like the Kardashians of the 1800’s, only with talent. And her older sister Charlotte
(Author of Jane Eyre) actually edited and revised the second edition of Wuthering Heights
after Emily’s passing.
I expected Emily’s Wuthering Heights to share some stylistic similarities with Charlotte’s
Jane Eyre, but I was pretty confident Emily would have her own style. And overall, I assumed
this book was another 1800’s romance, filled with plenty of those usual English civility
shenanigans.
Well, I was wrong. First of all, this book is not a romance. Or at least a romance in
the traditional sense. It is definitely not about courting rituals of the 1800’s or
a girls transition into womanhood. While there are romantic moments, this book is something
else, but I cannot say I know exactly what. However, one similarity it does share with
Jane Eyre, is a very subtle underlying sense of supernatural spookiness.
The story is mainly about the life of a man that was adopted into a wealthy English family.
It follows his dramatic relationships with family members and the people around him,
with plenty of interactions fuelled by both love and hate. But that is in no way a description
that does this book any justice. Wuthering Heights is a really bizarre story that I cannot
really go into without giving much of the interesting parts of the plot away. What does
stand out though, is that this book has a story that is brutally mature. And I felt
like it was more of an emotion provoking story than an entertaining one.
The style of writing has what you would expect from an 1800’s English classic. The language
is a little complex and outdated and it took me a few tries to get my head around the wording.
There was not really anything in Emily’s voice that particularly stood out to me, but
the book did feel incredibly well written. The narrative moved at a great pace and while
I was never glued to the page, I never got bored or tired of reading. The story is actually
told through the perspective of a narrator in a style that I really liked. The narration
has a conversational feel that is really quirky and unique.
Ultimately, the characters are everything in this book. They are not totally unique
but at the same time, they are not like any characters I have ever seen before. While
there is a main character, the focus is spread. The book really is about a small cast of characters.
And they are all interesting, although the main character more so.
The book is set in the English countryside, mainly on two old fashioned estates. The main
one being called Wuthering Heights. They both had the typical 1800’s country estate feel,
with servants and farming etc. The story rarely leaves the estates but this is part of the
books style, giving the story a sense of isolation.
Admittedly, this book is really hard to review... I did not actually enjoyed the story in the
traditional sense. But, I do not think Wuthering Heights is a story that can be enjoyed like
most books. The story has an almost tragedy like feel to it. The book is undeniably strange
and, more importantly, interesting. Ultimately, it is an incredibly unique experience and
I am very glad I read it. In fact, more than most books, it really feels deserving of its
classic status.
Overall I rate this book a 2 out of 5. I thought it was ok. I cannot say I really enjoyed it
and I would not read it again. But! And a big but! I am incredibly glad I read this
book. As I said, I do not think it is supposed to be enjoyed in the traditional sense, it
is more of an experience. And I can appreciate its brilliance. It is a story that tickles
your thoughts and emotions in a really unique way. This book will definitely not appeal
to everyone. However, anyone who has an interest in classic literature cannot go past it. This
is definitely a book for serious readers and mental explorers only.
This review will continue in my next video but with spoilers. Check it out if you’ve
read the book.
Thanks for tuning in and hopefully this review helps.
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Bye for now.