Wuthering Heights

The story centres on Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw and their turbulent love, set in the Yorkshire Dales.

Mr Lockwood arrives to Wuthering Heights to visit Heathcliff because he is renting Thrushcross Grange. During the night at the Heights, Lockwood finds a diary written by Catherine Earnshaw. Whilst he sleeps he has a horrific dream about Catherine and is woken by an angry Heathcliff. Once Lockwood is at Thrushcross Grange, he meets Nelly Dean, the housekeeper, who becomes the narrator and tells Lockwood about Heathcliff and Catherines lives as they grew up, how Heathcliff became bitter when he returned from his travels to find Catherine with Edgar Linton. He in turn marries Isabella Linton, Edgars sister. They move away and have a child named Linton. Heathcliff returns to visit Catherine a few times, and after the last meeting, when Catherine is dying, they reconcile. Catherine dies after giving birth to Cathy. Heathcliff becomes even more bitter and twisted, and tries to get revenge on everyone around him.

Cathy grows to a young woman. She meets Heathcliff who has obtained Wuthering Heights, her cousin Hareton, and Linton is brought to Heathcliff when Isabella dies. Cathy becomes friends with the sickly Linton, who slowly becomes as twisted and horrible as his father, and she is eventually forced to marry him. Due to his health, Linton dies, as does Cathys father Edgar. Cathy is still at Wuthering Heights and grows closer to Hareton, and they fall in love.

Its a difficult book to read for a long time just because the language isn't the same as it is today. It takes a bit of work. The story itself is a good one, its difficult to believe Catherine and Heathcliff could still be in love after being so horrible to each other. Emily Bronte creates vivid scenes in your imagination, she describes everything with great detail. It was different to books I usually read, and I was pleasantly surprised. I imagine this book to be more of a female read than a males, Almost like an 19th century chick lit!