Wuther or Not

I loved, loved, loved, loved this book. If you cannot tell by the title, I am speaking of Wuthering Heights, the classic novel by Emily Bronte. As most of us know, I support students at a local high school, and in order to do my job to the fullest, I need to make sure that I know the material they are studying. Well, several of them were reading the Heights, as I affectionately call it, and I decided to pick it up in order to know what they were talking about when they asked me questions. I will wholly admit that about fifty pages into the book, I hated it. Well, I'm glad I stuck with it, because as the story progressed, the words jumped off the pages.

This novel is pitched as a story about jilted love, but I would not necessarily agree. In my opinion, love is not about hate and anger, which is bountiful amongst the lively characters that inhabit this story. It centers around two families, the Lintons and the Earnshaws, who are tangled in a wicked web of deceit and drama as different members compete to bring misery upon each other. Our "hero" is Heathcliff, a member of the Earnshaws, who lives quit possibly, the most miserable existence in the history of literature. Heathcliff is a completely loathsome individual that is hell bent on ruining the lives of the people who have crossed him, no matter what their relation. His dastardly actions are what drives the novel as his actions are narrated by his lifetime servant Nelly Dean. As Ms. Dean describes the conflict between the families, the reader cannot help but wonder what will happen next as characters parish and Heathcliff strives to feel wanted.

Perhaps what I appreciated the most about this novel is the fact that it challenged me to fight through something that I initially despised. I am by no means trying to put myself on a pedestal, but this was a definite challenge for me, and I was richly rewarded. Bronte was a master of the written word and while she can be long winded at times, her handle on the English language makes every sentence seem smooth as silk. This is not only a novel but it is truly a piece of literature. Everyone should read this book if they want a challenge that will reward them for their effort with a timeless story.