Book Review Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

I first read Wuthering Heights for a term paper in high school over 15 years ago. I had not read it since, but still have the copy I bought to write the paper. I liked it then, and found I still like it now, though I'm not sure why.

Writing a review about this book is turning out to be strangely difficult because I am not exactly sure why I like the tale. It is a classic novel by a well-respected 19th century author: Emily Bronte, one of the three Bronte sisters. They were a powerhouse of sisterhood: Anne, Emily, and Charlotte, writing under the pseudonyms Acton, Ellis, and Currer Bell.

It is a strange, bitter story. Catherine and Heathcliff grew up together and built a strong love between them. As they grew older, they became cruel to each other. In the name of loving each other, they exact revenge over wrongdoings in ways more cruel and disturbing than the last. The emotional manipulation and cruelty is astonishing because it occurs between two people who declare their love so strongly.

It is a story of hatred and cruelty, but well constructed and well written. The prose is smooth and beautiful, and is almost poetic at times, despite the disturbing characters. I found the novel to be interesting and the characters to be well-developed and their emotions had extraordinary depth.

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