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Wuthering Heights, Agnès Grey & Villette
Dans le froid et sombre presbytère du petit village de Haworth (Angleterre), il y avait vers le milieu du siècle dernier trois jeunes filles et un garçon privés de mère et tous promis à une existence brève. Comme pour prendre de vitesse l'ange de la mort qui allait les saisir en quelques années, ces enfants doués écrivirent au sortir de l'adolescence quelques chefs-d'œuvre. Dans Agnès Grey (1847), Anne Brontë met en scène des sentiments et un bonheur qu'elle n'a pas eu le temps de vivre. Dans Villette (1852), Charlotte révèle un bonheur qu'elle faillit connaître au prix du scandale. Il revenait à Emily Brontë d'écrire avec Wuthering Heights (1847) un livre ténébreux et orageux (dans lequel on reconnaît, sous le diabolique Heathcliff, leur frère Branwell), le roman de la fatalité et du désespoir, un récit épouvantable et beau que l'on n'attendait pas sous la plume d'une jeune fille de vingt-cinq ans.
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About the author
Emily Brontë
1,538 books13.4k followersEmily Brontë was an English novelist and poet whose singular contribution to literature, Wuthering Heights, is now celebrated as one of the most powerful and original novels in the English language. Born into the remarkable Brontë family on 30 July 1818 in Thornton, Yorkshire, she was the fifth of six children of Maria Branwell and Patrick Brontë, an Irish clergyman. Her early life was marked by both intellectual curiosity and profound loss. After the death of her mother in 1821 and the subsequent deaths of her two eldest sisters in 1825, Emily and her surviving siblings— Charlotte, Anne, and Branwell—were raised in relative seclusion in the moorland village of Haworth, where their imaginations flourished in a household shaped by books, storytelling, and emotional intensity.
The Brontë children created elaborate fictional worlds, notably Angria and later Gondal, which served as an outlet for their creative energies. Emily, in particular, gravitated toward Gondal, a mysterious, windswept imaginary land she developed with her sister Anne. Her early poetry, much of it steeped in the mythology and characters of Gondal, demonstrated a remarkable lyrical force and emotional depth. These poems remained private until discovered by Charlotte in 1845, after which Emily reluctantly agreed to publish them in the 1846 collection Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, using the pseudonym Ellis Bell to conceal her gender. Though the volume sold few copies, critics identified Emily’s poems as the strongest in the collection, lauding her for their music, power, and visionary quality.
Emily was intensely private and reclusive by nature. She briefly attended schools in Cowan Bridge and Roe Head but was plagued by homesickness and preferred the solitude of the Yorkshire moors, which inspired much of her work. She worked briefly as a teacher but found the demands of the profession exhausting. She also studied in Brussels with Charlotte in 1842, but again found herself alienated and yearning for home. Throughout her life, Emily remained closely bonded with her siblings, particularly Anne, and with the landscape of Haworth, where she drew on the raw, untamed beauty of the moors for both her poetry and her fiction.
Her only novel, Wuthering Heights, was published in 1847, a year after the poetry collection, under her pseudonym Ellis Bell. Initially met with a mixture of admiration and shock, the novel’s structure, emotional intensity, and portrayal of violent passion and moral ambiguity stood in stark contrast to the conventions of Victorian fiction. Many readers, unable to reconcile its power with the expected gentility of a woman writer, assumed it had been written by a man. The novel tells the story of Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw—two characters driven by obsessive love, cruelty, and vengeance—and explores themes of nature, the supernatural, and the destructive power of unresolved emotion. Though controversial at the time, Wuthering Heights is now considered a landmark in English literature, acclaimed for its originality, psychological insight, and poetic vision.
Emily's personality has been the subject of much speculation, shaped in part by her sister Charlotte’s later writings and by Victorian biographies that often sought to romanticize or domesticate her character. While some accounts depict her as intensely shy and austere, others highlight her fierce independence, deep empathy with animals, and profound inner life. She is remembered as a solitary figure, closely attuned to the rhythms of the natural world, with a quiet but formidable intellect and a passion for truth and freedom. Her dog, Keeper, was a constant companion and, according to many, a window into her capacity for fierce, loyal love.
Emily Brontë died of tuberculosis on 19 December 1848 at the age of thirty, just a year after the publication of her novel. Her early death, following those of her brother Branwell and soon to
The Brontë children created elaborate fictional worlds, notably Angria and later Gondal, which served as an outlet for their creative energies. Emily, in particular, gravitated toward Gondal, a mysterious, windswept imaginary land she developed with her sister Anne. Her early poetry, much of it steeped in the mythology and characters of Gondal, demonstrated a remarkable lyrical force and emotional depth. These poems remained private until discovered by Charlotte in 1845, after which Emily reluctantly agreed to publish them in the 1846 collection Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, using the pseudonym Ellis Bell to conceal her gender. Though the volume sold few copies, critics identified Emily’s poems as the strongest in the collection, lauding her for their music, power, and visionary quality.
Emily was intensely private and reclusive by nature. She briefly attended schools in Cowan Bridge and Roe Head but was plagued by homesickness and preferred the solitude of the Yorkshire moors, which inspired much of her work. She worked briefly as a teacher but found the demands of the profession exhausting. She also studied in Brussels with Charlotte in 1842, but again found herself alienated and yearning for home. Throughout her life, Emily remained closely bonded with her siblings, particularly Anne, and with the landscape of Haworth, where she drew on the raw, untamed beauty of the moors for both her poetry and her fiction.
Her only novel, Wuthering Heights, was published in 1847, a year after the poetry collection, under her pseudonym Ellis Bell. Initially met with a mixture of admiration and shock, the novel’s structure, emotional intensity, and portrayal of violent passion and moral ambiguity stood in stark contrast to the conventions of Victorian fiction. Many readers, unable to reconcile its power with the expected gentility of a woman writer, assumed it had been written by a man. The novel tells the story of Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw—two characters driven by obsessive love, cruelty, and vengeance—and explores themes of nature, the supernatural, and the destructive power of unresolved emotion. Though controversial at the time, Wuthering Heights is now considered a landmark in English literature, acclaimed for its originality, psychological insight, and poetic vision.
Emily's personality has been the subject of much speculation, shaped in part by her sister Charlotte’s later writings and by Victorian biographies that often sought to romanticize or domesticate her character. While some accounts depict her as intensely shy and austere, others highlight her fierce independence, deep empathy with animals, and profound inner life. She is remembered as a solitary figure, closely attuned to the rhythms of the natural world, with a quiet but formidable intellect and a passion for truth and freedom. Her dog, Keeper, was a constant companion and, according to many, a window into her capacity for fierce, loyal love.
Emily Brontë died of tuberculosis on 19 December 1848 at the age of thirty, just a year after the publication of her novel. Her early death, following those of her brother Branwell and soon to
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April 16, 2009healthclief was my ideal man until i got out of my 20's realized id have to pay his way thru rehab...
August 5, 2009
So I really only read Wuthering Heights, but for some reason they don't have that novel by itself on goodreads. [shrug:]
This novel was kind of a disappointment to me. It's hard in my mind to separate the Bronte sisters from each other, so I found myself comparing this story with that of Jane Eyre. Both had a dark brooding atmosphere, but Wuthering Heights was just pitch black for me. Though Emily spends plenty of time giving characters many a soliloquy, there were still some things unexplained. Catherine and Heathcliff's love and passion for each other, for example, set the foundation for this entire plan of revenge, but it just sort of IS. It's never really developed in any way, and, to me at least, the desire for such total demolition of an opponent requires at least SOME indication of great betrayal. We never actually see the couple interact much before Catherine's marriage. In addition, the style of revenge was too forceful, physical and violent. It most likely reflects the wild manner in which Heathcliff grew up, but the art and complexity of Count of Monte Cristo appeals to me more.
Emily, however, does use beautiful language. There are many quotes where, if taken out of the context of the novel, I would consider them delicate and meaningful. In the novel, though, these dainty things were often sandwiched between darkness and brutality, and instead of encouraging these phrases to shine, it really shadowed them so that it took me a few pages later to realize the beauty of those words. The monologues do add a different flavor to the story so that it really sounds more of a report than a novel as the whole story is narrated at every point.
Overall, too depressing of a story, but definitely wonderful use of language.
This novel was kind of a disappointment to me. It's hard in my mind to separate the Bronte sisters from each other, so I found myself comparing this story with that of Jane Eyre. Both had a dark brooding atmosphere, but Wuthering Heights was just pitch black for me. Though Emily spends plenty of time giving characters many a soliloquy, there were still some things unexplained. Catherine and Heathcliff's love and passion for each other, for example, set the foundation for this entire plan of revenge, but it just sort of IS. It's never really developed in any way, and, to me at least, the desire for such total demolition of an opponent requires at least SOME indication of great betrayal. We never actually see the couple interact much before Catherine's marriage. In addition, the style of revenge was too forceful, physical and violent. It most likely reflects the wild manner in which Heathcliff grew up, but the art and complexity of Count of Monte Cristo appeals to me more.
Emily, however, does use beautiful language. There are many quotes where, if taken out of the context of the novel, I would consider them delicate and meaningful. In the novel, though, these dainty things were often sandwiched between darkness and brutality, and instead of encouraging these phrases to shine, it really shadowed them so that it took me a few pages later to realize the beauty of those words. The monologues do add a different flavor to the story so that it really sounds more of a report than a novel as the whole story is narrated at every point.
Overall, too depressing of a story, but definitely wonderful use of language.
August 3, 2021
C’était absolument incroyable !! Les personnages, l’histoire, la plume… On frôle le coup de cœur <33
July 24, 2023
I can't believe I actually finished this book.
To cut to the point, reading this so-called classic prodigy was a miserable and emotionally draining experience. The protagonists were, in essence, toxic individuals.
Catherine, who professed love for Heathcliff, ultimately chose to settle with another man for social status, reflecting the same old hackneyeds we still see today!
In the beginning, I despised Catherine for her actions, but as the book progressed, Heathcliff crossed me even more. I find it perplexing how he could be considered the most romantic character in the fictional world. His obsession, violence, and psychotic tendencies make him nothing but a vile character in the story.
Though there are nearly 19 characters in the book, only two had a positive impact on me:
- Mrs. Dean and Isabella.
My heart goes out to Isabella, who fell in love or rather,
was manipulated into falling in love ( with Heathcliff), only to suffer endlessly because the man she loved sought revenge on her brother for winning Catherine's affections, which she chose herself (Damn!)
On the other side, Mrs. Dean (housekeeper) is a compassionate soul, intelligent, and a source of solace for readers. Her embracing and nurturing character provide some comfort amidst the tragedies unfolding.
The true hero of the book should be Edgar Linton, who remained loyal to Catherine and their daughter Cathy until the end.
Honestly, not a fan.
To cut to the point, reading this so-called classic prodigy was a miserable and emotionally draining experience. The protagonists were, in essence, toxic individuals.
Catherine, who professed love for Heathcliff, ultimately chose to settle with another man for social status, reflecting the same old hackneyeds we still see today!
In the beginning, I despised Catherine for her actions, but as the book progressed, Heathcliff crossed me even more. I find it perplexing how he could be considered the most romantic character in the fictional world. His obsession, violence, and psychotic tendencies make him nothing but a vile character in the story.
Though there are nearly 19 characters in the book, only two had a positive impact on me:
- Mrs. Dean and Isabella.
My heart goes out to Isabella, who fell in love or rather,
was manipulated into falling in love ( with Heathcliff), only to suffer endlessly because the man she loved sought revenge on her brother for winning Catherine's affections, which she chose herself (Damn!)
On the other side, Mrs. Dean (housekeeper) is a compassionate soul, intelligent, and a source of solace for readers. Her embracing and nurturing character provide some comfort amidst the tragedies unfolding.
The true hero of the book should be Edgar Linton, who remained loyal to Catherine and their daughter Cathy until the end.
Honestly, not a fan.
September 24, 2009
I was disappointed with Bronte's Wuthering Heights. Almost everyone that I spoke to about this book hailed it as an instant classic. I found the plot boring and long winded, which is typical of most Victorian writers. However, Cathy and Heathcliff's on-again, off-again, psycho-dramatic relationship nearly put me to sleep. Despite my best efforts, I struggled with this book.
Certainly this book has some merit. The atypical Victoria descriptive prose has its highlights, and for those who are searching for a vampire-esque relationship, this will be your guiding text.
Certainly this book has some merit. The atypical Victoria descriptive prose has its highlights, and for those who are searching for a vampire-esque relationship, this will be your guiding text.
November 3, 2020
I hated all the characters in this book and can not figure out why this is considered a classic. No one in this book had any good qualities about them or common sense and so it seemed like she purposely made the characters absolutely absurd. I felt like it was a complete waste of my time and I was just glad that it was an audiobook and I was able to do other things at the same time.
May 29, 2021
Definitely wasn’t into this book. Overall I felt that all the characters (except for Nelly Dean) were not relatable or endearing. Throughout the book I was seeking for someone to root for: a main character that might start off badly but redeems themselves over time. However, all the main characters were needy, mean and overly melancholic. It was hard to feel connected to a story in which it’s characters are all unattractive to the reader. And although Emily is great at writing, the story itself fell flat for me. After reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, I was hoping to love this book as much as I loved Jane’s tale of finding love and somewhere to belong, but I did not find it here. The sister’s styles of storytelling are quite different, and I found I favoured Charlotte’s better in the end.
August 27, 2025
Ce livre me donne juste envie de me saucisse rien que d y penser après après la mort de Catherine 1 j’en ai un peu moins qqch à faire aucun shade à Catherine fille mais euh il est nul ton mari Linton (Isabella ate with this name) et Hareton ok kawaii pk pas ils répètent le schéma quoi c’est triste c’est un cycle je vais me re saucisse
January 29, 2021
Wuthering Heights blew me away to the dark moors, chilly air, and the time of Queen Victoria. Brontë's writing is powerful and witty. I loved how the story moved in one swift motion.
Though I have to say, I wished to see more scenes of Catherine and Heathcliff but I guess that's the part of the charm; not giving too much nor too little.
The story showed the views of all characters and everyone shined in their own light.
If you want to try a classical novel with a gothic theme (the first classic to explore gothic theme), you should definitely give it a shot!
Though I have to say, I wished to see more scenes of Catherine and Heathcliff but I guess that's the part of the charm; not giving too much nor too little.
The story showed the views of all characters and everyone shined in their own light.
If you want to try a classical novel with a gothic theme (the first classic to explore gothic theme), you should definitely give it a shot!
April 10, 2014
Wuthering Heights> Ugh! How unpoetic of me to say. I seem to be in the minority here when I say I couldn't even finish this novel and certainly didn't like it. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the language very much but I just couldn't take the darkness any longer. The ranting and moping just got to me. I did want to know the outcome of the drama so I did read the spark notes online but I just couldn't buy into it. (I quit on page 190 of 389-so I gave it a fair chance!)
April 26, 2009
I couldn't read this one. I tried. I really did. However her characterization of some of the key players as well the setting was so well-done (and dark) it actually did the opposite as her intended effect. It turned me off. :(
September 19, 2008
Uggh. Couldn't get into this book or beyond the surface. Maybe I'm shallow, but I really didn't like the feel of the book. Too dark?? Who knows.
August 4, 2009
I will add this book to my List of Books That I Don't Understand Why They Are Classics.
April 4, 2009
yawn yawn yawn
December 25, 2020
Hated every page - mandatory reading from school
February 5, 2021
On most occasions, I'm not a quitter; but on reading
Wuthering Heights, Agnès Grey & Villette
by Emily Brontë made me quit at 76.45967% into the book. Perhaps because the story is told through diary flashbacks which sometimes come out as adding nothing to the story, nothing to look forward to. Since I did not really get what this story was all about, just drawling on and on, I went to Spark Notes and got it from there:
In 1801, Lockwood rents a manor house called Thrushcross Grange in the isolated moor country of England where he meets his dour landlord, Heathcliff, a wealthy man who lives in the ancient manor of Wuthering Heights, four miles away from the Grange. In this wild, stormy countryside, Lockwood asks his housekeeper, Nelly Dean, to tell him the story of Heathcliff and the strange denizens of Wuthering Heights. Nelly consents, and Lockwood writes down his recollections of her tale in his diary; these written recollections form the main part of Wuthering Heights.
Nelly remembers her childhood. As a young girl, she works as a servant at Wuthering Heights for the owner of the manor, Mr. Earnshaw, and his family, and the rest is a boring history.
In 1801, Lockwood rents a manor house called Thrushcross Grange in the isolated moor country of England where he meets his dour landlord, Heathcliff, a wealthy man who lives in the ancient manor of Wuthering Heights, four miles away from the Grange. In this wild, stormy countryside, Lockwood asks his housekeeper, Nelly Dean, to tell him the story of Heathcliff and the strange denizens of Wuthering Heights. Nelly consents, and Lockwood writes down his recollections of her tale in his diary; these written recollections form the main part of Wuthering Heights.
Nelly remembers her childhood. As a young girl, she works as a servant at Wuthering Heights for the owner of the manor, Mr. Earnshaw, and his family, and the rest is a boring history.
September 1, 2025
It truly is a classic, Brontë was ahead of her time in this writing. It's truly tragic & timeless, full of turmoil & emotions in the story. Love & family really aren't all pretty flowers & rainbows, real life is sometimes tragic, full of abuse & strife, unending soul crushing love & healing. This makes you not only want to despise Heathcliff but breaks you open for him & what he had endured. Had he heard the whole conversation Catherine had with Nelly would he have done anything different? We will never know, but he didn't & the life both him & her had afterwards was heartbreaking & hard to take in. Even in all the abuse the younger Cathy & Hareton were there to show in the end that no matter the abuses, you can choose a different path, a better & healing path, they show what possibly could have been of Heathcliff & Catherine in the beginning of only they had taken the different route. 🖤
April 16, 2024
¡Wow!, no sabia que me iba a gustar tanto, de verdad amé este libro; para las que nos gusta el chismecito este libro es perfecto.
Me encanta que por momentos amaba a algunos personajes y en otros los odiaba. Nadie aquí es buena persona, ni siquiera Nelly, sin embargo, eso es lo atrapante.
Estuve con sentimientos encontrados desde el principio hasta el final con relación a Heathcliff, el amaba tanto a Cathy y era su unica felicidad en el mundo pero igual no se le justifica todo lo que hizo.
Una historia en la que empatizas, odias, amas a cada personaje. Definitivamente de mis libros favoritos.
Me encanta que por momentos amaba a algunos personajes y en otros los odiaba. Nadie aquí es buena persona, ni siquiera Nelly, sin embargo, eso es lo atrapante.
Estuve con sentimientos encontrados desde el principio hasta el final con relación a Heathcliff, el amaba tanto a Cathy y era su unica felicidad en el mundo pero igual no se le justifica todo lo que hizo.
Una historia en la que empatizas, odias, amas a cada personaje. Definitivamente de mis libros favoritos.
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January 5, 2021Why doesn't Goodreads have Wuthering Heights, a well known classic, as its separate novel? WTF?
But anyway, this was good, but not my favorite classic of all time. However, I do think it belongs to that special category called "classics that are not boring" because I had a hard time putting this book down and it was very fast paced. Can't wait to read more from the other Bronte sisters!
But anyway, this was good, but not my favorite classic of all time. However, I do think it belongs to that special category called "classics that are not boring" because I had a hard time putting this book down and it was very fast paced. Can't wait to read more from the other Bronte sisters!
January 3, 2021
Loved reading this classic again. After seeing movies of the book, it was good to read and experience the differences. I found it harsher, with Heathcliff the characters more disturbing and unreliable, which makes for a good story and a story that can be read over and over again.
April 3, 2021
the first ever novel that i read after completing the entire biff, chip, and kipper franchise at my primary school
I LOVE IT ITS ONE OF MY FAV BOOKS AND THAT WILL NEVER EVER CHANGE
sucked when i had to study it in yr 11 tho lol
I LOVE IT ITS ONE OF MY FAV BOOKS AND THAT WILL NEVER EVER CHANGE
sucked when i had to study it in yr 11 tho lol
October 18, 2020
It is the ultimate romance narrative of young , passionate and ambitious protagonists.
October 26, 2020
All these years I've thought of you , in every cloud , in every tree , even the air at night was you .
January 1, 2021
A perfect example of the ultimate dysfunctional family!
January 6, 2021
this shit is my definition of love
January 11, 2021
Ok but having been to their house and learnt so much about them during a literature field trip, I fell in love with their books all over again
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June 2, 2021classic. dreadful and not at all like the movie, of course. much better and darker.
June 2, 2021
nunca gostei desse tipo de livro mas quando li esse.. se tornou o meu favorito.
September 28, 2021
Well, that was dramatic.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews