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wuthering height
181 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 9, 2020
About the author
Emily Brontë
1,756 books14.5k 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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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 13, 2026
This is one of those books where I gave it four stars even though it is objectively a five-star piece of literature. The writing is incredible. Like genuinely fantastic. But reading it was also… a deeply unpleasant experience. Which I know is kind of the point, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t suffer a little while getting through it.
It took me a minute to get used to the writing style, but once I got into it, I was IN. The drama in this book??? The tea??? Absolutely relentless. Every time you think things cannot possibly get worse, someone does something even more unhinged.
And the characters… oh my God. These are some of the worst people I have ever read about in my life. And yes, that includes Catherine. I truly do not understand the whole “bring back men who yearn” thing people say about Heathcliff. That man was not romantic. He was a straight-up weirdo psychopath. If I were Catherine I would have called the cops on that man immediately.
Now to be fair, I do appreciate how the book explores how cruelty, classism, and racism can shape a person. Heathcliff was clearly treated horribly and dehumanized from the moment he arrived, and you can absolutely see how that kind of treatment twisted him into the person he became. I get it. I really do. But GODAMN that man took the hater energy to levels I have never seen before.
I also loved how messy and brutal the themes are—obsession, revenge, pride, social status, generational trauma. Everyone is miserable and determined to make everyone else miserable too.
One thing I will say: I genuinely think this book might be better as an audiobook. Because for the life of me I could not understand what that religious freak Joseph, was saying. Hearing someone perform it actually made it make sense.
Overall, fantastic writing, incredible drama, deeply unwell characters. I’m glad I read it, and I’ll definitely be reading more Brontë in the future.
It took me a minute to get used to the writing style, but once I got into it, I was IN. The drama in this book??? The tea??? Absolutely relentless. Every time you think things cannot possibly get worse, someone does something even more unhinged.
And the characters… oh my God. These are some of the worst people I have ever read about in my life. And yes, that includes Catherine. I truly do not understand the whole “bring back men who yearn” thing people say about Heathcliff. That man was not romantic. He was a straight-up weirdo psychopath. If I were Catherine I would have called the cops on that man immediately.
Now to be fair, I do appreciate how the book explores how cruelty, classism, and racism can shape a person. Heathcliff was clearly treated horribly and dehumanized from the moment he arrived, and you can absolutely see how that kind of treatment twisted him into the person he became. I get it. I really do. But GODAMN that man took the hater energy to levels I have never seen before.
I also loved how messy and brutal the themes are—obsession, revenge, pride, social status, generational trauma. Everyone is miserable and determined to make everyone else miserable too.
One thing I will say: I genuinely think this book might be better as an audiobook. Because for the life of me I could not understand what that religious freak Joseph, was saying. Hearing someone perform it actually made it make sense.
Overall, fantastic writing, incredible drama, deeply unwell characters. I’m glad I read it, and I’ll definitely be reading more Brontë in the future.
April 8, 2026
Going into this book, my only understanding of the novel came from the trailer for the new Wuthering Heights movie starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. So it’s easy to say I had no real perception of what this book had in store. Man, oh man, was it such a treat!! I absolutely loved reading this novel and escaping into its complex dynamics of love and loss, passion and revenge. Officially an Emily Brontë Stan. 12/10 highly recommend!!!
February 8, 2026
Shocked i loved this. But I loved this. I’m sure anything I say has already been said… but damn these are some crazy people doing crazy shit.
June 5, 2026
Heathcliff and Catharine; Troubled Souls and Toxic Infatuation
Dr. Shatha N. Qaiwer
Critics and writers take different positions towards Heathcliff’s character. Some say he is a victim others say he has been sinned against. I recently read the novel and subsequently read its retelling by Essie Fox (review of the book will be posted on FB soon). Pondering upon the events and details, I came with the conclusion that he is even worse than simply being a narcissist or sociopath I hope no reader will; say I am being hard in my judgment as I see Heathcliff as a malignant narcissist; not an over nor covert narcissist but a malignant one which is proved by his behavior upon obtaining power. Psychology attributes Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) to a complex mix of nature and nurture. While someone can inherit a genetic predisposition to traits like emotional sensitivity, environmental factors during childhood are what trigger and shape the disorder (the genetic part will be discussed in the review Fox’s book Catherine: A retelling of Wuthering Heights)
Being sinned against is not the cause for the lack of empathy and the desire to inflict pain in others as practiced by Heathcliff who maintained a position of projecting his negative traits onto others. This is proved by the depiction of Hareton’s character. Hareton was sinned against, abused and similarly mistreated. He lived the same circumstances Heathcliff faced. Yet, he shows a sympathizing feeling and takes a son-like stance towards his tormentor. In chapter 34, Nelly Dean describes his reaction to his death:
But poor Hareton, the most wronged, was the only one who really suffered much. He sat by the corpse all night, weeping in bitter earnest. He pressed its hand, and kissed the sarcastic, savage face that everyone else shrank from contemplating; and bemoaned him with that strong grief which springs naturally from a generous heart, though it be tough as tempered steel.
When young Catherine offered a revelation of Heathcliff’s conduct to Hareton’s father,
He said he would not suffer a word to be uttered in his disparagement; if he were the devil, it didn’t signify; he would stand by him; and he’d rather she would abuse himself, as she used to , than begin on Mr. Heathcliff . Catherine was waxing cross at this; but he found means to make her hold her tongue, by asking how she would like HIM to speak ill of her father?
The inheritance of a genetic predisposition, Bronte hit upon the fact of Heathcliff’s narcissism through the depiction of the character of his son who spent his early years in Isabella’s care and witnessed nothing of his father’s cruel behavior. Yet, he reveled all of the traits of narcissist and practiced narcissistic acts proving that narcissism is mainly genetic and partly environmental
As for Catherine Earnshaw – she was doomed to unrest. being no different from Hindley with regard to social class It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff’. Both lovers are troubled souls that get attracted toxically to each other through restlessness. She arise from her awareness of social class prejudice; ‘did it ever strike you that if Heathcliff and I married, we should be beggars ‘. She loves one for money and the other for the attraction their souls experienced. Though she grieved Heathcliff’s absence, she marries and was “over fond” of Linton. She was not stable fir she had seasons of gloom and silence which proved she had a restless soul. She was doomed to misery as was justified by her dream. “Heaven did not seem to be my home and I broke my heart with weeping to come back to earth and the angels were so angry that they flung me out in the middle of the heath on the top of Wuthering Heights where I woke sobbing with joy.” She was selfish with manipulative nature. Her conduct to Linton upon refusing Heathcliff’s admittance proves her narcissist nature, “How strange! I thought though everybody hated and despised each other, they could not avoid loving me”. Perhaps, this is the source of the toxic attachment between Heathcliff and herself. She played the sick at first to make Linton repent and when he shows care and affection, she said “You are one of those things that ever found least wanted, and when you are wanted, never!” Even when he begs for her love and asked if she loved Heathcliff, she manipulated him by threatening to spring from the window, “Return to your books. I am glad you possess a consolation for all you had in me is gone”
Her love to Heathcliff is rather bitter. The last meeting can be described as a “romantic hatred scene” The first weird incident is when he attempted to rise after embracing her “but she seized his hair” which is a hard gesture to express needy desire saying “I wish I could hold you till we are both dead. I should not care what you suffered. I care nothing for your suffering. Why should not you suffer?” The paradoxical feelings and gestures of love and desire reflect the extent of trouble of her restless soul. The whole scene is described by Mrs. Dean as “a strange and fearful picture.” It is strange in the sense that the expression of love results in mutual and destructive blame highlighting the toxicity of their bond. This supports the view of fearfulness as they are both toxic characters; She being of a selfish nature and He with his destructive devotion which led to their inability to separate their tormented souls. The scene is an exchange of tormenting discourse and feeling. In return to her blame, he said “ You teach me now how cruel you’ve been — cruel and false! Why did you despise me? … You deserve this. You have killed yourself. Yes, you may kiss me, and cry; and wring out my kisses and tears — they’ll blight you, they’ll damn you. You loved me — then what right had you to leave me? What right — answer me — for the poor fancy you felt for Linton?”
The position I take her is supported by Veronical Holsinger in her article If I Could Be Anyone for a Day: Not a single “I love you” is uttered in Wuthering Heights, and yet the exchanges between Heathcliff and Catherine shatter every modern notion of romance. Catherine speaks with no trace of flowery gentility.” This is because her love of Heathcliff was rather bitter and infused with ill-wish;
“Heathcliff, if I dare you now, will you venture? If you do, I’ll keep you. I’ll not lie there by myself: they may bury me twelve feet deep, and throw the church down over me, but I won’t rest till you are with me. I never will.”
Brontë’s words are not tender, nor pretty — and yet, through such harshness, our hearts still melt. The damnation uttered here along with curses after her death “May she wake in torment,,, may she not rest as long as I am living” reflects the paradoxical nature of their love as depicted in the everlasting torment represented by their ghosts roaming the moors as they used to do when young . The roaming in the dark hours proves they are restless in life as in death.
Dr. Shatha N. Qaiwer
Critics and writers take different positions towards Heathcliff’s character. Some say he is a victim others say he has been sinned against. I recently read the novel and subsequently read its retelling by Essie Fox (review of the book will be posted on FB soon). Pondering upon the events and details, I came with the conclusion that he is even worse than simply being a narcissist or sociopath I hope no reader will; say I am being hard in my judgment as I see Heathcliff as a malignant narcissist; not an over nor covert narcissist but a malignant one which is proved by his behavior upon obtaining power. Psychology attributes Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) to a complex mix of nature and nurture. While someone can inherit a genetic predisposition to traits like emotional sensitivity, environmental factors during childhood are what trigger and shape the disorder (the genetic part will be discussed in the review Fox’s book Catherine: A retelling of Wuthering Heights)
Being sinned against is not the cause for the lack of empathy and the desire to inflict pain in others as practiced by Heathcliff who maintained a position of projecting his negative traits onto others. This is proved by the depiction of Hareton’s character. Hareton was sinned against, abused and similarly mistreated. He lived the same circumstances Heathcliff faced. Yet, he shows a sympathizing feeling and takes a son-like stance towards his tormentor. In chapter 34, Nelly Dean describes his reaction to his death:
But poor Hareton, the most wronged, was the only one who really suffered much. He sat by the corpse all night, weeping in bitter earnest. He pressed its hand, and kissed the sarcastic, savage face that everyone else shrank from contemplating; and bemoaned him with that strong grief which springs naturally from a generous heart, though it be tough as tempered steel.
When young Catherine offered a revelation of Heathcliff’s conduct to Hareton’s father,
He said he would not suffer a word to be uttered in his disparagement; if he were the devil, it didn’t signify; he would stand by him; and he’d rather she would abuse himself, as she used to , than begin on Mr. Heathcliff . Catherine was waxing cross at this; but he found means to make her hold her tongue, by asking how she would like HIM to speak ill of her father?
The inheritance of a genetic predisposition, Bronte hit upon the fact of Heathcliff’s narcissism through the depiction of the character of his son who spent his early years in Isabella’s care and witnessed nothing of his father’s cruel behavior. Yet, he reveled all of the traits of narcissist and practiced narcissistic acts proving that narcissism is mainly genetic and partly environmental
As for Catherine Earnshaw – she was doomed to unrest. being no different from Hindley with regard to social class It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff’. Both lovers are troubled souls that get attracted toxically to each other through restlessness. She arise from her awareness of social class prejudice; ‘did it ever strike you that if Heathcliff and I married, we should be beggars ‘. She loves one for money and the other for the attraction their souls experienced. Though she grieved Heathcliff’s absence, she marries and was “over fond” of Linton. She was not stable fir she had seasons of gloom and silence which proved she had a restless soul. She was doomed to misery as was justified by her dream. “Heaven did not seem to be my home and I broke my heart with weeping to come back to earth and the angels were so angry that they flung me out in the middle of the heath on the top of Wuthering Heights where I woke sobbing with joy.” She was selfish with manipulative nature. Her conduct to Linton upon refusing Heathcliff’s admittance proves her narcissist nature, “How strange! I thought though everybody hated and despised each other, they could not avoid loving me”. Perhaps, this is the source of the toxic attachment between Heathcliff and herself. She played the sick at first to make Linton repent and when he shows care and affection, she said “You are one of those things that ever found least wanted, and when you are wanted, never!” Even when he begs for her love and asked if she loved Heathcliff, she manipulated him by threatening to spring from the window, “Return to your books. I am glad you possess a consolation for all you had in me is gone”
Her love to Heathcliff is rather bitter. The last meeting can be described as a “romantic hatred scene” The first weird incident is when he attempted to rise after embracing her “but she seized his hair” which is a hard gesture to express needy desire saying “I wish I could hold you till we are both dead. I should not care what you suffered. I care nothing for your suffering. Why should not you suffer?” The paradoxical feelings and gestures of love and desire reflect the extent of trouble of her restless soul. The whole scene is described by Mrs. Dean as “a strange and fearful picture.” It is strange in the sense that the expression of love results in mutual and destructive blame highlighting the toxicity of their bond. This supports the view of fearfulness as they are both toxic characters; She being of a selfish nature and He with his destructive devotion which led to their inability to separate their tormented souls. The scene is an exchange of tormenting discourse and feeling. In return to her blame, he said “ You teach me now how cruel you’ve been — cruel and false! Why did you despise me? … You deserve this. You have killed yourself. Yes, you may kiss me, and cry; and wring out my kisses and tears — they’ll blight you, they’ll damn you. You loved me — then what right had you to leave me? What right — answer me — for the poor fancy you felt for Linton?”
The position I take her is supported by Veronical Holsinger in her article If I Could Be Anyone for a Day: Not a single “I love you” is uttered in Wuthering Heights, and yet the exchanges between Heathcliff and Catherine shatter every modern notion of romance. Catherine speaks with no trace of flowery gentility.” This is because her love of Heathcliff was rather bitter and infused with ill-wish;
“Heathcliff, if I dare you now, will you venture? If you do, I’ll keep you. I’ll not lie there by myself: they may bury me twelve feet deep, and throw the church down over me, but I won’t rest till you are with me. I never will.”
Brontë’s words are not tender, nor pretty — and yet, through such harshness, our hearts still melt. The damnation uttered here along with curses after her death “May she wake in torment,,, may she not rest as long as I am living” reflects the paradoxical nature of their love as depicted in the everlasting torment represented by their ghosts roaming the moors as they used to do when young . The roaming in the dark hours proves they are restless in life as in death.
February 22, 2026
This is a rather intense novel. I have heard about the novel since forever, but never known the story behind. Heathcliff is pitiful because of his lower class, but also despicable because of his vengeful plots. His passion for Catherine evolved into spite and hatred to everybody around him. He succeeded in destroying both families, but somehow ended in his own fanciful dreams. The most interesting plot is how the next generation of Cathy and Hareton throw away the class structure and fell in love. This twist of the plot seemed strange to me at the start, but eventually I saw the symbolism behind it. Maybe their union is the final stack that pushed Heathcliff to his own demise. Heathcliff saw himself in their union and thus showed a strange pity for this couple.
March 24, 2026
Listened to the audiobook in anticipation for watching the movie and I ran out of listening hours and then just never got back to it till now oopsie shit. Anyways Cathy and Healthcliff really don’t give an eff about the people around them 😭😭🤣 so much collateral damage because of miscommunications, misunderstandings and stubborn people in love but fighting it.
December 16, 2025
DNF @59%. I tried. I hate it.
March 23, 2026
"Death is often what makes a love story a love story, because it freezes love in time. It's a moment of intensity that becomes immortal," - Vlasta Vranjes, PhD, quoted in "Is 'Withering Heights' Even a Love Story?, Nicole Davis, FordhamNow Feb 12, 2026.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews