Is Heathcliff a Murderer?: Puzzles in Nineteenth-Century Fiction

by Jon Sutherland

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER IN A BRAND NEW EDITION 'Enchanting...the most engagingly boffiny book imaginable.' Spectator  Does Becky kill Jos at the end of Vanity Fair? Why does no one notice that Hetty is pregnant in Adam Bede? How, exactly, does Victor Frankenstein make his monster?    Readers of Victorian fiction often find themselves tripping up on seeming anomalies, enigmas and mysteries in their favourite novels.  In Is Heathcliff a Murderer? John Sutherland investigates 34 conundrums of nineteenth-century fiction, paying homage to the most rewarding of critical close reading and the pleasures of good-natured pedantry

Genres: Nonfiction, Books About Books, Literature, Literary Criticism, Essays, Classics, Reference

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 27, 1996

Reviews

[Bionic Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is Heathcliff a Murderer? Puzzles in Nineteenth-century Fiction, is a book of literary conundrums, ideal for brainboxes to get their teeth into. The author, John Sutherland, is a British academic, a Professor of English literature with a distinguished record, and a yen for the Victorian age. The conundrums here all have their source in classic novels from around that time, hence it is far more stimulating and satisfying topic for a reader who is conversant with the novels themselves. However, he writes so entertainingly that each piece could act as a trigger to read an unknown work.

The premise here is that a novel should be authentic and believable; both internally consistent and also true to the times. Thirty-two novels are chosen and for each one, there is a separate essay. John Sutherland carefully analyses the text, highlighting apparent inconsistencies, anachronisms and oversights. He explains historical references to the Victorian age, which a modern reader may not know, and also points out the context within the author's body of work. Sometimes it becomes clear though, that the author probably just forgot a minor detail.

The book isn't only about "catching the author out" however. In one chapter about "Martin Chuzzlewit" entitled "Mysteries of the Dickensian Year", Sutherland focuses entirely on the calendar of events in the book. He cites many specific instances throughout the book, and basically you can't get away from the fact that the timings of the different story threads just don't coincide. Even though Dickens carefully refers to seasons rather than specific dates, the timings are impossible. In one particular case, a whole year seems to be missing.

So are these mistakes on the part of the author? Sutherland cites examples by other authors from the time, such as George Eliot, Anthony Trollope and William Thackeray, where the reader can track events using a calendar and find that the events in the novel match it precisely. Could Dickens just not be bothered to get his dates right?

John Sutherland points out that mood is key in all of Dickens' novels. It is important for Dickens that some events happen with dark, depressing weather to accompany them, or a terrific storm to accompany violent actions and murder. It adds to their emotional resonance. Other events, light-hearted, optimistic or humorous events, are enhanced by the depiction of Spring or Summer. Dickens's focus does not lie in verisimilitude of a nit-picking type; he sacrifices that for mood.

This is just one instance. In each of the 32 chapters, or essays, John Sutherland quotes extracts of other authors' novels, explaining how they can sometimes be seen as evidence that something else is going on below the surface of the book; something which is not explicitly described. It's a fascinating read for those who have a certain type of mind. For others, it might prove frustrating, seem to miss the point, or be merely irrelevant. If like me you enjoy these "brainteasers", you will be pleased to hear that the author went on to write two more in the series. They are nice to dip into just after you have read a particular novel, although some puzzle fanatics with good memories might enjoy reading the book straight through.

Here is an alphabetical list of authors, each of whom have one or more essays devoted to one or more of their novels in this particular volume:

Jane Austen
Anne Bronte
Charlotte Bronte
Emily Bronte
Wilkie Collins
Arthur Conan Doyle
Charles Dickens
George Eliot
Elizabeth Gaskell
Thomas Hardy
Henry James
Rudyard Kipling
Walter Scott
Mary Shelley
R.L. Stevenson
Bram Stoker
W.M. Thackeray
Anthony Trollope
H.G. Wells
Oscar Wilde

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sutherland ponders some of the questions that great literature raises. And yes, he does address the title questions, and I find it hard to disagree with him. Really, why is Heathcliff so bloody attractive? He strangles a dog to death! That's the type of man you want to marry?

Yeah, yeah, I know; the whole bad boy thing. Right. It shouldn't extend that far.

How well you like this book depends upon your relationship to the novels Sutherland examines. Sutherland is intelligent enough to point out that his answers are not "THE ANSWERS" and encourages readers to think of thier own answers to the questions. What Sutherland also does is a give a run down about the current and older theories surronding some of the questions. He does this particularly well in the chapter about Tess of the D'Urbervilles which discusses whether or not Alec is a rapist.

I also truly enjoyed the chapter about The Picture of Dorian Graywhere Sutherland explains why people view the story as distrubing. Never really understand that myself. Sure, it's spooky, but it's not really different than other fantasy novels or even other works of the time.

Sutherland examines works by Anthony Trollope, Charles Dickens, and George Eliot. He also wades into the discussion about the ending of Villette. Sutherland also raises very good points about film versions of Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. The one drawback is that I really wish that Sutherland had written this book after the BBC's Jekyll series, for I think they got it right there.

If you like 19th century literature, this is an excellent companion book, and you do not need to have or even want a degree in English to read it.

[Erica]

Chapters

1. Where Does Sir Thomas's Wealth Come From? Mansfield Park
2. How Much English Blood (if any) Does Waverley Spill?Waverley
3. Apple Blossom In June? Emma
4. Effie Deans's Phantom Pregnancy? The Heart of Midlothian
5. How Does Victor Make His Monster? Frankenstein
6. Is Oliver Dreaming? Oliver Twist
7. Mysteries of The Dickensian Year? Martin Chuzzlewit
8. Is Heathcliff a Murderer? Wuthering Heights
9. Rochester's Celestial Telegram Jane Eyre
10.Does Becky Kill Jos? Vanity Fair
11.Who Is Helen Graham The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
12.What Kind Of Murderer is John Barton? Mary Barton
13.On a Gross Anachronism? Henry Esmond
14.What is Jo Sweeping? Bleak Houe
15.Villette's Double Ending? Villette
16.What is Hetty Waiting for? Adam Bede
17.The Missing Fortnight? The Woman in White
18.Two-timing novelists? Pendennis, A Dark Nights Work, Rachel Ray
19.The Phantom Pregnancy of Mary Flood Jones? Phineas Finn
20.Is Will Ladislaw Legitimate? Middlemarch
21.Is Malmotte Jewish? The Way We Live Now
22.Where is Tenway Junction? The Prime Minister
23.Was He Popenjoy? Is He Popenjoy?
24.R H Hutton's Spoiling Hands? Portrait of a Lady
25.What Does Edward Hyde Look Like? Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde
26.Who is Alexander's Father? The Master of Ballantrae
27.Why Does This Novel Disturb Us? The Picture of Dorian Gray
28.Is Alec a Rapist? Tess of the d'Urbervilles
29.Mystery of the Speckled Band? Sherlock Holmes
30.What Does Arabella Donn Throw? Jude the Obscure
31.What is Duncan Jopp's Crime? Weir of Hermiston
32.WhyDoes the Count Come to Englad? Dracula
33. How Old is Kim Kim

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining read. Short chapters, made it an easy book to dip in and out of. Interesting topics like what does Mr Hyde look like, or How does Frankenstein create his monster where the author goes back to the text makes you realise how influenced the modern reader is by all the films etc that have been made.

[Cat. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a series of books based on the subtitle of this first one: "Great Puzzles in Nineteenth-Century Literature." It was recommended in the bibliography of the most recent Thursday Next book; now I know where Fforde gets (some of) his ideas! Topping it all over, the cover of the copy I read has a lovely picture of Olivier as Heathcliff on it.

Confession: I didn't read this cover to cover. I read the Intro and the chapters on the books that I've actually read. In other words, having never read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte, I skipped the chapter called "Who is Helen Graham?" because I don't have even a faint clue who she is! But the chapters on Jane Eyre and Oliver Twist et al. were very interesting.

I'll do the highlights in the order I read them:

- "How does Victor make his monsters?" Mary Shelley, Frankenstein--There are some fascinating sexual overtones here that have been completely missed by filmmakers more interested in making this a story about science than about humanity.
- "Is Oliver dreaming? Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist--This is about when he is rescued and taken to the country but "dreams" he sees Fagin at the window. I don't actually remember this part of the book myself.
- "Is Heathcliff a murderer?" Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights--The question is whether Heathcliff actively smothered Hindley, or just didn't assist him to keep him from dying. Some would say there's no real difference; he's culpable and that's all that matters.
- "Rochester's celestial telegram" Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre--In her later writings, Bronte insisted that she didn't believe in romantic miracles to further the plot. Yet, miles away from Rochester, Jane clearly hears him calling her at the very moment he later admits to saying her name. What was Bronte talking about??
- "R.H. Hutton's spoiling hand" Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady (and Eliot's Middlemarch)--In which we find out that the first editions of both of these books end differently from subsequent editions most likely because Hutton, a well-known literary critic, denounced them for the "moral collapse" of the main characters. The authors went back and rewrote the ending to "clarify" that they really didn't mean the reward immorality. sigh
- "What does Edward Hyde look like?" R.L. Stevenson, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde--Interestingly, Stevenson never provides a detailed description of the evil Mr Hyde, even though he does a masterful job of telling us what Dr. Jekyll looks like. Why?
- "Is Alec a rapist?" Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D'Urbervilles--Well, depends on your definition of rape, now, doesn't it?
- "Mysteries of the Speckled Band" Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes--There are several: why did two women raised in India not recognize deadly Indian snakes? Were the Misses Stoner some kind of sex-slaves of their step-father? Why did Miss Stoner die so young, subsequent to the solving of the mystery itself?

So obviously, if you didn't "do" 19th-century Brit-lit, you won't get much out of this book. Not to worry! Sutherland has done several other books. Can't wait to read them. I'm hoping he eventually hits some more American authors. ahem.

[Annabelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I took an immediate dislike to Heathcliff, having first read Wuthering Heights in a Classics Illustrated comic book at age eight. So I fail to understand where this perception of Heathcliff as a romantic hero, this paragon of undying love comes from. This disgust was compounded when I read the book twenty years later. I didn't need to read this book to know that YES, on top of being a misanthropic, certifiably psychotic bastard worthy of restraining orders galore, Heathcliff IS a murderer.

And that, I'm disappointed to say, is the only violent reaction this book has elicited from me. Because whether I'd read the books or not, the rest of the puzzlements and conundrums raised in this book failed to move me as much. I'll stick to the titles I've read:

1) Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - Where does Sir Thomas's wealth come from? Implication: The slave trade in Antigua. Which brings us to the more pressing, unanswerable question: Does Fanny Price approve?

2) Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - How does Victor make his monsters? Implications: Lightning, jolts of electricity. At least, that's what most Frankenstein movies allude to.

3) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - Rochester's celestial telegram. Verdict: This was likely inspired by the exploits of Catherine Crowe and Chauncy Hare Townshend, popular mesmerists/spiritualists in her day.

4) Villette by Charlotte Bronte - Villette's double ending. Ever the pessimist, Bronte explained it best, methinks: Drowning and matrimony are the fearful alternatives. The Merciful...will of course choose the former and milder doom--drown him to put him out of pain. The cruel-hearted will on the contrary pitilessly impale him on the second horn of the dilemma--marrying him without ruth or compunction to that--person--that--that--individual--'Lucy Snow'.

5) Middlemarch by George Eliot - Is Will Ladislaw legitimate? Verdict: Yes, it seems so. Not that it matters, because apparently, being the grandspawn of a "Jew pawnbroker" is worse than the implied illegitimacy.

6) The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - Why does this novel disturb us? Opinion: Sorry. While it intrigues me to this day, this novel was never particularly disturbing to me.

7) Dracula by Bram Stoker - Why does Dracula come to England? Opinion: Why indeed? The book fails to address this convincingly.

8) Kim by Rudyard Kipling - How old is Kim? Opinion: A question I found myself asking a dozen times in the course of reading the book, which I rated 5 stars a few years ago. Verdict, quoted verbatim from Sutherland: One Kim is a diminutive urchin, the other a coltish schoolboy. A third, and more stable Kim, the adolescent on the verge manhood, dominates the second half of the novel. How old is Kim? It depends on the angle.

That sums up my emotional engagement for this book. Meanwhile, here's a more pointed question for John Sutherland and everyone who has read Wuthering Heights: Might Heathcliff be Mr Earnshaw's illegitimate son with a woman from Yorkshire?

Two and a half stars.

[Judith Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE these books. Re-read them regularly.

Why do people think Heathcliff is the ultimate romantic hero? He beats his wife and kills puppies for fun. Murderer or not, I wouldn't touch him with a ten foot barge pole.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this little read as it reminded me of being back at university and reading essays for my references. I only read the ones from the books I’ve previously read, but they were nice rekindlings of those stories in my mind, and provided new and interesting perspectives.
It’s put me in the mood to write an essay!

[Elizabeth K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each chapter of this book is devoted to a specific work of 19th century English literature, addressing some burning question that is not answered with complete clarity in the text. In the title essay, for example, the author looks closely at the death of one of the characters in Wuthering Heights -- did Heathcliff have a direct role, or was he merely an observer?

Sadly, this was one of those reads where I was foiled by my own misguided expectations. I'm not exactly sure how this happened, but the impression I formed when the book was recommended to me was that it would be a snarky book -- I was expected a lot of laughing behind one's hand and sarcastic commentary. As things turned out, this book was nothing like that at all, it is very methodical and literary, surveying the various explanations put forward by critics, and if anything, a little dry. It was good, but I'm still sort of mourning the book I didn't read that doesn't exist. In my head, that one was really good.

Grade: B
Recommended: To people who are very familiar with 19th English lit, presuming it didn't breed contempt. The essays definitely include reveals of key plot points.
2008/7

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to fans of 19th century literature, especially those who like the Victorians. Some of the "puzzles" the author looks to solve aren't really that puzzling but this book kept me reading, in part because the essays were so short that I hardly had time to get bored.

Some of the answers he comes up with are more concrete than others so those looking for yes or no, true or false, will likely be disappointed. In fact, I'm a little surprised at which essay was chosen as the title of the book since the answer to the question posed is "Um...maybe." Hardly his strongest answer to a puzzle.

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book a couple of years ago, but I picked it up again to reread the part about The Woman in White, a novel that I finished reading last week. I love the idea that, had I lived in the early 1860s, I could have bought merchandising tie-ins to The Woman in White--including perfume, cloaks, bonnets, and sheet music for waltzes and quadrilles. :-)

[Margie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not for reading straight through.
Poses some interesting questions, though I found funny the number of times he noted that we really can't know what the author intended.
I think I need to take a break from John Sutherland for a bit. These puzzles get rather repetitive after a bit.

[Jeff Hobbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essays I particularly enjoyed:

Where does Sir Thomas's wealth come from?
Does Becky kill Jos?
Who is Helen Graham?
What kind of a murderer is John Barton?
What is Hetty waiting for?
Is Will Ladislaw legitimate?
Is Alec a rapist?

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about questions that enthusiastic readers of Victorian fiction may have when they're reading. A lot of chapters about mismatched timelines and purposeful vagueness on certain subjects due to propriety.

I was most engaged with the chapters on books that I had read, which, I regret to say, were few. The other chapters that were most interesting to me taught me something about history that I didn't know.

Specifically, "What is Jo sweeping?" from Bleak House where I learned that crossing-sweepers in Victorian London were often using the sweeping as cover for begging. Supposedly providing a service, but really looking for a handout in a way that might be less objectionable to passers-by. They can be directly compared to windshield cleaners that were common in major American cities in the 1990s.

Also, "Two-timing novelists" about three examples of authors (Thackeray, Gaskell, Trollope) who wrote ambiguous endings to books that might be happy endings or sad endings. It was interesting to learn that the establishment of lending libraries in the 1800s resulted in purchasing managers with significant clout with publishers. Readers wanted happy endings, and the libraries spent so much money that they could influence publishers and thus writers. In these three cases, clues in the story make it obvious that the ending was a "sad" one, but the authors obfuscated it enough so it could be interpreted the other way to please the readers. This is interesting to me because I'm also a proponent of positive endings in film or books - I dislike sad endings that seem to only be there to be perverse. Ones that serve a purpose are bearable, but I do like the happy ones.

Sutherland seems to be a real fan of Thackeray and Trollope, so I may look for one of their books to read. After learning about Heathcliff being a wife beater in Wuthering Heights, I'm not sure I'm interested in reading that book.

My thanks to my friend Ryan who gave me this book. He was also kind enough to give me Sutherland's follow on, Can Jane Eyre Be Happy?: More Puzzles in Classic Fiction, which I will probably read next. I think I'm familiar with more of the works in that one.

[James Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sutherland at his most playful and alluring, this is a gem of a read. If you are a 19th Century fiction buff- frank confession, I went straight from Lewis Carroll to the Brontes, so I have read all of them by now- you will love these teasing re-reads of your beloved classics. respectfully honest to the originals, there is no shortage of erudite scholarship here but it is so inviting in its writing style that even if you aren't familiar with one or two of the titles, it is still fascinating. The whole series is excellent- about 4 books I think.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend this to anyone who has read a chunk of Victorian literature and wants to have the equivalent of a stimulating conversation with a friendly expert. Perfect for a long train journey. It'll take two hours off London to Edinburgh and a good deal cheaper than HS2.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and really interesting. I don't always agree with him, but it makes me think!

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but kind of dry.

[Margaret Conmey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quirky but interesting series of books/ essays about puzzles , inconsistencies and Freudian slips in literature
Can be enjoyed even if you have not read the books discussed

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very intriguing and enlightening as it examined many of my favourite novels.

[Aimee Lowe]

Only reas the chapters on books I've read

[Amberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started and finished date - 24.10.24 to 25.10.24.
My rating - two stars
I found this book interesting but I found it bit boring but writing was okay. and the paced of book was bit slow for my liking. I didn't like the cover of book.

[David Sogge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the ‘great puzzles’ discussed in this book’s 34 chapters turn out to be oddities or ordinary errors by authors in sequences, seasons and other ornamental features they employed. The book left me none the wiser about 19th century English fiction.

An exception: the role of ‘mesmerism’. This pseudo-science fad popped up in Oliver Twist, Jane Eyre, The Woman in White and Dracula where it helped attract and hold readers of those serialized novels. It fascinated me to learn how authors worked that craze into their fictions.

A second exception: the discussion of the pivotal episode in Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman. Through close reading, clear prose (few parenthetical asides) and a nuanced treatment of Hardy's approach to shifting sexual norms, Sutherland's chapter genuinely illuminates an important piece of Victorian fiction.

[Mark Bowden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like 'Can Jane Eyre Be Happy?' this is great fun and very instructive. I am not convinced that the co-existence in 'Martin Chuzzlewit' of steamers plying the Atlantic with stagecoaches driving around Salisbury (p54, n5) is problematic; even at the fullest extent of Britain's railway network the rural area around Salisbury in southern Wiltshire and northern Dorset was notoriously poorly served by the railways, so stagecoaches probably did run there until very late. But this is a very good read.

[Val · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Sutherland's speciality is C19th literature; he has made a close study of the texts and found a few anomalies within them. They may be problems with continuity, most were written as serials, they may be plot holes, intentional or not, or they may be something self-evident at the time and anomalous now.
It is a good idea to have read the books he is writing about beforehand, but, if reading for pleasure, his close attention to detail can seem unnecessarily pedantic. As something of a pedant myself, I find he is also insightful, illuminating and worthy of my deepest admiration.
His writing is not pedantic in style and he is often amusing. I do not think his books (there are two other similar ones) would make anyone want to read the classic novels under his expert, forensic scrutiny.

[James Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the book that answers questions about some of the mysteries of Victorian fiction. It is a sort of reference work that reminds me of the books I have read yet some of the entries are about books which I have not read. My favorites including Dickens, Hardy and Stevenson are discussed; but there are others including Austen, Trollope, Scott and Stoker. Reading this book almost makes you want to return to each novel and reread them to discover the enigmas for yourself. John Sutherland's exceptional ability at literary detections makes this is one of those books about books that is fun to read a bit at a time.

[Theresa F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't think that this book was quite on par with the author's second volume of literary puzzles, titled "Can Jane Eyre Be Happy". This could be because the author, in this first volume, was still in the process of perfecting his presentation and form. Or it could just be that I read the second volume first, and so the second book actually acted as my introduction to the author and his fascinating book series as a whole. I would definitely encourage anyone with an interest in classic literature to still check out "Is Heathcliff A Murderer". You may never look at your favorite classic novel the same way again.
Did I like it? Yes.
Would I reread it? Yes.
Would I recommend it? Yes.

[Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very entertaining collection of essays on apparent inconsistencies and unanswered questions in British novels of the 19th Century. In proposing his own solutions to these "puzzles", Sutherland spans a range from minutiae involving a very close reading of the text to major issues in contemporary literary criticism. The pieces are well written, and even if it's been a while since you've read Middlemarch or The Picture of Dorian Gray, you won't find it hard to keep up with the discussion.

[matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

these books made me very happy, though the titles are a bit misleading. truly, they should be called "how authors make continuity errors, it is to laugh (parts the first and second)"... and that's just what i did. as a bonus, they made me want to read books i hadn't read, and reread ones i'd forgotten or disliked, just to make fun of the mistakes. there is some interesting speculation, too, to be fair.

[Carol Littlejohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series by author John Suthlerland who explores the themes and characters of classic literature. So, is Heathcliff a murderer? The author offers plausible reasons why Heathcliff may have committed murder. Other puzzles in literature concern the characters of books by Jane Austen and George Elliott, to name just a few. It's a book that you should own because, if you love literature, you will constantly reread this book.