Goodreads Ireland discussion

I have my copy on standby. Will probably start in the next few days. Just psyching myself up : )

Looking forward to this buddy read!

I really didn't enjoy enjoy this one when i read it many years ago, but I'd like to keep an eye on this in case you guys have any new interesting insighs. Any to see if Emma's opinion of Cathy changes any on reflection!

Awh lads, is this part of some penitential rite during lent or something? :P

I can't wait to see Trelawn throw the book at the wall

Ha! I'd keep out of firing range til she's done ;0

I love Wuthering Heights. It's been a while since I read it but I love it. It's easy to find too since it's a classic.

SPOILER!!! (I can't get symbols to work)

The Lintons are snobs. Heathcliff started out as a sympathetic character. Cathy was too but shades of snobbery showed up early in some ways. I wonder why Cathy's dad brought home a street urchin and favored him? Maybe he was trying for Christian charity.

Margo wrote: "I really didn't enjoy enjoy this one when i read it many years ago, but I'd like to keep an eye on this in case you guys have any new interesting insighs. Any to see if Emma's opinion of Cathy chan..."

I'm with Margo on this one. I'd like to keep an eye on your buddy read--if not to find out something new, then to read about how many times the novel gets hurled across the room :). I remember Cathy as being an over-the-top, drama queen, manipulative and self-centered--and Heathcliff a head case. But it's been years and years since I've read it.

Yes they were both egocentric spoiled brats and Heathcliff was psychopathic, or sociopathic at least. In fact he was one of the cruelest fictional characters of all time in my opinion. I never thought of W.H. as a love story. But I still love the book. It's so well written. I wonder how many mentally ill people the Brontes knew. They seem to have a handle on it.

Nelly is probably the most likeable character since she is closest thing to motherly, but is an incredibly biased and unreliable narrator at the same time.

Nelly goes back and forth where Heathcliff is concerned. At first he was like a dirty stray dog, then she thought he was manipulative, then she felt sorry for him. She mostly didn't like him. I think she was more inclined to spoil the others. The only one who didn't make Heathcliff feel subhuman was the father. But he saw Heathcliff as a project so maybe he did too.

So, back to Nelly, She wasn't neutral. I'd say she's unreliable. I agree with you Kevin. She always saw Heathcliff as the street urchin. The color of his skin didn't help to change that attitude.

I am about a quarter into it and my main observations so far are that I don't loathe Heathcliff as much. I feel sort of sorry for him, he was broken from the start and both Mr Earnshaw and Cathy used him for their own reasons. I love Nelly, unreliable or not. Cathy still irritates me. She is afforded numerous opportunities to be a better person but chooses to be a cow every time. I have no definite feelings on Linton one way or the other yet.

I never saw any maturity in Cathy or in Heathcliff. He's fueled by hatred and she's forever spoiled and completely selfish. Linton is a snob but he's not as bad as them.

While doing further research a came across a paper that claimed Heathcliff can be read as a metaphor for Ireland. Being taken in by the civilised English and taught manners etc. etc. I think it's a fairly weak link but interesting thought.

I'd really like to hear from someone who thoroughly enjoys this novel, and there seem to be plenty around.

I was getting Edgar and Linton mixed up. I felt sorry for Linton. Heathcliff was horribly cruel to him.

Emma wrote: "I don't know. To a certain extent both Cathleen and Heathcliff can be said to be a product of their rather neglectful upbringing. Linton has no such justification. He arrives a spoilt and selfish c..."

That's a difficult question to answer isn't it? There are people who grow up in horrible circumstances and they rise above it and become strong and good people. Others are very damaged and act like Heathcliff. Although, most of Heathcliffs problem is unforgiveness and vengeance. Also his obsession with Cathy was way out of control and threw him off balance.

Starting to lose patience with Cathy again. Starving herself, locking herself in her room. This is a married woman , not her in her teens. And the doctor giving out about Edgar for provoking her, knowing her disposition!!! She is the reason women were called hysterical. Give me Jane Eyre any day.

Jane was a much stronger woman. She had character. Cathy was a spoiled manipulative brat. You would think that Heathcliff could have found someone else when he was away. Of course the story is all about his twisted obsession and her spoiled rotten indifference. Unless of course she was feeling the need for attention.

I loved the book in spite of them Lol! Never a dull moment.

Trelawn wrote: "Starting to lose patience with Cathy again. Starving herself, locking herself in her room. This is a married woman , not her in her teens. And the doctor giving out about Edgar for provoking her, k..."

Thanks Trelawn for remindingme why I disliked this book so much!! Reading the comments of the others I was starting to wonder should I give it another go. Noooooo ;-P

Haha! Don't ask why but I loved it. I read Wh in a weekend because I couldn't put it down. Before that, I'd seen the old movie with Lawrence Olivier. It was only half of the story and made Heathcliff and Catherine look like lovesick sweethearts. This is no love story by any means! It's a study of mental illness and narcissism. Maybe that's why it's interesting.

I have a better appreciation of the story this time round and I am enjoying the narration by Nelly. But Cathy and Hindley are driving me to distraction. I know Hindley lost his wife but it is absurd that Nelly has to hide his son in a cupboard to avoid physical violence. The Earnshaws are beyond screwed up. Heathcliff had a bad start in life but Mr Earnshaw would have done him a favour by leaving him in Liverpool

So not related to this book but radio 4 have interesting book discussions. Found this on on Jane eyre for all you classic fans
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05y11v8

The old movie was just on. It's so unlike Wuthering Heights it should have a different title.

I don't know much about Emily but Heathcliff is weird. Lol

Although you could write about a weird person without actually being weird. Otherwise all those murder mystery writers would be scary.