Cath... by Death Cab of Cutie (one of my fave bands in the world) was inspired by Wuthering Heights and I think it's beautiful in so many ways.
If you haven't read the book and don't want to spoil yourself, read no further; my review contains some minor and major spoilers.
Wuthering Heights portrays the tragedy of a couple who didn't get their happy ending, who were abruptly separated and how hatred, passion, love, revenge and toxicity made life hell for many, including the couple themselves.
I read this novel about seven or eight years ago, but never counted it as reading because I didn't remember anything about it until today. I think that when I read it for the first time, I did not understand exactly the meaning of many things that this time I analyzed more deeply.
Despite this novel being a homework assignment, I must admit that I quite enjoyed reading it and I am grateful that my sister had the physical copy even though she never read it in her youth because reading seemed, and I think still does, boring to her and she showed disinterest in it.
Anyway, let's move to the review.
Mr. Lockwood arrives at Wuthering Heights and when his landlord shows him in, he finds the atmosphere very gruff and unfriendly, although he can't explain why everyone acts as if they hate their own and everyone else's existence. At first, even I wondered, and it seemed to me that everyone was bitter in character and sullen.
Later, Lockwood discovers that there is a ghost there and it is someone Heathcliff is looking for, longing for and missing. When Lockwood moves on to Thrush Farm, and asks Mrs. Dean to tell him who Cath is and the story of Wuthering Heights.
In the end, Mrs. Dean tells the whole story up to the present.
I found the writing beautiful. It shows a gloomy atmosphere, full of darkness and tragedy. I read it in two languages: English and Spanish, since as y'all know, my native language is Spanish and some English words are still difficult for me, so I decided to read it in both languages. The writing is quite dramatic and tragic at the same time.
The characters are complex and at the same time, one can come to dislike them. I believe that Emily's initial purpose was to show us sullen characters, to make us feel apathy and curiosity for them, to the point of immersing us in the story as Nelly narrates the events from the beginning.
I must admit that at first, I felt sorry for Heathcliff and that I thought he deserved more, that despite not being able to express his feelings for Catherine, he actually loved her. However, things changed as time went on and Heathcliff "matured" and grew up. He became a vindictive, aggressive, violent and nasty man. What started out as a romance and passion, ended up becoming an obsession and disgrace, which would lead to more tragedy and drama.
Catherine annoyed me all the time: she was haughty, arrogant, dramatic and indecisive. From the beginning she came across as manipulative and it also seemed to me that she suffered from some bipolar disorder or some mental illness, but I didn't specify which, if any. She didn't want to marry Heathcliff because it would embarrass her, but she didn't want to leave him alone; I didn't understand her logic exactly.
Hareton didn't deserve everything he had in his life, but he couldn't do anything about it, as his father was a drunkard and an inveterate gambler, and he was taken from the arms of Nelly, who could have given him a better education, manners and life.
Cathi was someone very sweet at the beginning, tantrum like her mother too, but more cheerful and dynamic. Her marrying Linton was something that made me rage, as Linton was using her and she didn't want to see him, but cared for him as if she owed him something. But she realized that and ended up hating him. I'm glad at least she fell in love with Hareton.
I ship them, but they are cousins and omg Sweet Home Alabama.
I don't know if I should call Heathcliff and Catherine's relationship a "romance," because it was tremendously toxic. From start to finish, or at least, from the time they
were teenagers until they died. THIS novel is the mold for novels with toxic and tragic romances.
Catherine's "love" and emotional manipulation drove Heathcliff to madness and perpetual torment. Edgar was just another victim of Cath's angry outbursts, making him an unhappy wretch.
I doubt very much that Heathcliff and Catherine actually loved each other, or perhaps they did in the beginning, but what started out as a romance, ended up becoming a toxic relationship that haunted the next generation of children thereafter.
It was actually pretty good, and I was here for the gossip, lol.
