Review by Shwetha H S
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë has all the ingredients to keep you reading without putting the book down; action, drama, romance, sorrow and your every other commonplace emotion. But what it lacks is a protagonist. One might argue that Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff are the protagonists, but when read and re-read Wuthering Heights you will know it has none. What this novel has is an anti-hero in Heathcliff. There are many other characters surrounding him, but no matter what one argues, they are all the supporting characters to Heathcliff. Catherine Earnshaw is a hot-headed bitch, who doesn’t make sense most of the time and doesn’t know what to do with her life. Edgar Linton, her husband, appears to be a grumbling young man, but in the later part of the story stands strong to protect his family. Isabella Linton ruins everything for everyone. Hindley Earnshaw falls prey to the anti-hero’s plots. Heathcliff’s scheme of revenge destroys the families of Earnshaw and Linton. The second generation characters that appear in the story are far better than their parents. Catherine Linton, if you really want a heroine for this story, is far removed from her mother and behaves like a human. Linton, son of Heathcliff and Isabella, is a pest and you will feel like killing him because he is so pathetic and would die anyway. Hareton Earnshaw, son of Hindley, is a surprise and you will love him with all your heart irrespective of his personality. And then there are Ellen Dean, our very own Nelly, and Mr. Lockwood who keep the story going.
A few points that don’t go well with the reader are that during narration, Ellen Dean gives the precise account of dialogues that take place between the conversationalists. Those dialogues were exchanged years and years ago. Using Ellen Dean to narrate the story is okay, but her exact recollection of the dialogues doesn’t go down very well.
There are no unnecessary characters to desperately try and keep the story interesting; the story is more than enough. Watch out for Heathcliff’s anguish and treachery. You will have to fight your urge to protect others from the bastard.
We Read That Too 