Swaddlebees review now holds pictures, thanks for all the RRCs!
Swaddlebees review now holds pictures, thanks for all the RRCs!
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As many of you know, I have a great love of literature. Not just the current best sellers but children's classic, adult's classics, text books and many more genres. However, when studying my A2 literature I found that the books lost a lot of the appeal that they once held. Therefore I am pleased to say that I didn't read the classic Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte until just the other day. I had read Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and fell in love at once with Mr Rochester, all of the Austen novels, falling in love at once with Mr Darcy and many of the other Victorian type novels, mostly for pleasure but with the mind that they would help for comparison of texts of the era when I sat the dreaded exam for the worst book I have ever read, Tess of the D'Urbevilles.
Now leaving the dreary subject of Tess with her many signs of ill fate and blood red surroundings with her failed love, I used to pick up Heights, begin to read and find that I could only ever read the first page before becoming too distracted to read the rest. I must admit whenever anyone mentioned Heathcliff (the name anyone that has the least literary knowledge associates most with Heights) I switched off, declared that I would never read the book, indeed I couldn't read the book. Then I ran out of fresh reading material. Looking over my old favourites, the ones I consider friends as they have been with me all my life (some which I have previously reviewed included here) I came across Heights again. Not having much time with the continued hospital visiting that has kept me away from Ciao, I decided that I would once again attempt a reading of this novel. Having read my introduction you may think that I thoroughly disliked this book and that I had trouble to continue reading. On the contrary: Over the last three days whenever I have had a spare moment from work, housework, hospital and family I have picked this novel up and continued to read with pleasure. It is here that I add, please do not let the word classic put you off reading a novel, or let the thought that it is not from this era therefore has a different lexicon worry you. They are Classics for a reason, they stand the test of time and are appreciated for there story, language and insight into a forgotten time.
This is a novel that truly is a classic. Originally written under the pseudonym Ellis
Bell (remember in the 1800s women were expected to do needle work, not produce fine works, this wouldn't have gotten to the press if knowingly written by a woman) Bronte released Wuthering Heights to the public. Originally beginning in the first person of a Mr Lockwood, a visitor to the area, we truly believe that a gentleman is taking us through his first impressions of Wuthering Heights and the strange gloominess that fills the household.
This however soon changes, Mrs Dean, the housekeeper of the Grange, takes over the narration and tells our weary traveller of the happenings at the house before he arrived; Indeed tells us the tale of the last thirty years. We hear about love, trials, hate and how these manifest themselves in the culmination of unhappiness that currently settles over the Heights. Why should such a beautiful young lady, the daughter in law of Heathcliff, be so rude and aggressive in her manner at the Heights, along with a young man that bears no relation to the master? Our interest is gently stirred again when we see our narrator, Lockwood, stays the night at Wuthering Heights out of necessity, certainly not out of invitation, and sees several books on a window ledge. The names are Catherine Earnshaw, Catherine Linton and Catherine Heathcliff. Finally our narrator sets off for Thrushcroft Grange where he is to rent the house for a set amount of time and unfortunately, due to the weather, develops a nasty cold which leaves him bed ridden. However, this is where our story really begins. As a reader we are now thoroughly intrigued with the story and why a young lady should have three surnames on her books. It is here that Mrs Dean, the housekeeper of the Grange takes over for most of the narration.
Without revealing the plot to those of you that haven't read the novel I can at least tell you about Mrs Dean. She grew up at the Heights as the daughter of a servant there and Catherine Earnshaw, Hindley Earnshaw, and Heathcliff were children there at the same time that Mrs Dean was. Now as we continue through out the novel we see how Mrs Dean, as a domestic, had many duties entrusted to her because of her upbringing alongside the others. Not only that but she often acts as a main confident in this novel, mainly to help the plot along and to let the reader be privy to most of the private ongoings so as to leave no gap in the tale. I think that it was with a good knowledge of literary that Bronte sets Mrs Dean up as a confident and to have her brought up alongside the children, although living a separate sort of life, gives her that advantage in what knowledge a domestic would usually have as to what Mrs Dean actually has.
Firstly Nelly Dean acts as a servant to Hindley Earnshaw, Catherine's brother, and raises his son for the first 5 years of his life. After arguments about the Master's drinking and health, Mrs Dean continues on with the newly wed Catherine and we follow her turmoil as the lady seems to loose her mind. Now as a trusted servant Mrs Dean has been aware of the love triangle that Catherine is part of. She knows about the love that is forgotten as it is not profitable and she knows of the love that is allowed to continue and develop for convenience. It is because of this closeness between Mrs Dean and Catherine that it is hard of for the reader to follow the decline of Catherine, which obviously upset Mrs Dean as well.
Now although we have lost one Catherine, another is born and named after her mother hours before her death. It is now that the tale really continues and as Mrs Dean now has another young charge, we see more of the young Catherine and what has turned her into the rude spiteful woman that Mr Lockwood found at the Heights.
Many of you may outcry that I have revealed far too much of the plot but I assure you, there is a lot left that I haven't even touched upon. Heathcliff is a catalyst for many events in this novel and his choice of actions spur on what may be 20 years or so of our tale. If he had chosen to act differently at any time then it would have been a very different novel. The intrigue was enough to keep me moving through out the novel to find out how the situations resolved themselves. Young children and young adults seem to be the main focus of this novel and also the mistreatment of them. I said earlier that other Victorian novels have helped me to understand the social positions and the language that are portrayed in this novel, although I would not say that prior experience was necessary. We see a lot of the domestic's side of life and how they are unable to do what is best all of the time as they are fearful of loosing their positions. It is in times that we are in the domestic side of the household that we really see what is happening further up the household. What is worrying and most Victorian in nature is the mistreatment of children, wilful neglect to teach them their manners and lessons that would not be allowed today. However this is not the most shocking part of the way that they are put to work as farm hands, it is that way that they are so obviously cast aside as they are not required in the grand plans and schemes of the Masters of the house.
However I must admit that there is one part of the novel that seems overly contrived. That is the ending. After listening to around 270 pages of narration by Mrs Dean, we see the story steadily progress and the characters alter with time and retribution. In the last ten pages or so we actually hear how the unlikeliest of endings has come about. Now this ending may be believable following the course of the book although it is unlikely, it is certainly not expected of the character in question. It disappoints me more that the last few months, explained in the last few pages, again by Mrs Dean seem to be full of contrived points, making sure all of the loose ends are tied up and that all of our characters are sent on their way to a happier lie and we watch them all go and know what course they will take. Although I disagree with the pace of the ending and the unlikeliness that the culmination of events would end like this, it does end the story and as a reader we are satisfied that all of the points that we wanted cleared are in fact resolved.
So what did I really think of this book? Well I enjoyed reading it, I found the language and the pace easy to follow and interesting. I found the characters intriguing and some of the characters were mainly likeable. There was the typical farm hand that was speaking with a Yorkshire dialect, preaching the word of God to all those that would listen (very Cold Comfort Farm actually, for those of you that have read it!) transcribed phonetically by Bronte, who came from the area and was the daughter of a minister. It actually made me wonder at times if she had herself being privy to some of these lectures when I read them to myself. I never fell in love with any of the characters although some of them did display finer points. Although not the finest novel of this genre I have read I would say that you only need perceiver until you have reached the tenth page or so and then you will want to continue reading. It is well worth a read and I must admit that I read somewhere that it is amongst the books that many people claim to have read and haven't, merely to look like they are more educated and well read than they are! Well stop pretending that you have read this novel and read it! I enjoyed it, as I say not one of my favourites, but certainly one that I will reread at a later date. The characters still intrigue me and I think that upon a second reading I will see many points that I missed on the first reading. If you are looking to remind yourself of England at the turn of the 19th century then look no further than Wuthering Heights. With none of the romanticist style of Austen and without the misery of Hardy this is a novel showing both sides of the household with strong psychological cruelty and bribery.
I thank you for reading and encourage you to buy this novel, priced at around 1.50 it is available in most book shops.
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Excellent review - I must admit, I had never really thought so much of the constraints put on the servants in the story, but (as you said) they were too dependent on their masters and mistresses for a way to survive and back then they didn't have the option of just walking away to find new work.
paulhanton 14.11.2007 17:18
Really good review on a classic, thanks,
paul
snail333 10.11.2007 17:53
What a well written review, it is really easy and interesting to read, and even though you have put in a lot of information both on the background to the book and the tale you have not given away too much of the story. And I agree it does ruin a book when you have to study it, when I was in school I had to study Jane Eyre and that really ruined the book for me! Sal x
Advantages: Simply yet powerfully written; social commentary of the 1840s; affecting romance. Disadvantages: Could be accused of pulling some punches but still radical for its time.
Feb 8th, 2007
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