I listened to the Across the Pond podcast about Wuthering Heights. I appreciated the information about the opportunities that Emily Brontë and her sisters would have had to meet people and interact socially in their early industrial town. I still think that at least some of their insight regarding human frailty came from their counselor father. People tell you their deepest, darkest secrets if you listen to them.
I was interested to hear both of the speakers describe having different perspectives on this book at different times in their lives. I suppose that’s because a gothic romance may seem more attractive when we’re young.
I liked the discussion about the characters not being likable. During this writing I disliked most of them but it is still a memorable story.
I had the same feelings about Wuthering Heights as a teenager. I've seen a few film versions and reread it at some point, but it's been a long while. Now I definitely want to revisit. Such a haunting tale.
Thank you for the mention in your "Things of Interest", Matthew. I love your description of April as a month of "renewal, risk, and revelation". You're right that it's a fitting time for National Poetry Month, even if the (arguably) greatest 20th century poem claims in its opening line that "April is the cruellest month". You've got to love a little irony.
I appreciate the comments about spring at the beginning of this post. Life is emerging in my garden, in the forest, birds are returning, etc. I have lost two loved ones in the past 8 months. I saw this poem about springtime and grief this morning.
Matthew I enjoyed this post very much--it was just the breath of fresh air I needed after several days of consoling various bereaved friends. Kudos to your friend Kate for a lovely and thoughtful review of Wuthering Heights.
Please may I comment on the words of your reader Kate Rettinger re Wuthering Heights. It was refreshing to read a review that reflected a lot of my perspective (not all) on this novel and also did not perceive Heathcliff as attractive. I read this book aged 14,like it seems a lot of girls,but I thought Heathcliff was a nasty piece of work then and on rereading the book about 4 years ago (because someone gave me a copy as a gift) I saw I was right but from an adults perspective even worse than id thought. The real heroine is Young Kathy. Also as the kid I recognized in Big Kathy one of the Mean Girls in school. I didn't like how she and Heathcliff picked on and tormented her brother and drove him I drink,but I also thought he should not have been so weak as to let them. My rereading did not make me like Big Kathy at all. Selfish and Manipulative is my perception. And the book does have a happy ending. We all forget that Kathys brother who drank himself to death (memories of Branwell) had a son who little Kathy is going to marry at the end of the book. As to how the Bronte sisters got all these insights into life,well they didn't actually live way out on the lonely moor tops. The Haworth vicarage is at the top of the High St,this Northern manufacturing town was full of busy,bustling activity and the Bronte sisters were brought up to be active in parish work. They were not shut away ignorant of life,they were all over the town visiting the poor and doing the good works they were supposed to. Mostly Charlotte as Emily would escape to the wild moor tops as much as she could and Anne was frail. I am going to read Shirley by Charlotte. I read part of it years ago,it's about an entrepreneur industrialist setting up a mill,a factory in a valley. The jobs v. Environment issue was about even back then. Charlotte's description of the sort of parish work she actually did,and of curates is funny.
Thank you for your response to my comments about Wuthering Heights. I agree with you about the young Katherine Linton who Heathcliff manipulated into marrying his son. The book describes her as angry and bitter for some time. She had good reason to be but she made a choice to change. She started teaching her frustrated, illiterate, cousin to read. Helping him to change his life changed her emotions and perspective. That is a very positive part of the book and maybe a reflection of the impact that her charity work had on Emily. It led to a happy ending for young Katherine and her second husband.
My comments about the limitations of women’s lives at the time of the Brontë sisters was intended in comparison to the many opportunities that women have today. They did have many opportunities for women of their time.
This episode of Across the Pond might interest you - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/across-the-pond/id1557842312?i=1000682980808
I listened to the Across the Pond podcast about Wuthering Heights. I appreciated the information about the opportunities that Emily Brontë and her sisters would have had to meet people and interact socially in their early industrial town. I still think that at least some of their insight regarding human frailty came from their counselor father. People tell you their deepest, darkest secrets if you listen to them.
I was interested to hear both of the speakers describe having different perspectives on this book at different times in their lives. I suppose that’s because a gothic romance may seem more attractive when we’re young.
I liked the discussion about the characters not being likable. During this writing I disliked most of them but it is still a memorable story.
I enjoyed hearing opposing views of such a seminal work of literature.
I listened to this,very insightful I thought
Thanks.
Thank you for this, Matthew. I appreciated your descriptions of March and April, so true!
🙏🏼
I had the same feelings about Wuthering Heights as a teenager. I've seen a few film versions and reread it at some point, but it's been a long while. Now I definitely want to revisit. Such a haunting tale.
I think that ‘haunting’ is a good word to describe this book. The characters and the plot are complex and evoke a response from the reader.
Read it to the end and find the ignored and always left out Happy Ending.
Thanks so much for including me in this great post!
Thank you for the mention in your "Things of Interest", Matthew. I love your description of April as a month of "renewal, risk, and revelation". You're right that it's a fitting time for National Poetry Month, even if the (arguably) greatest 20th century poem claims in its opening line that "April is the cruellest month". You've got to love a little irony.
I appreciate the comments about spring at the beginning of this post. Life is emerging in my garden, in the forest, birds are returning, etc. I have lost two loved ones in the past 8 months. I saw this poem about springtime and grief this morning.
The Minimum
Even when worry wrecks us,
leaving us broken on the shores
of the life we had,
even when we have been wrung
like rags, even when we
are brittle, snappish things,
even then the scent of spring
can reach us with its notes
of damp soil, sharp pine,
and sun-warmed grass,
the air clean and slightly sweet.
We don’t need to open
our eyes. Don’t need to try.
All that is asked of us: breathe.
—Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
Matthew I enjoyed this post very much--it was just the breath of fresh air I needed after several days of consoling various bereaved friends. Kudos to your friend Kate for a lovely and thoughtful review of Wuthering Heights.
Please may I comment on the words of your reader Kate Rettinger re Wuthering Heights. It was refreshing to read a review that reflected a lot of my perspective (not all) on this novel and also did not perceive Heathcliff as attractive. I read this book aged 14,like it seems a lot of girls,but I thought Heathcliff was a nasty piece of work then and on rereading the book about 4 years ago (because someone gave me a copy as a gift) I saw I was right but from an adults perspective even worse than id thought. The real heroine is Young Kathy. Also as the kid I recognized in Big Kathy one of the Mean Girls in school. I didn't like how she and Heathcliff picked on and tormented her brother and drove him I drink,but I also thought he should not have been so weak as to let them. My rereading did not make me like Big Kathy at all. Selfish and Manipulative is my perception. And the book does have a happy ending. We all forget that Kathys brother who drank himself to death (memories of Branwell) had a son who little Kathy is going to marry at the end of the book. As to how the Bronte sisters got all these insights into life,well they didn't actually live way out on the lonely moor tops. The Haworth vicarage is at the top of the High St,this Northern manufacturing town was full of busy,bustling activity and the Bronte sisters were brought up to be active in parish work. They were not shut away ignorant of life,they were all over the town visiting the poor and doing the good works they were supposed to. Mostly Charlotte as Emily would escape to the wild moor tops as much as she could and Anne was frail. I am going to read Shirley by Charlotte. I read part of it years ago,it's about an entrepreneur industrialist setting up a mill,a factory in a valley. The jobs v. Environment issue was about even back then. Charlotte's description of the sort of parish work she actually did,and of curates is funny.
Thank you for your response to my comments about Wuthering Heights. I agree with you about the young Katherine Linton who Heathcliff manipulated into marrying his son. The book describes her as angry and bitter for some time. She had good reason to be but she made a choice to change. She started teaching her frustrated, illiterate, cousin to read. Helping him to change his life changed her emotions and perspective. That is a very positive part of the book and maybe a reflection of the impact that her charity work had on Emily. It led to a happy ending for young Katherine and her second husband.
My comments about the limitations of women’s lives at the time of the Brontë sisters was intended in comparison to the many opportunities that women have today. They did have many opportunities for women of their time.
Matthew! Somehow just seeing this--thank you so much for sharing my ramblings! I'm so glad the charcuterie found you and pleased you! -E