I have been so excited to share one of my favorite books ever with you! I was pretty adamant with Kelly that I wanted to make this book one of our book club reads this year. I suppose I am technically cheating because I read this novel in high school (as a replacement for 1984, I believe, which I had read already when it was assigned to the class... #Nerd) but I have such fond memories of this month's novel. I read it spring of my senior year in high school and I remember completely laying out on my parents' couch and being entirely oblivious to anything else going on. I remember walking away from Bronte's story and smiling, just being grateful for having gotten lost in her words as I had.
I hope you liked the story as well. It's a little bit of a monster which I honestly didn't remember because I flew through it the first time. But, again, I enjoyed losing myself in the characters and their lives. And I always love an English setting-- I really should get myself to England someday. It is one of my favorite places to ever get lost in through a book. I should just go get lost there in real life for awhile.
With all that said, I bring to you this month's read:
(via)
1. Did you like the book? Was it what you were expecting or hoping for? Why or why
not? I spilled the vast majority of my guts above, but I am always intrigued as to why I
love this book as much as I do when it really isn't anything like I expected. I think I am pulled into the dark tone, the struggles of the characters, and their complex
relationships. I think Bronte does such a great job of creating a complexly layered
story to hold the reader in, but it is not so dense that the reader gives up. I don't know
what it is, but I enjoy this book so. very. much.
2. Love and revenge are the two main themes of the novel. Can love and revenge co-exist or is one one influenced by the other? Ah, I don't think I am a very nice person for
asking this question, but I am choosing to do so any way. This a very English teacher-y
question, no? In short, I believe love and revenge can both co-exist as well as be
influenced by each other. Take a look at Catherine and Heathcliff-- I believe theirs
was a true love, even though neither really knew what to do with his or her feelings.
In turn, Heathcliff found himself seeking revenge because of his love for Catherine,
albeit a not entirely justified revenge. I can think of times in my own life when I have
truly loved somebody and desired only the best for them, but then I have also had
feelings of revenge, either towards that same person because of my overload of
emotion, or because another person has become a threat to my love. Human emotion
is such a powerful substance... I am marveled at God's creation of it all.
3. "...He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same..." Arguably the most famous quote of the novel (and just beautifully written to boot, I'm swooning a little bit inside and I know I'm not the only one.
What do you think made Wuthering Heights a classic? Was it the plot, the
characters, the language? What was it? Just see my responses above. And I am still
swooning at that line. If any guy ever uses it on me, I will probably melt right there
and just be his forever. Le sigh.
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