The performance captures the drama of generational revenge and a timeless love story

Critics have rightly written volumes about this book, a failure in Emily Bronte's lifetime, it has grown to eclipse the work of her sister Charlotte. However, it wasn't always loved. When it was published under "Ellis Bell" Mr James Lorimer wrote.

Here all the faults of Jane Eyre are magnified a thousandfold, and the only consolation which we have in reflecting upon it is that it will never be generally read

Mr James Lorimer is largely forgotten by history except for this quote.

Emily Bronte, daughter of a supportive Anglican priest, lived on the Yorkshire moors in her 20s. There she lived as an adult bereft of human companionship aside from her siblings. Poor, impoverished, and unhappy during her short life. Her writing captures the beauty of the moors, yet there are very few standalone descriptive paragraphs of it throughout the book. Nonetheless, she paints a sublime image of the area via metaphor and by intertwining it with the storyline. Not as descriptions to enliven a dull page, but as a character itself. In her essay on the Brontes, Virginia Wolf notes that the landscape of Wuthering Heights lives on in our minds without Emily's narrative voice. We accept that things continue to happen even though we are not looking.

Cathy

The arc is of a burning love between Heathcliff, the antihero, and Catherine (Cathy). Simultaneously, the undercurrent of darkness begins when visitor Mr Lockwood dreams of the ghost of Cathy right at the beginning. From this moment her presence threads throughout the entire novel despite only being present physically in the early chapters. Indeed, Virginia Woolfe

She is extremely naive in dealing with the emerging love triangle between her, Heathcliff and Edgar Linton. The great American critic Elizabeth Hardwick calls it a virgins story. Cathy believes that she can marry Edgar and her deep relationship with Heathcliff will remain as it is. This leads to one statement heard out of context, "It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff". Immediately, Heathcliff leaves broken-hearted, and the consequences of this moment ricochet through the families for generations. What he does not hear is Catherine saying how much she loves him and that " he's more myself than I am."

On his return three years later Cathy retains her immature belief that she can maintain her position as the wife of Edgar and lady of the manor in the big house at Thrushcross Grange. While maintaining her deep platonic friendship with Heathcliff who is at the lesser house of Wuthering Heights. However, there is some justification for this thinking. In Victorian England, marriage is more of a binding social contract than it is considered a deep and enduring love. But this is something neither of the men can live with. Heathcliff covets his childhood passion while Edgar realises her loss is only a matter of time.

As the early plot of the love triangle strikes its climax it starts to become clear that the trauma of Heathcliff leaving has taken its toll on Cathy psychologically. As has the stress of trying to keep her fantasy life in check and avoiding the clash of male egos that finally occurs. In a hysterical response, she locks herself in her room and refuses to eat,

This is where the housemaid Nelly Dean reveals herself as an unreliable narrator. Wanting to drive events in her own manner, Nelly has never told Heathcliff that Cathy loves him deeply. She also covers up that she has locked herself away and is starving herself to death. In fact, Nelly's hand in causing the problems can be seen at many critical junctures throughout the book.

The Great Antihero

Heathcliff also shows signs of trauma when he returns. We are not told where he was or how he made his money, and it remains one of the mysteries of the book. But his life with his bullying stepbrother, Hindley, the shock over mishearing Cathy, and whatever else happened, are all part of the cruel man he became.

After her death, the book takes a tortuous path as cruel Heathcliff takes vengeance for his loss. One of the many subplots in the book is the cowardice of the other males in the story. None of them dares to stand up to Heathcliff, or even defy him. Sitting by helplessly while he does whatever he wishes.

Heathcliff has become the template for what scholars call the Byronic Anti-hero . A moody, brooding rebel, often one haunted by a dark secret from his past. In Heathcliff's case, we are not told exactly what that is. While it may have been what he did in the three years of his absence, there is another omission that may reveal more.

The great ellipsis of the story is often sidelined. What is Heathcliff's origin? Is he the son of Mr Earnshaw? Nelly's tales make it seem that he was. His father sending away his legitimate son Hindley when he sees how cruel he is to Heathcliff supports this narrative. Some critics believe him to be black. This doesn't fit with the cultural chauvinism of 18th century England, as most of the world remains today. Today, Europeans, Africans and Arabs are derided in Asia, China in particular, and the subcontinent. Russia and most of Eastern European have a civilisational focus, just as much of Africa and The Middle East do.

No, the unsaid irritant for Heathcliff is his illegitimate status. The fact that he was a bastard. Shakespeare reveals the scorn heaped on bastards in Edmund's soliloquy from King Leer and Edmund's reaction to it. It is likely that Heathcliff felt rejected by the world before arriving at Wuthering Heights. An outcast born of lust and deception.

Should you read it?

Near the end of the novel, Heathcliff becomes convinced that Cathy has returned for him and that he is communicating with her. This brings the story full circle to the ghost apparition of Cathy at the start of the book to Mr Lockwood. So much so that he allows himself to die through starvation and dehydration. This part of the book is haunting as portrayed by Kate Bush a few centuries later.

The idea of this ghoul, a child-like woman summoning cruel Heathcliff to his death, fully aware of the life he has led and driven by the desire to finally unite with him.

This book is essential for anybody interested in great literature. It creates the template for the Byronic antihero, is very careful to construct a beautiful aesthetic around northeast England, and supports analysis at many levels. It will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.