I have never been much of an avid reader. Being of above average intelligence,
Most people have always expected me to have exhausted any library’s selection.
Book ever in hand. Au contraire, I have never read. In fact, two or three lines (read in comfort) were as good a sedative as any to lull me straight to sleep.

I decided in my late teens that I was desperately in need of culture. Such a lack of which
Only reading could remedy. Having never read, I was unsure of which genre of book would most interest me. I settled on the notion that classics had already been determined by the learned to worthwhile literature and so decided that I would read as many classics as I could stomach on an amateur appetite. The first classic novel I would read would be Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

What a book! Enthralling from start to finish. Generally, the story of a family and their place of dwelling (Wuthering Heights), though predominately a bitter-sweet love story of marvelous proportions between the two main characters - Catherine and Heathcliff. The story kicks-off when Mr.Earnshaw (Catherine’s father) takes a liking to the waif Heathcliff and adopts him, taking Heathcliff as his son. Soon afterwards, Mr. Earnshaw dies, leaving Heathcliff at the mercy of Catherine’s older, jealous brother, Hindley Earnshaw. Hindley’s animosity for Heathcliff stems from Mr.Earnshaw’s perceived transference of affection from himself to Heathcliff. Hindley belittles Heathcliff cruelly at every opportunity. The story progresses through Catherine’s marriage to another man, Edgar Linton and the subsequent internal turmoil she feels as a result of her decision to marry for financial benefit and not for love.

Heathcliff undergoes a transformation and returns from a lengthy absence a much wealthier man bent on revenge. He aims to punish Edgar and Hindley by taking away their inheritance and wealth. Heathcliff holds the two responsible for Catherine’s marriage to Edgar Linton and the subsequent loss of his one true love.

The plot thickens. Edgar and Heathcliff battle for Catherine’s affections, whilst Edgar’s
Naïve sister, Isabella Linton confesses her love for Heathcliff. Behind the scenes and of
Little interest besides future relevance, Hindley Earnshaw marries and is much in love until his wife dies due to complications from childbearing. Hindley now has a son, Hareton Earnshaw. Heathcliff takes over the ownership of Wuthering Heights and sets his sights on owning Thrushcross Grange (the property owned by Edgar Linton.)

The tale takes a strange and disheartening twist, for the hardcore romance fanatic, when Heathcliff and Isabella Linton suddenly elope. Heathcliff mistreats his new wife and impregnates her with a son, born Linton Heathcliff. Heathcliff returns to Thrushcross Grange to find Catherine ill, pregnant and dying as a result of her deep depression over
Heathcliff’s perceived betrayal of their love. A weakened Catherine dies from complications arising from childbirth, leaving behind a daughter, Cathy Linton.
Hindley Earnshaw dies, leaving Heathcliff as the most unlikely candidate to care for his orphaned son, Hareton Earnshaw. Hareton grows into a strong, though uneducated young man, loyal only to his surrogate father Heathcliff.

Hareton, Cathy and Linton all grow older. When Isabella Linton Dies, Linton is put in the custody of his uncle, Edgar. Heathcliff wins custody of Linton and begins to live with his father at Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff forces Linton and Cathy to marry. Edgar Linton dies. Linton Heathcliff, being weakly from birth dies leaving Cathy a widow. The unfortunate turn of events leaves Heathcliff owner of Thrushcross Grange. Hareton and Cathy fall in love. Heathcliff is lured to his death by Catherine’s spectre. Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights now belong to the lovebirds Cathy and Hareton.

This story is so beautifully told. All the twists in this tale gel together to form a masterpiece, that in my opinion is beyond compare. Melancholy as it might be, it
Lends an eye to the depth and sometimes severity of true love that most of us will
Never experience. The constant throughout this tale, Nelly, adds continuity to this remarkable story as well as providing an observative view as she narrates this tale.

I read many other classics after reading this one has remained second to none. This is
A must read for everyone.