Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Wuthering Heights was always an intimidating book for me.  I didn't dare touch it for a really long time due to all the things I had heard about it.  I have a weak constitution when it comes to dark, emotionally draining books, and who hasn't heard about the tragic, all-consuming love between Heathcliff and Cathy that leads to the destruction of so many lives?  At the same time, however, I knew that it was a book I had to read in my lifetime simply because it's been dubbed one of the greatest romantic classics of all time, and I, being a hopeless romantic, found it my duty to finish it whether or not it gave me any pleasure.

I'm so glad I did.

Last week, I picked up my copy of Wuthering Heights which I had had for a few months, gathering dust in my bookshelf, and made the decision to plow through it as if I were in an English Literature class and had to finish it for homework by a certain deadline.  I gave myself a week.  I finished the book in two days.

Now don't get me wrong, it certainly wasn't love at first sight.  I had tried to read this book in the past, but the first two chapters always repelled me, and I couldn't go on.  The old English was difficult to get through, and the scenes were quite boring and, quite frankly, a bit weird.  This time, I forced myself to persevere, and after the first three chapters, the story picked up at a rapid pace.  Looking back, I now appreciate those initial chapters because they truly set the scene for the rest of the story.  It shows a grown up Heathcliff who has already lost his Cathy.  He is the landlord of Wuthering Heights and resides with a rough, uncivilized boy, and his daughter in law, a beautiful but haughty girl.  The house is depicted as being a dark, desolate and completely loveless residence.  The tenants all seem a bit crazed and banned from normal society.  Because of this, the reader becomes curious and desirous to know what had happened in the past for things to have turned out that way.  I certainly did.  Once Nelly Dean, the old housekeeper of Wuthering Heights starts telling the story from the very beginning, I was entranced, and I devoured the book.

I was inspired by the relationship between Heathcliff and Cathy.  Granted, I wouldn't want it for myself (I like my share of stable, healthy relationships thank you very much.), but there was something other worldly about what they had, something beyond all the normal, everyday relationships or interactions we see.  They simply understood each other like nobody else; they were true soulmates.

Cathy articulated it best in the little speech she gave when she was tormented about accepting Edgar Linton's marriage proposal.  She said about her beloved, "He's more myself than I am.  Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same... My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees.  My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary.  I am Heathcliff!  He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure to myself, but as my own being."

I could've wept with joy from reading those exquisite words.  And I did.

5 stars *****

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Another great Jane Austen favorite of mine, Persuasion took me completely by surprise; I did not expect to be so touched and affected after reading it. This was the last Austen book I read, and I found it particularly special because of its deeply poignant and mature love story. Although all of Austen's other novels are love stories at the core, the relationships aren't as developed as the one shared between Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth. Austen's other books use the love stories as a focal point while the meat of the material is dedicated more to people's social practices, habits, and follies. They also tend to have a fairytale like feel to them, but Persuasion felt much more real and down to earth. It really struck true to the much more deep and complicated emotions people experience.

In Persuasion, Anne Elliot, the protagonist, is much older than Austen's other heroines. She is a very kind, sensible, principled and dependable woman. However, she has one regret that has haunted her for a long time: the fact that as a young woman, she rejected the man she loved because her family did not approve of him, and she was simply too compliant and obedient to object. Now she is at the stage in her life where marriage is no longer a priority or an option because of her age (28!). Her life revolves around keeping her father company and taking care of him. Unfortunately, her family's circumstances have also deteriorated.

When Captain Wentworth comes back a successful man at sea, all the emotions she had felt for him from the past come rushing back to the surface. Wentworth, on the other hand, has turned distant and aloof. The sadness and deep regret Anne feels upon his return is truly heartbreaking. The fact that she has already lost her youth and beauty, and her family is no longer in the same privileged position makes it even more saddening.

This was the first Austen novel that made me cry. I felt so much sympathy for Anne, and I was dying for the moment their relationship would be rekindled.

When it finally did, I felt like I was flying.

5 stars *****

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I just finished re-reading one of my favorite books of all time, and it was even better the second time around.

I first read "Pride and Prejudice" when I was in high school. It was my second classic; "Jane Eyre" was my first. I was inspired to read it because my experience with the latter was just so wonderful, that I became motivated to read more classics.

"Pride and Prejudice", however, was a totally different breed. First, and most formidable of all, the language was ten times more difficult for me to understand. I was able to zip through "Jane Eyre", but with "P & P", I needed a dictionary by my side at all times. The style was also very different. One of the main charms of "P & P" is its sharp, witty, and hilarious dialogue that just jumps at you from the pages; however, I found that it wasn't as descriptive as other books that I had read. A lot of times, you have to read between the lines to get a better grasp of what is truly going on. I also felt that many scenes were presented quite abruptly. Austen doesn't spoon-feed her readers. She is very sharp and intelligent, and she expects the reader to be just as quick as her.

When I was 16, I had never read a book like this before, and at first I was a bit lost and, quite honestly, bored. I wanted to quickly finish the book so I could watch the much talked about BBC miniseries. After seeing Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy staring and smiling at Elizabeth Bennet from across the room, I suddenly woke up to the true beauty of this story. You see, when I was reading the book, the lack of description made it difficult for me to picture the story and its characters. In order for me to truly enjoy a book, I need to be able to see it visually, and this is exactly what the miniseries (a most faithful adaptation) was able to do for me. As soon as I saw the book come to life via this medium, I began to appreciate it, and slowly but surely, I fell deeply in love.

Now almost 10 years after first picking up the book, I was able to zip through it in just a couple of days. Every page was divine. Obviously, now that I'm much older, my perspective has changed a lot, and I appreciate this book even more, especially for creating such magnificent characters in the persons of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. I am even more in love with it.

5 stars *****

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I read it when I was in high school after I saw it on sale at Barnes & Noble for only $2.99. I thought I'd simply add it to my collection without actually reading it since it was so cheap. I went home and sat down to read the first page or two thinking it would probably bore me to death since it was my first classic. Boy was I wrong.

As soon as I read the first line, I simply could not stop reading.

Jane being maltreated as an orphan, Jane being sent to Lowood school, her trials and tribulations there, and of course, Jane's life as a governess in Thornfield, the mystery surrounding that house, and the brooding, mysterious and absolutely irresistible Mr. Rochester.

I loved all of it. But most especially, I loved reading about her relationship with her employer. In every scene they had together, their chemistry was burning. I found myself holding my breath every time they had an encounter, especially their talks by the fireplace. I could just picture Mr. Rochester eyes examining her through his dark locks. I could hear his deep, baritone voice. I felt Jane's nervousness, uncertainty, insecurity, heartbreak, excitement, elation... and I too fell in love with Mr. Rochester.

5 stars *****