tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post9074243653506435325..comments2024-02-29T02:54:19.767-05:00Comments on Babbling Books: Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights and IsolationBrian Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-15668324088929996522020-06-11T11:48:04.321-04:002020-06-11T11:48:04.321-04:00Thanks Jillian. The book also angered me. It seems...Thanks Jillian. The book also angered me. It seems that many people still see this as a romance. It really is a case study in abuse. As such a tale, it is really brilliant. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-2900157872101831612020-06-11T10:41:55.836-04:002020-06-11T10:41:55.836-04:00This is wonderful commentary. Wuthering Heights wa...This is wonderful commentary. Wuthering Heights was one of my first classics back in 2010. I'd been prepped (by no one specifically) to expect a love story. What I got instead was a story of brutality that made me angry. I therefore didn't like the book. I believe on a reread, expecting something much different, I'd come away with a very different experience.*ೃ༄ Jillianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14139487177036647728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-42462251027707167142017-01-02T13:03:53.155-05:002017-01-02T13:03:53.155-05:00Hi A Reader's Tales - I think Hindley is a bad...Hi A Reader's Tales - I think Hindley is a bad person. The cruelty that he metes out to Heathcliff seems to be a contributing factor in Heathcliff's malevolent character. I think that Bronte was trying to illustrate how abuse leads to abuse. <br /><br /><br />With all that, in the end Haethcliff is ay his core evil, his horrendous behavior seems to be the heart of this story. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-77568553090952877952017-01-02T03:09:39.806-05:002017-01-02T03:09:39.806-05:00I read it and adore it and will review it, next mo...I read it and adore it and will review it, next month. But in my opinion the real villain is Heathcliff's brother. Behind a villain often hides another villain. Don't you think?The Reader's Taleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12701126931175725145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-34454433625814358962016-12-21T19:37:59.159-05:002016-12-21T19:37:59.159-05:00Hi Sharon - You raise a good point. I used some ve...Hi Sharon - You raise a good point. I used some very modern terms and concepts describe Heathcliff and what he does. Contemporaries of Emily Bronte would have no idea what I was talking about. <br /><br />With that, even though the terminology is different, it seems that Emily Bronte understood exactly what this kind of person was as well as how they hurt others.<br /><br />I also am baffled by people's attraction to evil. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-23765928739524797462016-12-21T15:01:14.412-05:002016-12-21T15:01:14.412-05:00Hi Brian. I just read this. I've been out of...Hi Brian. I just read this. I've been out of the country. Your modern interpretation is very interesting. While I completely agree with what you say, I find your terms of expression..i.e.. how someone today would interpret Heathcliff's psychology very interesting. I've never heard the story analyzed using those terms of "abuse" and "isolation", very modern types of descriptions for what was going on.<br /><br />I also find Maria Behar's thoughts interesting. Why do people romanticize evil? I am reminded of a stupid, sentimental song about Bonnie and Clyde. They were a couple of thugs and Clyde was an abusive drunk toward Bonnie. Why romanticize that?<br /><br />As you say, it is certainly twisted.<br /><br />In wonder if anyone truly knows what Emily Bronte was trying to achieve.<br /><br />Sharon Wilfonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17466621290140789056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-5170737846098570292016-12-20T19:47:36.273-05:002016-12-20T19:47:36.273-05:00Hi Caroline - It is striking how so many abusive p...Hi Caroline - It is striking how so many abusive people act the same way.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-38557182581347288602016-12-20T12:29:14.253-05:002016-12-20T12:29:14.253-05:00This is so interesting. It actually made me realiz...This is so interesting. It actually made me realize how often abusive people act like this. I had an abusive boss who spread lies, warned people not to socialize with me and almost managed to isolate me. I'm even more tempted to reread the book. Great post, Brian. At first, I thought it would be about the landscape. The Brontes must have led isolated lives.Carolinehttp://beautyisasleepingcat.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-51840109989329109412016-12-18T12:43:12.892-05:002016-12-18T12:43:12.892-05:00Thanks Naida.
I found Heathcliff's abuses d...Thanks Naida. <br /><br />I found Heathcliff's abuses difficult to take. I was disturbed, angered and frustrated when reading this book. <br /><br />You raise a very good question: What did Bronte feel when writing this book?Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-6865324393547895602016-12-18T12:36:33.061-05:002016-12-18T12:36:33.061-05:00Hi Rachel - I also wonder if Emily encountered rea...Hi Rachel - I also wonder if Emily encountered real people like Heathcliff. I suppose that there is biographical writing out there that speculates on this. <br /><br />I agree that Juliet Stevenson is a great Ebook narrator. Anything that she narrates is worth listening to.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-80647064209797612842016-12-18T09:56:33.346-05:002016-12-18T09:56:33.346-05:00Great thoughts again Brian. Heathcliff does isolat...Great thoughts again Brian. Heathcliff does isolate his victims in order to take everything away from them. I wonder where Bronte got the idea for his character from. Reading certain parts of this novel was emotionally draining, your excellent posts are now making me wonder what emotions Bronte felt while writing about Heathcliff, mainly towards the latter half of the book once he starts taking his revenge. The Bookwormhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10217390642323530030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-50107615463569596422016-12-18T09:03:00.338-05:002016-12-18T09:03:00.338-05:00It's interesting that Ms. Bronte's underst...It's interesting that Ms. Bronte's understanding of abusive people is so thorough. I wonder what her experiences are or if she just has a great instinct. I really should read this book. It's not long. I don't know I I'm waiting. There's even a Juliet Stevenson reading of it at Audible, and she's one of my favorite narrators. Maybe I'll read it this year. :)Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14629744053780948715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-69926301693358667102016-12-17T11:54:56.818-05:002016-12-17T11:54:56.818-05:00Hey Maria.
Thanks for the great comment.
In rega...Hey Maria.<br /><br />Thanks for the great comment.<br /><br />In regards to the question of why folks identify this book as a love story and Heathcliff as Byronic. I will just throw this out there: There deems for some, a very dark and twisted for of love and passion. This dark version seems to be embodied in Heathcliff. Maybe other Byronic characters embody a little bit of this darkness, but just a little bit. Heathcliff goes all the way. It seems difficult for some of us to understand this darkness. <br /><br />I have similar feelings about Nineteen - Eighty Four as you have about this book. I found it to be disturbing beyond what fiction should be. Though the protagonist of that book were not malevolent. Monstrous forces found a way to destroy them in a deeper way then in anything else that I have ever read. <br /><br /><br />I seem to also remember the science fiction story that you are refereeing to! I also cannot remember the title or the author. I spent a couple of minutes Googling but I still cannot find it. <br /><br /><br />Have a great weekend!<br />Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-329359137894924372016-12-16T22:39:44.925-05:002016-12-16T22:39:44.925-05:00Excellent commentary as always, Brian!
Your analy...Excellent commentary as always, Brian!<br /><br />Your analysis of the theme of isolation in this horrifying novel is very insightful and well-written. As I read, I could feel once again the ruthless cruelty shown by this character. I could also feel a certain malaise, or perhaps existential nausea (I am reminded of Sartre, of course), along with anger. I was remembering the scenes you were referring to. <br /><br />Everything you've written about this novel leads me to ask several questions about it: how on earth could anyone describe it as a love story? Why do some readers state that this is a novel full of "passion"? And how could ANYONE describe Heathcliff as "a Byronic hero"? Heathcliff is nothing but a psychopath, and this novel is all about him and his evil deeds. As for the so-called "love story", it degenerates into nothing other than a twisted tale of unhealthy obsession. As you have so aptly stated, everyone who comes into contact with Heathcliff suffers some damage, and Catherine Earnshaw is no exception to this. Like you, I don't think she's all that wonderful a character, either, but she certainly didn't deserve to suffer at Heathcliff's hands. He supposedly loved her!<br /><br />Although it's true that Emily Bronte is an incredible observer of human behavior, I will never really understand why she described Heathcliff's cruelty in such minute detail. Did she actually enjoy doing this? How can a writer immerse themselves in such horrible evil and come away unscathed? The feelings I described above are, I'm sure, those that would be felt by any decent human being who found him/herself in the presence of such evil. How, then, can a writer possibly tolerate writing about these things? A few years ago, after the actor Heath Ledger died, I read an Internet article which stated that he was adversely affected -- in an emotional way -- by playing the role of "The Joker" in his last movie. The article added that perhaps this was a contributing factor in his death. So how, then, can writers delve into the nether regions of dark human behavior, and go on with their outer lives? This really baffles me. <br /><br />In general, I have a huge problem with reading any novel which contains an evil protagonist. Reading about such things is much too overwhelming for me. The evil being depicted inevitably wraps me in a horribly constricting cocoon of agony, and I am unable to endure it.... I did read this novel three times -- although the first time, I never did finish it. Was I a glutton for punishment? No, I simply couldn't believe that anyone could be as evil as Heathcliff. How naive of me! We have the example of Hitler, Stalin, and Fidel Castro. <br /><br />You know, I once read a science fiction story (unfortunately, I don't remember the title) about a future society in which criminals such as murderers received a very unusual, and chilling, punishment: they were taken to a far-off planet, where, through some sort of machines, they were FORCED to relive -- in their minds -- the crimes they had committed, over and over and over again. Furthermore, if I remember correctly, they were also forced to feel their victims' emotions. Eventually, these criminals ended up insane. I'm not sure, but perhaps the story was by Harlan Ellison. Anyway, this is the kind of punishment Heathcliff deserved. And so do all cruel tyrants.<br /><br />I think I should write several posts about this novel myself. I would like to express how utterly I despise it, what a sickening feeling it gives me....<br /><br />Of course, I have avoided -- and will continue to avoid -- reading such books as "The Lord of the Flies" and "A Clockwork Orange".<br /><br />I have mentioned to you before that there are books that are actually toxic. "Wuthering Heights" is certainly one of them. <br /><br />Thanks for your thoughts!! :)<br />Maria Beharhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13635809880830316283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-52343016523964678072016-12-16T06:00:40.256-05:002016-12-16T06:00:40.256-05:00Hi Reader's Tales - This is definitely not a t...Hi Reader's Tales - This is definitely not a traditional Christmas read! <br /><br />When you read it I hope that you put up commentary.<br /><br />Happy Holidays!Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-30708248495538199522016-12-16T01:37:13.058-05:002016-12-16T01:37:13.058-05:00Hello Brian, great post as always! I never read Br...Hello Brian, great post as always! I never read Brontë. This novel intrigues me because the subject seems interesting and I like the Victorian period. And I add that Brontë Describes perfectly well these manipulative beings.<br />I can not wait to read it, so I'll take a look at the bookstore. <br />It's funny you know, every Christmas I read stories not very fairy tale....Hahaha. Happy holidays to you!The Reader's Taleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12701126931175725145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-29227658810742681152016-12-15T19:29:30.681-05:002016-12-15T19:29:30.681-05:00Thanks James.
I like Charlotte's prose bette...Thanks James. <br /><br />I like Charlotte's prose better also. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-91127732966111007392016-12-15T19:28:42.517-05:002016-12-15T19:28:42.517-05:00Hi Guy - That passage sounds hilarious, Hi Guy - That passage sounds hilarious, Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-35898155968891098282016-12-15T19:28:01.318-05:002016-12-15T19:28:01.318-05:00Hi Tracy - If i recall you mentioned that you had ...Hi Tracy - If i recall you mentioned that you had the book in the house. In some way it is a tough read as it is disturbing. But I would love to know what you thought about it, Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-83992884251880428932016-12-15T13:14:29.478-05:002016-12-15T13:14:29.478-05:00This is another wonderful commentary. I appreciat...This is another wonderful commentary. I appreciate your insights and they suggest to me that I should reread this novel. I never enjoyed Emily's prose the way I did Charlotte's.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00561320676355168336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-14595133608030402602016-12-15T11:24:47.198-05:002016-12-15T11:24:47.198-05:00I just read Beryl Bainbridge's Sweet William a...I just read Beryl Bainbridge's Sweet William and there's one wonderful scene in which William is outside his girlfriend's flat crying and carrying on in his attempts to get back in the house. One of the characters asks if William thinks he's Heathcliff and it's a very funny inversion of the ghost-Cathy scene in the beginning of WH. Guy Savagehttp://www.swiftlytiltingplanet.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-37162910931171845282016-12-15T10:09:41.207-05:002016-12-15T10:09:41.207-05:00I'm beginning to think that despite my reserva...I'm beginning to think that despite my reservations I might have to actually read this at some point. Yet more great commentary, thanks Brian.Felicity Grace Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17852843882007267665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-19349673008832506712016-12-15T06:34:51.858-05:002016-12-15T06:34:51.858-05:00Lord Byron was certainly a character.
It seems th...Lord Byron was certainly a character.<br /><br />It seems that Rochester was the ultimate Byronic hero. Heathcliff seemed to go beyond the Byronic into the monstrous. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-82637897507355679802016-12-14T23:04:26.106-05:002016-12-14T23:04:26.106-05:00Years ago I read Juliet Barker's biography Wil...Years ago I read Juliet Barker's biography Wild Genius on the Moors about the Bronte Family. As I recall Barker made a point to stress the importance of Lord Byron and his poetry, in the lives of Emily and Charlotte Bronte and their future writing. In fact Mr Rochester and Heathcliff are sometimes referred to as Byronic heroes and from tne little I've read about him, Lord Byron was quite a character himself. Kathy's Cornerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03967595794483824444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-61012651831689626182016-12-14T19:44:04.647-05:002016-12-14T19:44:04.647-05:00Hi Julia- Thanks for stopping by.
I felt the some...Hi Julia- Thanks for stopping by.<br /><br />I felt the some way. I wanted to step onto this novel and stop Heathcliff in any way that I could. <br /><br /><br />I can see why you would not want to read this again. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.com