Wuthering Heights Reading Group

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I enjoyed the video but the autistic part of me can't refrain from pointing out three small errors.

The video states that Charlotte went to Belgium to be a teacher. This is partly true, but it fails to mention that Emily and Charlotte both journeyed to Brussels together, as students, to master French composition and German philosophy. Whilst there, Emily, an accomplished pianist, taught music. The sisters returned home in 1842 upon the death of their Aunt, but Charlotte returned to Belgium alone in 1843, as a teacher of English. Her love affair with Héger changed the course of English literature.

A second error: This video states that Jane Eyre's success prompted Emily and Anne to publish their novels. In reality, Emily and Anne's novels were complete by mid 1847, and accepted for publication by Thomas Newby, whereas Charlotte's book, The Professor, which was expected to complete the sisters' three volume set, was rejected repeatedly; Jane Eyre was yet to be penned. Charlotte, in envy of her sisters, wrote Jane Eyre in the summer of 1847 and it was published swiftly by Smith, Elder and Co. in October 1847, just ahead of her sisters' novels. WH and AG weren't released until December 1847 because of delays by Thomas Newby, but the novels were written and sent to publication before Jane Eyre was yet conceived. To this effect, Emily's and Anne's writing compelled Charlotte to create her masterpiece novel, and not vice versa.

The third error is in the end of the video, where it is asserted that all of the Brontës are interred in the family vault at St. Michael's. Anne died and was buried in Scarborough in May 1849, during her holiday with Charlotte, and Ellen Nussey. She is the only Brontë not lain to rest under the church floor boards. This fact was not stated, and its omission is disrespectful to Anne.

I'm sorry for adding corrections. It was a beautiful video clip, but errors really grate on me. Sorry for being pedantic but that's my OCD personality and attention to detail. I can't help it.

No worries. Seems like some facts are clearly not checked properly. I think it's important that the research team involved in making a documentary should do a thorough job, but apparently this isn't always the case.

Thanks for agreeing with me. I'm always irked by this error on Google, as well. It states that Isabella Linton's child is Catherine Linton, which is wrong. The child "Catherine" is her niece.

Isabella and Heathcliff have a son, who is named Linton.

I wonder how to correct Google / Wikipedia?

I'm good to start whenever. I've never been part of a reading group before so I'm not sure how it works. Do we post our thoughts as we finish a chapter? I feel like I struggle a bit with putting things into words myself, so if I say anything confusing please ask me what I mean this might help me to improve

I've just had a look through this thread and seen the pictures of Ponden. It's an amazing place to stay, although I don't think I could sleep in the box bed . I loved seeing the tiny books, too- they fascinate me.

I’ve always really loved the intensity and emotion Wuthering Heights has, as well as the descriptions of nature and the moors. It's like they have that same intensity and are almost a character, too. I'm looking forward to reading it again and learning more.

Hi Stardust,
It looks like it's just you and me, kid! Please start whenever you'd like. I'll probably get through a chapter or two today. I'll post some thoughts or observations as I go, and you're free to do the same. No structure necessary!

Last night was perfect "Wuthering" weather.

Rain; swirling wind; leaves flying; ocean, rivers, and lakes in tumult.....

19th century ladies' hair flowing with the wind. Hats falling off heads......

I read two chapters with a focus on WH as a psychological prison: the inhabitants are detached from society as inmates with no sign posts for escape, and "buried alive" in their own solitude or isolation.

I also looked at themes of boundaries, and the tension of dualism: South vs. North, Lockwood's analysis of Heathcliff as an extension and reflection of his own psyche, Catherine as a 'beneficent fairy' vs. 'dark witch', and gender role reversals for people in their natural state.

Other themes to consider:
Physical boundaries
Social boundaries
Animal imagery
Reality vs. delusion

I'm analysing Lockwood's role a lot more than I usually do. Charlotte Brontë said that Emily required an interpreter between herself and the world, so I'm viewing Lockwood as her interpreter between psychology and social demand. He is flawed from the start and proves himself highly unreliable.

I'm also seeing autistic traits throughout these chapters, but that's just my confirmation bias!

One could actually edit Wikipedia.

Just sign up for it.

It’s better if you could cite where you got the info that Catherine was Isabella’s niece—a passage from the novel.

Well that would be cute! Isabella Linton logs in to Wikipedia to correct her child's name ...

Is that image box that I attached (about Isabella) generated by Wikipedia? I wasn't even sure. It comes up when I google her name. I'll try reading the actual Wikipedia information page, but I think it's accurate if I remember correctly.

Update: Yes, the regular Wikipedia page of information says she has a son.

Hey!
I've read the first two chapters so far. I'm reading it on the kindle, it says it's the '1910 John Murray edition'.
Looking at it from the point of view of a psychological prison and being detached from society is an interesting take! I can see where you’re coming from- Lockwood seems to have gone there specifically for the isolation and detachment, and when he thinks Catherine jr. is married to Hareton he thinks she’s thrown herself away due to being ‘buried alive’ and not knowing any better .

They all seem a bit detached from each other too, I think? They all have their own issues that they’re going through, Heathcliff with his obsession for revenge (I don’t understand why he’s seen as a romantic hero when he’s awful ), Hareton being kept like a servant, and Catherine jr being literally imprisoned there, with nowhere else she could go. It’s strange how Lockwood thinks he’s out of place in the ‘pleasant family circle’- is it that although they are all out of place they somehow fit together in a way he can’t contribute to, or is he perceiving the scene differently (like when he thought the dogs would be friendly and mistook the rabbits for cats)? Why did he go back the next day when he thought he wasn’t wanted there, going so far as to jump over the fence? I’d never really considered him much before but he is quite interesting.

I’ve found the contrasts quite interesting too- Heathcliff and the room he’s in, the ‘cats’ actually being dead rabbits, how the dogs are perceived and their actual nature, and the two opposing descriptions of Catherine (Fairy and Witch). It all seems to add to the feeling of not quite knowing what is going on, like looking through fog or something.

I can see why now is the perfect time for reading Wuthering Heights, I usually get it muddled up with books and read ones with winter descriptions in summer and vice versa . I’m hoping to read more today and post later too

(sorry for replying so late, I’ve had this terrible cold and not been online much.)

I didn't watch all of it, but there are some great continuity errors for locals to spot, too. I used to live just around the corner from Green Lane in Thornton where he begins, and the following shot of him walking down Sapgate can only be explained by the desire to find pretty "period authentic" cobbles for him to walk on! (good camera work to keep the crappier aspects of Market Street out of shot, too!) And I hope that someone helpfully pointed him in the right direction when he strides off across Ogden Reservoir in the wrong direction! Always nice to see some of my favourite haunts and hear a little bit of our local accent, though.

My 3x great grandparents lived at Newall Hill (Lodge and Main), and others were wool combers at Oldfield Gate farm. Many are in the St. Michael's graveyard. It's so nice to hear your input. Such a pity you don't have your PM on so I can say hello.

hi there, got an invite from Stardust! I havent read WH in such a long time, since I was a teen really. It affected me a lot I remember, all that wild unfulfilled passion and tragedy. Must also admit to Kate Bush's song keeping this book alive in my memory!

If anyone doesnt have a copy of the novel (like me), you can read it free online here:

https://www.wuthering-heights.co.uk/wh/ ... chapter_01

On reflection, I like the character of Lockwood. When I’ve previously read WH I’ve looked past what he said to try to get to what I thought of as the ‘actual story’, which was a mistake as we’re seeing things through his eyes so I should have paid more attention. It seems his social struggles are what sent him to seek isolation, only to find that’s not what he wanted and ending up tangled in the messiness of WH- and he gets lost in the snow. Poor guy. And the window scene do you think it was Catherine’s ghost, or a dream or something else?

I loved the snowy descriptions, I could just imagine looking out and the landscape being unrecognisable. I generally love any winter descriptions in books.

I’m really enjoying the story through Nelly’s eyes, too. I like how honest and forthright she seems- admitting her initial fear of Heathcliff, her taking part in teasing him and later growing fond in a way of him- thinking he was uncomplaining and not vindictive. The animal imagery Nelly uses is quite interesting too and full of contrasts- on one hand, she says Heathcliff is uncomplaining as a lamb, but also describes this as being from hardness which doesn’t seem lamb-like at all, and also describing him as a Cuckoo.

I also found in interesting how she classes herself one of the Lintons, calling them ‘us’ and this contrast between her being a part of the family (being offered a gift by Mr Earnshaw and eating porridge with Cathy and Hindley), and Heathcliff’s introduction to them all. Who is Heathcliff? I remember wondering on my last read if he was actually Mr Earnshaw’s son or a relation of some sort.

I've only started wading through the vast list of characters already in Chapters One and Two and am confused. This is all me and I dont like reading books online either, you can't dog ear an online page...

Yes it was a ghost, her icy little ghost hand. Someone posted a photo of Catherine's room at Ponden Hall on Twitter,
I got chills looking at it (I hope this works!)

[https://twitter.com/hell4heather/status/857877773511270401