Wuthering Heights, number seven on BBC’s list of the 100 best British Novels, is broadly considered one of the best novels ever written, with many readers listing it as a favourite. Not me. Rarely have I come across a novel with so little appeal. Unfortunately, it was part of my reading project, reading the best British books, which made me reluctant to DNF.
If you are one of the many people who adore Wuthering Heights, I suggest you skip this review, which – whilst being an honest review – has been written with some amount of tongue-in-cheek.
1. Synopsis
I assume most people are familiar with the plot, either from the novel or from the many film and TV adaptations. But just in case, let’s briefly set the stage.
Wuthering Heights is the story about the all-consuming love between the selfish, spoiled and insufferable Catherine Earnshaw and her step-brother Heathcliff, who is brutal, manipulative and revengeful. The story takes place at the wild Yorkshire moors, which some people find romantic and it’s generally considered having a dark, Gothic atmosphere.
2. What I didn’t like
I am aware, one can’t just dismiss one of the best books ever written without justification. I could probably write a long, tedious rant-review, but I think my dislikes can be summed up in the following points.
2.1 Narrative Structure
Wuthering Heights is narrated by the housekeeper Nelly. Or more accurately, it’s narrated by Mr. Lockwood, who recalls his time falling ill at Heathcliff’s house. Whilst recovering, Nelly tells him the story about Heathcliff and Catherine. Experiencing the story via these outsiders could in theory add an extra layer of interest, since they (in particular Nelly, who is closely connected to the characters involved), offer a highly subjective recollection of past events. However, the retrospective third person narration in this case was mostly a source of confusion and complexity and it introduced an unnessecary distance to the characters and the events taking place.
2.2 Characters
I don’t have a problem with unlikable characters, quite the opposite. When unlikable characters are well-written, they can evoke empathy, pity and despair despite their despicable behaviour. This can be very impactful. Sadly, I didn’t feel anything for the characters in Wuthering Heights. Their actions could to some extent be explained by their childhood (although, I do believe everyone has responsibility for their own life and you can’t just blame all your terrible actions on childhood). In any case, the characters weren’t written in a way which made me emphasise. Actually, most of them managed to make me want to slap them on at least one occasion, which admittedly is quite a feat. Whenever a character made a terminal exit from the storyline, I felt relief rather than sadness.
2.3 Closed circle – bordering to incestual – relations (not to mention the character names)
The two protagonists are step-brother and step-sister. Whilst strange, it didn’t particularly bother me. However, over the course of the story, we never move away from a very small circle of people, who all marry each other. This seemed too contained and at times rather confusing. See if you can follow this:
Catherine Earnshaw grows up with her brother Hindley Earnshaw and step-brother Heathcliff. As an adult, Catherine marries the well-esteemed Edgar Linton, whereas Heathcliff marries Edgar’s sister, Isabella Linton. Later on, the daughter of Catherine Earnshaw and Edgar Linton, who is also called Catherine, marries the son of Heathcliff and Isabella Linton, who is called Linton Heathcliff. After the death of the sickly Linton Heathcliff, Catherine Linton marries her other cousin Hareton Earnshaw, who is the son of Catherine’s brother, Hindley Earnshaw. This finally leaves Catherine the second with the name Catherine Linton Heathcliff Earnshaw, relating her to every single character in the book in more than one way.
2.4 Lack of plot engagement
I started reading Wuthering Heights in August 2024 and finished in March 2025. That says it all, really. The combination of having no interest in the characters and the weird narrative structure made me reluctant to pick up the book. In hindsight, this should definitely have been a DNF.
3. What I liked
Often, I’m able to appreciate what other people like in a book, even if it doesn’t match my own taste. However, my strong dislike for Wuthering Heights made me blind to all the literary qualities, which I am sure it possesses. I will give credit to Emily Bronte for making me dislike the characters intensely. It is certainly better than everyone being exceedingly bland.
Anyways. This was definitely a case of matching the wrong book with the wrong reader. Let’s leave it there.
I expect, few people will be sympathetic to my views on this classic, but it seems that Kathryn Hughes (British author, historian and critic) shares some of my opinions in this interesting article written for The Guardian.
Title: Wuthering Heights [1847] Author: Emily Jane Brontë Format: Audiobook, narrated by Joanne Froggatt Genre: Classic
I only attempted WH once, as a teenager, and quickly abandoned it. I’ve not been tempted to put that right, even though I’m aware that books a teenager doesn’t appreciate can become beloved if tackled at a more stable point in one’s life. It’s a bit of a mystery to me why it’s become so beloved – especually of the Japanese. If you go to the landscape outside Howarth, you’l find the way marked paths in two languages: English and Japanese. Multi-langage signs are simply not a feature of Englsih walking route-signposting. I do wonder how many ‘fans’ have actually read the book. Anyway, I decided to stick with the walking route, and wrote about it here: https://margaret21.com/2018/07/28/wuthering-heights/
I hated WH as a teenager, appreciated it better on my arcing read a few years ago. Like you I detested the characters. The main idea I recall from my second read was how hard it to to break a tradition of family violence.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who didn’t like this book! I tried listening to the audiobook read by Patricia Routledge, who was brilliant. Then I tried the graphic novel but I still hated it and DNF’ed it. Too much shouting and teenage angst for my liking!
Hi. I sometimes wonder how books become so-called classics. I’ve read many little-known novels that I thought were better than a lot of “classics.”
Bored me to tears as a teen and I faked my way through the class discussion. Couldn’t finish it. No way am I trying again.
Stargazer, you are not alone. I struggled through it for exactly the same reasons as you!
I read it in high school and I’m not a fan either. I found it as boring as Jane Eyre. I can’t remember which was worse.
I really liked Wuthering Heights, I was not keen on Mr Lockwood, but I liked Nelly’s telling of the story. I think I felt sorry for the characters, and I hoped they would all find a happy ending. 😉
haha!! I agree with you on all points but I’m tempted to give it another go and see if I read it differently all these years later, may be with more understanding of Emily Bronte’s life and what she was trying and hoping to achieve!
While I enjoyed Wuthering Heights to an extent, I still agree with a lot of what you said. It took me ages to get through a single chapter and I just didn’t feel invested or connected to the book or the characters. I found it morbidly charming, and it was unlike any book I’d read at the time — but I don’t think I’m doing a reread any time soon. A very insightful write!
Most of the people we know don’t like Wuthering Heights. Most of Kb’s students in his PhD courses don’t like it. We suppose that’s quite normal and mainstream not to like it. You can see it here in the comments as well.
We think the question of whether I like these classics or not is not intelligent. It is more interesting to see how new techniques such as narrative perspectives or plot design, for example, have been developed in a novel.
Anyway, Wuthering Heights is not popular.
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂