Thursday, July 10, 2008

Wuthering Heights



I finished reading Wuthering Heights yesterday. Dear God, how tragic! How dark! How perfectly crafted! I read it because I thought I should read it. After all, I AM an English teacher, am I not?

It seems it took quite a long time to read this book (nearly two weeks?) but a vast number of the sentences were so cleverly written, that I found myself re-reading entire passages and pages. I probably really read the book twice, for that reason.

In any case, no matter your opinion on the book, it makes an EXCELLENT argument in Nurture's defense in the classic debate Nature vs. Nurture. Heathcliff is poison embodied and tarnishes, if not ruins outright, every person with whom he comes in contact. Oh, how I hated him! Look, he's even affected me!

This book has been called the most tragic love story of all time. Hmmm... assuming love and hate are kissing cousins, I would say that is true. The primary motivator in the book, I think, is hate. But hate is only possible when there was once love.

So call it a love story, a hate story; call it whatever you like, it's excellent.

1 comment:

Out-Island Explorers said...

LOL-- You've got me wanting to read it now :) Or actually re-read it. I think I was supposed to have read it in one of my classes, but I don't think I ever made it all the way. Now that I LOVE to read, I'll have to give it another shot sometime.

By the way-- I'm glad you're on here-- like to see what everyone is up to!

Love ya Lizzy!