Welcome to Wuthering Heights Wednesday! Softdrink is hosting a read-along of this classic novel, and we’re reading (and posting about) 3 chapters a week
Note: My book has volumes so the chapter numbers will reflect my copy as well as consecutive chapter numbers.
Volume I – Chapters 13-14
Volume II – Chapter 1 (or 15)
My Synopsis:
In last week’s re-cap, we ended with Heathcliff running off with Isabella. As you may recall, she did so against Edgar’s wishes and Catherine pretty much lost her mind over it. Well, it’s been a couple of months and things have not improved much for Edgar. He tends to Catherine, yet she has not recovered and is looking a bit worse for wear. Her hair is falling out, she is weak and seems to be highly medicated at all times (must be that Dr. Thomas). Although she is stable, things are not going well.
Enter Heathcliff and Isabella. Yes! They return. Heathcliff drops Isabella off at Wuthering Heights and doesn’t even usher her into the house himself. Instead, he sends her on her way and she has to fend for herself. Who does she run into? Joseph! He makes no sense at all with all his gibberish so she ends up ordering him around, but in an efficient way, not a spiteful way, but it’s obvious to her that the house is not well. Plus, she admits to Mrs. Dean that she is unhappy and had no idea how horrible Heathcliff was. Really? Come on.
In the mean time, Heathcliff convinces Mrs. Dean to leave the doors unlocked so that he can visit Catherine when Edgar heads into town. He doesn’t waste anytime either. The reunion of Heathcliff and Catherine is so over-the-top it’s almost too much to take. There’s lots of heaving chests and long embraces, all taking place with Mrs. Dean standing right there.
In walks Edgar. Catherine faints (of course) so to distract Edgar from basically killing him, Heathcliff hands Catherine over to him and then goes out to wait in the garden.
My Thoughts:
Isabella walked right into this one. I have no sympathy for her. BUT, what do you think of Heathcliff running off to Catherine as soon as he gets back into town? I mean…is she really that beautiful? The description of her is telling me no, what with the balding head and all. I don’t get it. When she fainted at the end of the chapter I was hoping that was the end of her but nope…not so lucky.
And is Joseph a joke? Was Brontë trying to be funny by tossing him in there? I have tried over and over again to make sense of what he says but it’s all gibberish. He could be saying something really important for all I know but it goes right over my head because I am unable to make sense of any of it.
I loved this week’s reading because I’m beginning to see how wretched they all are. I will admit that I had a soft spot for Heathcliff but the soft spot is gone. Dumping Isabella and running to Catherine pretty much wiped that out. As much as I hate Cathy’s antics, I love her too! She makes for good reading.
Reading along:
Book Chatter 
With each chapter one gets more and more amazed over the book’s enduring popularity!
I loved this week’s reading, too – my favorite 3 chapters so far! Chapter 15 was captivating. I wonder if that reunion is supposed to be what gives the novels its reputation as a romance.
My favorite scene from these chapters was Isabella’s letter…”Is he mad?” Yes, and you are too, for marrying the man! As if it’s not perfectly obvious who he really loves.
I guess I am repeating myself from my comment at JoAnn’s, but I could never find anything the least bit romantic in any of these miserable wretches’ histrionics. They all deserve each other. Lock ’em all in a room and let ’em go at each other!
it’s very funny that all Joseph’s gibberish made it into Isabella’s letter.
Sounds like you are just getting to craziness of it all…I can’t wait for you all to get to the next chapters.
Yep–now I’m remembering why I didn’t like Heathcliff. I was starting to think that I had just badly misread in previously.
This book is different from anything I normally read. Catherine is a beauty as far as Heathcliff is concerned. I wonder if this passion between them is real. It certainly creates chaos.