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.
Volume II, Chapters 2-4
My Synopsis:
This week’s reading includes some spoilers.
In last week’s recap I was hoping that Catherine would just put herself out of her own misery and was very disappointed when that did not happen. I was equally, if not more, disappointed that she came to after passing out yet again.
Well, in this week’s reading Catherine kicks the bucket. However, she manages to give birth to a baby, whom they name…wait for it…Cathy! She’s on the scrawny side since she was a bit pre-term and apparently very cranky (no surprise there). Mrs. Dean pretty much raises the child since Edgar is still mourning Catherine’s death.
Isabella and Heathcliff are still at Wuthering Heights but it appears that Isabella and Mr. Earnshaw have formed a little bit of an alliance. Well, not an alliance really because Isabella sort of wants Earnshaw to drop dead, but for some reason, Earnshaw decides to share his murderous plans with her. You see, he plans to kill Heathcliff.
As appealing as this sounds, Isabella wants no part of it, so when Heathcliff shows up at the house, she warns him about what is about to take place. He either doesn’t believe her, or doesn’t care because he charges into the house anyway. Heathcliff attacks Earnshaw and they end up on the ground. Somehow in the tussle, Isabella gets hurt and runs off to Thrushcross Grange.
Upon her arrival, Mrs. Dean notices her disheveled state and orders her to change into some dry clothes. Izzy agrees, a woman in her condition, shouldn’t be running around in wet clothes. Yep, she’s pregnant! After changing, she quickly leaves Thrushhcross Grange. I forget where she goes but most likely Gimmerton since that appears to be the only town these people know about.
Fast forward twelve years.
Earnshaw dies and Heathcliff becomes the master of Wuthering Heights.
Isabella dies.
Edgar leaves the Grange to get his nephew, Linton (Izzy’s kid) so he can bring him back to Thrushcross Grange.
Twelve year-old Cathy is a dear (at first) but then quickly begins to take after her mother.
Hareton, who is now 18, seems to have eyes for young Cathy. Ick. They are cousins!
My Thoughts:
This week’s reading was a little hard to keep track of. Some of it is told from Mrs. Dean’s point-of-view, some of it from Isabella’s point of view. No one is sane and there were deaths and births to keep track of and no new names to speak of.
I’m wondering how old Mrs. Dean is because she has been there for years and years and seen all sorts of people come and go, and yet, she continues on.
Just between you and I, I took great pleasure in reading that Catherine’s body was not buried with the other Lintons but in the backyard (so to speak). No special grave marker for her either. She’d turn over in her grave if she knew!
Reading along:
Book Chatter 