Over the past few years, I have been making the effort to read some of the classics. I have now started reading Wuthering Heights and I have to admit I am struggling. I am about five chapters in at the moment and have no clue what it is about.
Who is the protagonist? It seems to change constantly and there is a lot of ‘He said, she said’ making it confusing and a lot of sentences that don’t make sense.
Mrs LD says it’s one of her favourite books and that she read it many times when she was a teenager - I don’t know how she did it tbh.
I have read other classics by Tolstoy. Dostoevsky, Chekov, Cervantes etc and had no problem although I realise they were translated into English.
So is Wuthering Heights really the masterpiece that people claim it to be? If I had written that when I was at school. I reckon my English teacher would have told me to do better.
I really would like to finish this book so can anyone give any tips on how to read and understand it?
Gosh it was years ago I read it, late teens I was reading it repeatedly I loved it so much. Obviously I didn’t have any trouble reading of understanding but I can’t remember why so no help to you sorry. Only will say it’s not a book for everyone I remember trying to get my cousin to read it and he couldn’t make head nor tail of it. So I wonder if it’s a woman’s book more than a mans but I’m not sure why that would be.
Longdogs it is very strange that your having trouble with this great classic i have read it and totally enjoyed it without any problems. All i can say is really get into the book absorb it like a sponge. Hope you enjoy it as i did.
It is quite a complex story - so many characters change status and attitudes. Only constancy is Heathcliff’s love for/obsession with Cathy. I have read it several times - and enjoyed it. I suppose the writing is a little naive but stick with it, Longdogs, it is worth the trip!!:-D:-D
I’m not sure if I would force feed myself a passionate romantic classic like WH were I a bloke.
It depends if you’re a blokey kind of bloke!
Just because it’s a classic doesn’t mean it’s for you…I tried Moby Dick and almost lost the will to live!
Why not put it to one side and see how you fare with Lorna Doone.
You still get the wild moors and mud and so on but you might find the plot more exciting?
I have read it many times with no problems.But just because a book is considered a classic it does not mean everyone will find it enjoyable or to their taste.
Thanks for all your comments and thanks Cinderella for the link. I will have a read of the website then start again from the beginning, it might make more sense to me.
It’s not that Romantic novels do not appeal to me because I quite like romantic films.
Maybe I need to read a lot in one session rather than a couple of chapters every night.
I read the notes on the website and started again and this time I have understood it (so far). I think maybe I was trying to read it when I was too tired so didn’t take it in. I shall keep going.
Gosh longdogs don’t give up on it. It’s my favourite book of all time, I cried rivers over that book when I was younger. I remember limiting myself at bedtime to just a few pages… It was just so emotional
No, I’m not going to give up just yet summer. I managed to get through War & Peace ok although I admit I watched the TV series first so I had a picture of the characters in my mind which helped with all the Russian names.
The last book I read was Metamorphosis which was in fairly plain English so I think the transition into Victorian English made it difficult.
We’re all different and can no more all like the same books than we can like the same music. One of my best friends thinks Jane Austen is a literary genius whereas I think she is a second/third rate version of the appalling Barbara Cartland with no literary merit whatever. Takes all kinds!
