General Chat

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Just about finished reading this and I cant understand why people rave over it, ok so it was written by hand by candle light with a ink and a feather , and once you stop that silly song going round in your head, you can concertrate, but it makes you think more what was going on in the authors life more at the time then the story its self. I thought it was a love story, nope got that wrong its more about spite jealousy possibly people suffering from biploar episodes then a love story. What sort people did Miss Bronte meet in her life to come up with Heathcliffe and such misery :-(

It is a book I have never managed to read all the way through, Hayley, just couldn't get on with it.

You should have skipped the book, Hayley, and watched the fillum with Laurence Oliver wailing 'Cathyyyyyyyy....Cathyyyyyyyy'.....over the misty, dank moors...*sighs.... <3 (Merle Oberon was Cathy as I remember),,,,

I have struggled to be honest Rose, they do on abit dont they, but as I said thats all they had was conversation in them days...lolol but then there are large gaps in years and things that just go unexplained :-|

BC but is the filium as the book intended ?

It was the brother you had to watch. Very odd, very odd indeed.

Done the book for 'A' levels about 10 years ago.

Julia oin Derbyshire

One of few books I have ever read, and loved it.

I doubt she met many people. Very iolated life on edge of the Moors. Sisters got out a bit more, I think. Emily had a brooding and alcoholic brother.

Came across her father researching the family of Rev John Eyton, Rector of Wellington (1772-1823) in Shropshire. His curate about 1808 was a young unmarried Irishman - Rev Patrick Brunty. Same one who changed his surname to Bronte and became Vicar of Haworth :-D ;-)

I think you have to separate the story from the style. We all know Charles Dickens wrote fab stories, but have you ever tried reading them?! Just the way they wrote makes them really hard to read confortably. See if you can find an abbreviated version!!
Lord of the Rings is also virtually unreadable. but the prize for me goes to Lorna Doone, in which only 3 things happen in about a million pages (yes, a slight exaggeration!).
Fave book of all time for me is Jane Eyre though, having said all that.
Jan

There isnt much to the story really is there Jan, set in 1800 Normal family father mother son and daughter, father returns from a business trip with small urchin, they name him heathcliff the father dotes on him, the son and daughter dont like him for a while then him and the daughter become playmates which as they grow to teenagers grows a bit deeper but no one really knows how deep, Catherine is a spolit brat and hurts Heathcliffs feelings he disappears for a couple of years with new found wealth which is never explained, the brother has disppeared and returns with a wife who has a baby son and the wife dies in child birth. Catherine marries a neighbour whom Heathcliffe dispises and the him heathcliffe, so out of spite he marries the sister, he has already moved in with Catherines brother whom now is a gambling alcholic and doesnt care for the baby son, who grows up almost wild, Catherine dies in child birth and mad as box of frogs at the same time, Heahtcliffes wife now dispises him and does a runner, who is also with child, 12 years later she dies the child moves back with him, and guess what Heathdliffe hates him as well.

I don't like Wuthering Heights, I just wanted to slap them all and tell them to grow up :-D. I do love Jane Eyre, though, Mr Rochester is much more likeable (in an odd sort of way).

Thanks Hayley, never managed to read it and won't have to bother now I have your excellent précis. I actually feel there is a lot of 'snob' value put on the reading of many of the classics. As if you haven.t read them you can't be intelligent. We had to read Thomas Hardy for Greaders many years back. I hated his style of writing.

Its the one and only classic Ann I have ever read and I am not eagar to read any more, Sheila I dont know about growing up they needed to stand up to him what a bully, I think the author was trying to maintain that Heathcliffe first pined and then was haunted by the dealth of Catherine, he was nasty and spiteful to everyone else around him, and even forced his dying son to marry Catherine (Catherines daugher) and they were cousins, whilst her father lie dying he kidnapped her and stole her wealth. The whole story is narrated by the housekeeper Nelly Dean to a new tennent Mr Lockwood.

It's one of my favourite books. I fell in love with Heathcliff at an early age, so brooding, dark and intense.

The reason classics are classics is because so many people enjoy them - but not everyone is going to. I can't stand anything written by George Eliot but a lot of people really enjoy her stuff. I love Hardy and most of Dickens, although the latter does go on a bit.

Usually the so-called classics are basically good stories, told well.

Gwynne

Used to love reading these classics as a boy (Dickens, Joseph Conrad, and the Brontes). But have not picked up a book and read it for many years.

I think there was much more time to read years ago. Now with telly, computers, phones, it is more difficult to make space.

Hayley, I am impressed that you have hacked througth the book. And precised it well. That shows a lot of mental discipline - particularly if not really enjoying it :-D :-D

I was watching Bangor beat Aberystwyth 7-1 at soccer on Welsh TV, probably when you started Chapter 17. Don't feel quite so righteous :-D

All the other men in the book are attentive to their spouse but Heathcliffe I thought at first , this is the authors fantasty of a man, dark brooding full of mystery but by the end no one aprt from Nelly mourned his dealth and that was only out of duty, I didnt like him.

I'm with Sheila, on Jane Eyre, and Mr Rochester :-D

But...Brummie Jan! how can you say LOTR is virtually unreadable :-0 I came to it later than some, but if I had to have one book ( well trilogy) and one only for the rest of my days it would be that :-D Horses for courses and all that ;-)

Hayley, it's me, Holly, I've come home
I'm so cold, let me in in-a-your-window


Ooh let me have it, let me grab your soul away
Ooh let me have it, let me grab your soul away
You know it's me, Holly.

:-D

*Whispers* - has Prickles been at the cooking sherry again? :-0

Wend...........i sang (or maybe screamed ) that in my bestest Kate Bush voice.

I always receive an encore when i sing it at the karaoke.



:-D

All together now - Wooo-ooooooo

Men, squeeze them - you'll get up there :-D :-D