Welcome to Wuthering Heights Wednesday! I’m hosting a read-along of this classic novel, and we’re reading (and posting about) 3 chapters a week. Joining me in this adventure are:
- Literate Housewife
- Vivienne( Serendipidy)
- Messy Karen
- Victoria
- Jenny (Take Me Away)
- Ti (Book Chatter)
- Lisa – Lit And Life
- Dar@ Peeking Between the Pages
- J.C. Montgomery (The Biblio Blogazine)
- Whitney
- JoAnn (Lakeside Musing)
- Gentle Reader (Shelf Life)
- Amy at New Century Reading
- Geri at One More Foggy Notion
- Rob at Books are Like Candy Corn
Each week I’ll be posting a synopsis (which could contain spoilers, so fair warning) and my thoughts. Here we go…
Chapters 10 through 12
My synopsis:
When last we left The Heights (doesn’t that sound like a good name for the soap opera that is this book?), Heathcliff had vanished and Catherine the First married Edgar Linton. Now that they are living in connubial bliss, guess who shows back up? All grown up and with nothing better to do than torment his tormentors, Heathcliff returns to Wuthering Heights.
Edgar is not a happy camper.
Cathy is beside herself with joy.
And Isabella (that’s Edgar’s sister, for those of you who haven’t been keeping up with the genealogical chart) falls in love. (And editorial comment to Isabella: bad move, dear.)
Cathy becomes a bit distraught over the fact that her husband won’t be nice to her BFF, Heathcliff. So distraught that she works herself up into quite a state. As Nelly explained to the doctor:
“…but you are acquainted with the Earnshaws’ violent dispositions, and Mrs. Linton caps them all. I may say this; it commenced in a quarrel. She was struck during a tempest of passion with a kind of fit. That’s her account, at least; for she flew off in the height of it, and locked herself up. Afterwards, she refused to eat, and now she alternately raves, and remains in a half dream, knowing those about her, but having her mind filled with all forts of strange ideas and illusions.”
Meanwhile, Heathcliff decides to take advantage of Isabella’s love and marry her. I’m assuming he does this only for revenge. By the end of Chapter XII, they have ridden off together into the night. Seriously.
My thoughts:
Have I mentioned that I think Cathy is quite the bitch? I have? Well, it bears repeating. Check out this delightful quote:
“These three awful nights, I’ve never closed my lids – and oh, I’ve been tormented! I’ve been haunted, Nelly! But I begin to fancy you don’t like me. How strange! I thought, though everybody hated and despised each other, they could not avoid loving me – and they have all turned to enemies in a few hours.”
Can you believe the gall of this woman?!? She slaps her future husband around, declares her love for Heathcliff but states she can’t marry him because he has no money and a bad reputation and it would just ruin her, she treats the servants like dirt, she embarrasses poor Isabella by divulging and mocking Isabella’s love for Heatcliff in front of Heathcliff and she expects people to love her? Give me a break. Is anyone else secretly hoping she really is dead?
These characters are the reason I hated WH so much. I hated Cathy, Heathcliff, and others that you’ve probably yet to meet. Saying that, though, I have to admit reading your thoughts on this book chapter by chapter is cracking me up! I love it!
.-= Amanda´s last blog ..Blue is for Nightmares (series – Part I), by Laurie Faria Stolarz =-.
I keep wondering about the psychological roots of these characters–and how Emily ever conceived them and brought them to life.
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Wuthering Heights Wednesday =-.
I love how Heathcliff was all, oh no I hate Isabella I wouldn’t marry her ever…until he realized that she was Edgar’s heir…oh wait I can get money and use her in my eventual revenge? JACKPOT!
These chapters are just so ridiculous I love it. And Cathy…well I don’t think there’s much else to be said about her at this point…
.-= Victoria´s last blog ..Wuthering Heights Wednesdays Chapters 10-12 =-.
What do you think? Not enough time outs when Cathy was growing up? Too many cartoons?
And by the way, no one is just “SECRETLY” hoping she gets dead! Where’s Captain Ahab when you need him?
.-= rhapsodyinbooks´s last blog ..Review of “The Various Haunts of Men” by Susan Hill =-.
I love how Cathy feigned illness for that split second and poor Edgar was about to give into it when Nelly/Dean/Ellen let the cat out of the bag that she was messin’ with him. She didn’t even try to cover it up, just flounced off like “oh well, better luck next time.”
There was a small mention in there about Izzy being Edgar’s heir and that is when Cathy indicated that Izzy’s nephews would come first so I guess Cathy is wanting to start a family pretty soon. We’ve seen the family tree though so we know how that ends.
.-= Ti´s last blog ..Everybody Loves a Festival: L.A. Times Festival of Books 2010 Recap =-.
Eeeee! So I’m in like Flint (I always thought it should be flynn since that rhymes). I’m only on chapter 4 but hopefully be next week I can be all caught up to you guys.
And yes, Cathy is quite the bitch but I don’t think Healthcliff is much better. They’re all rotten, really. But that doesn’t mean I love them any less!
Can’t wait till next week. Hopefully by next week I’ll have my shiny new copy from Amazon!
.-= Trish´s last blog ..Wuthering Heights Wednesday: It Begins =-.
but she does it with such cathy-esque gusto. she makes no pretense at being other than the selfish creature she is. you have to love that.
.-= plumbeanpriya´s last blog ..Letters =-.
Cathy’s on the way to becoming my most hated literary character… and Heathcliff isn’t far behind her. How did Bronte come up with this stuff? I love it!
.-= JoAnn´s last blog ..Wuthering Heights Wednesday: Week 4 =-.
I know Cathy is a bitch but somehow I just don’t hate her. It’s like watching a train-wreck, you just can’t look away! (and you pity the people involved)
.-= mee´s last blog ..Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon =-.
Women can be so fickle. Cathy is slowly starting to dig her own grave and unfortunately, no one cares. I’m loving it!
.-= Whitney´s last blog ..Wuthering Heights Wednesday Week 4 =-.
Isn’t Cathy a real gem? She and Heathcliff are two peas in a pod. Unfortunately it isn’t enough for them to torment each other, they have to torment everyone else too.
.-= Stefanie´s last blog ..Orion You Came and You Took All My Marbles =-.