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
- Trish at Love, Laughter and a Touch of Insanity
- Carina at Reading through Life
Each week I’ll be posting a synopsis (which could contain spoilers, so fair warning) and my thoughts. Here we go…
Volume II, Chapters 9 through 13
My synopsis:
Edgar starts us off by musing about his approaching death (man, these people are obsessed with death!). He also finally relents and consents to Catherine and Linton meeting. They haven’t seen each other in months, and Cathy is less than charmed by Linton’s sickly appearance and attitude. While Edgar has been languishing at the Grange, Linton languished at the Heights:
The pettishness that might be caressed into fondness, had yielded to a listless apathy; there was less of the peevish temper of a child which frets and teases on purpose to be soothed, and more of the self-absorbed moroseness of a confirmed invalid, repelling consolation, and ready to regard the good-humoured mirth of others, as an insult. -p. 265
In other words, he looks like crap. Cathy isn’t so sure he’s quite the catch after all. Unfortunately, when they meet for a second time, Heathcliff shows up and cons Cathy (and Nelly) into returning to Wuthering Heights. Once he has them at the Heights he locks them up. His plan is to force Cathy to marry Linton. You know, so he can get his hands on Cathy’s inheritance. And since Linton obviously has one foot in the grave, Heathcliff has no time to waste in forcing this marriage!
My thoughts:
Despite the drama of a forced marriage, the book is lagging. Maybe it’s because everyone is so sickly and has no energy. Or maybe it’s because Catherine I was vastly more entertaining than Catherine II. Whatever it is, I’m kinda ready for it all to be over. How about you?
Cathy I was a little more intelligent than Cathy II even if she made horrible blunders. The second generation just seems to go with the flow. I can’t imagine what Cathy’s grandchildren would be like with all this in-breeding.
.-= Whitney´s last blog ..Wuthering Heights Wednesday Week 9 =-.
And could you imagine Linton’s children?? The horror!!
Is this your first time reading the book?? I read it awhile ago and had such conflicting emotions toward it. I remember it with fondness, but it was such a tortured story!!
.-= zibilee´s last blog ..The Miracles of Prato by Laurie Albanese and Laura Morowitz – 400 pgs =-.
Yep, first time. And last.
It lagged until Heathcliff went into “capcha” mode…
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Wuthering Heights Wednesday =-.
*snort*
We talked about this at BEA, but I love reading the descent from “interesting book” to “oh god please be over now”
.-= Amanda´s last blog ..Welcome to The Zen Leaf! =-.
And all it took was a few chapters for me to get to that point.
Cathy I was far more interesting than Cathy II, Heathcliff is a beast, and I wish Linton would just die already – can’t take much more of his sniveling! It’s definitely time to wrap this one up.
.-= JoAnn´s last blog ..Wuthering Heights Wednesday: Week 9 =-.
I think Volume I would’ve made a good novel on its own. Volume II I’m much more meh about.
Hooray! This is the first time I have actually been able to post on your blog for over three weeks. I don’t know why, but I just couldn’t get your blog page to come up.
I am ready for the end now. Major depression is setting in, who would have thought a book could be soooo depressing!!
.-= vivienne´s last blog ..Withering Wuthering Wednesday! =-.
How ill-mannered of my blog! I’m sorry it was misbehaving!
I just don’t see how this book can end well. I mean, I know it doesn’t literally end well, but I expect it to end in a satisfying fashion and with these last 6 chapters, I don’t see if happening.
Cathy II is a bore.
Linton reminds me of an earthworm, stranded after a good rain. All his wreathing. I keep waiting for the sun to come out so he’ll shrivel up properly.
Mrs. Dean is a drama-whore. She creates all this stuff herself.
I thought Cathy I was going to haunt the place. Where the hell is she?
.-= Ti´s last blog ..Wuthering Heights Wednesday: June 2, 2010 – Week 9 =-.
As far as I can tell, Cathy I is only haunting Heathcliff. Unfortunately. The book needs a good ghost to liven things up.
I agree! I keep waiting for her to show up.
“Ready for it to be over” is sort of how I felt the whole time I was reading. But I got THROUGH IT and that’s what counts.
Good luck finishing up!
.-= Andi´s last blog ..Summer Reading with the Rockets =-.
I think it’s lagging because the characters are still alive.
.-= rhapsodyinbooks´s last blog ..Review of “Sweet Misfortune” by Kevin Alan Milne =-.
the reading is a bit easier for me. but i also can’t wait for it to end.
.-= Messy Karen´s last blog ..XXV thru XXVII or…. XI thru XIII =-.
I agree with you Jill–ready for it to be over. I think reading it in such small chunks each week is making it drag on even more–might have to just try and finish it and be done. Such wretched characters!!!