Wuthering Heights »

Emily BrontË (1818-1848) published Wuthering Heights, her only novel, under the pseudonym of Ellis Bell in 1847—a year before her death at the age of thirty. She also published a volume of poetry under that pseudonym, together with her sisters Charlotte and Anne, entitled Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell.

Considered lurid and shocking by mid-19th-century standards, Wuthering Heights was initially thought to be such a publishing risk that its author, Emily Bronte, was asked to pay some of the publication costs. A somber tale of consuming passions and vengeance played out against the lonely moors of northern England, the book proved to be one of the most enduring classics of English literature.

The turbulent and tempestuous love story of Cathy and Heathcliff spans two generations -- from the time Heathcliff, a strange, course young boy, is brought to live on the Earnshaw's windswept estate, through Cathy's marriage to Edgar Linton and Heathcliff's plans for revenge, to Cathy's death years later and the eventual union of the surviving Earnshaw and Linton heirs.

A masterpiece of imaginative fiction, Wuthering Heightsremains as poignant and compelling today as it was when first published in 1847.

Children's Literature

One of the greatest gothic romance novels of all time, Wuthering Heights is the story of a tortured and ultimately tragic romance between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. The story is told in a series of flashbacks. Heathcliff is an orphan brought to Wuthering Heights by the kindly Mr. Earnshaw. Heathcliff's best friend as he grows up is Mr. Earnshaw's daughter, Catherine. Earnshaw's son, Hindley, hates Heathcliff and forces Heathcliff to work as a hired hand after his father's death. Catherine and Heathcliff fall in love, considering themselves two parts of one person, but Catherine chooses to marry a neighbor, Edgar Linton. Heathcliff is devastated at Catherine's betrayal and leaves. When he returns months later, he is wealthy and marries Edgar Linton's sister, Isabella. Heathcliff and Catherine fight bitterly over this development, but reconcile shortly before she dies in childbirth. Heathcliff spirals into madness, taking out his fury on the Earnshaws and Lintons, punishing even his and Catherine's children. This new edition of the classic novel includes a cover illustration and extra features designed to capitalize on the popularity of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight gothic romance series. The cover even proclaims Wuthering Heights "Bella and Edward's favorite book." The extras include a quiz, information about the traits of gothic romance, and trivia about Emily Bronte, as well as Facebook profiles and quizzes for Heathcliff and Catherine. Other classics given a similar treatment include Romeo and Juliet and Pride and Prejudice. Reviewer: Kristina Cassidy