We thought we should throw a classic or two into our reading - this one was a doozy. Too many characters with same or similar names; verbage of the era very confusing especially Joseph; worst of all the overall story! Don’t know what I was expecting - love, hate, more hate, love or like? There was no love, a bit of like and a lot of hate, greed and revenge. Not sure why this book would be a must read for any grade level in school. Really was not worth my time.

I picked it up to try and discover why people touted it as a "classic romance." Turns out - it's NOT. If anything it is a cautionary tale. Themes of pride, forgiveness, the power of kindness, and the differences between the many types of love are rampant through the dramatic and often frustrating actions of the characters. The fact that Emily doesn't actually focus on the relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine was the first major tip-off that there was WAY more to the story than just two "star-crossed lovers." Pfftt, star crossed my eye! A careful reading can reveal the depth of this amazing cautionary tale. It was gratifying to see that Hareton was a foil for Heathcliff! Both have a similar upbringing but redemption comes to he who chooses it. I LOVE Nelly! The prose is beautiful and haunting - though Joseph's thick Yorkshire accent is difficult to understand unless you read it out loud. And although there are similar "convenient plot" issues as those found in Jane Eyre, I found the overall reading experience to be well worth it! I learned a lot, found great monologues for theater and quite a few quotes I'll use again and again.