It's week 4 of our Wuthering Heights Wednesday read-along hosted by Jill of Fizzy Thoughts. Chapter 10 - 12 Summary
Mrs. Dean continues her story to the recuperating Lockwood...
- Heathcliff returns three years later.
- Cathy is overjoyed; Edgar, not so much.
- Isabella takes a fancy to Heathcliff.
- Cathy tries to convince Isabella of Heathcliff's true nature, then humiliates her in front of Heathcliff by revealing Isabella's feelings.
- Mrs. Dean encounters Hareton, who has turned into a monster of a child under Heathcliff's influence.
- Heathcliff makes advances toward Isabella.
- Cathy and Heathcliff have words; Edgar barges in.
- Heathcliff and Edgar are about to duke it out, but Edgar falls to a chair in tears.
- Heathcliff says he can't believe Cathy chose such a wimp over him; Edgar pops out of the chair and clocks him.
- Edgar gives Cathy a "him or me" ultimatum.
- Cathy has a "spell", then takes to her room, refuses to eat, and may be near death.
- Isabella runs off with Heathcliff.
Quote
Cathy to Isabella, on Heathcliff:
Pray don't imagine that he conceals depths of benevolence and affection beneath a stern exterior! He's not a rough diamond - a pearl-containing oyster of a rustic: he's a fierce, pitiless, wolfish man.... he'd crush you like a sparrow's egg, Isabella, if he found you to be a troublesome charge. I know he couldn't love a Linton; and yet he'd be quite capable of marrying your fortune and expectations: avarice is growing with him a besetting sin. (page 103)
My Thoughts
Conditions are deteriorating at both Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights as Heathcliff begins to carry out his revenge. The only certainty at this point is that things will get much worse.
There seems to be a mystical, almost cosmic, element in the relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff. I'm looking forward to seeing how it unfolds.
It was difficult to stop at the end of chapter 12 - I'm loving this book!
See Jill's post for a complete list of participants.
I likened this book over at Ti's place to watching Jerry Springer. You definitely get a harbinger of things to come, don't you? Nothing good can come from all of this narcissism and drama!
ReplyDeleteHa--Jerry Springer! Or maybe a Real Housewives of Haworth. :-)
ReplyDeleteWow...glad to see you're enjoying it...me not so much
ReplyDeleteSandy - Jerry Springer ...good one!! Someone said reading this is like watching a train wreck in slow motion and I definitely agree.
ReplyDeleteAmy - Classic literature meets reality TV!
Staci - I think this group reading activity is definitely adding to the enjoyment.
Jerry Springer, too funny! I actually referenced him in my post. This book is fabulous, so glad you're enjoying it.
ReplyDeleteHow could I forget to mention Hareton the devil child?? It's interesting that they blame Heathcliff for being a bad influence. Last I remember reading the child's father was a mean drunk who delighted in scaring his child and dangling him over a balcony. How come they're not holding the father up as an example of a bad influence?
ReplyDeleteBullet points! Brilliant! I have been having such a hard time getting all of this action into something under 1000 words!
ReplyDeleteHaven't read this, but is Cathy a meddlesome drama queen eating too many sour grapes? Is Heathcliff everyone's worst nightmare?
ReplyDeleteOh things get worse all right!
ReplyDeleteTo be a fly on the wall when readers discovered that a parson's daughter wrote this book.
Whitney - Funny how this seems to bring Jerry Springer to so many minds ;-)
ReplyDeleteSoftdrink - Good point! Hareton couldn't have been exactly an angel even before Heathcliff showed up!
Lisa - The bullet points resulted partly from time constraints, but mostly from frustration! My post was getting waaaay too long...
Kim - You've got that right!!
Darlene - I'm into next week's section now and even more astonished!! How did Emily come up with this stuff?
I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it! I didn't much like the book myself.
ReplyDeleteIris - I'm enjoying the 'read-along' experience very much, and I'm sure that's contributing to my overall enjoyment of the book.
ReplyDeleteI wish I'd known about this readalong before it began.
ReplyDeleteI have an award for you here
http://cat-bookmagic.blogspot.com/2010/05/suddenly-sunday.html
Cat - Thanks so much! I'm on my way over now. This is my first real read-along, and I'm just loving the experience. They seem to be the trend in blogging lately, so I'm sure there will be plenty of others to join in on.
ReplyDelete