Wuthering Heights Wednesday: It's a Wrap!

And so all good things must come to an end....

This is the final installment of our Wuthering Heights Wednesday read-along hosted by Jill at Fizzy Thoughts. Surprisingly, I was not the only one who hadn't read the book prior to this little adventure. Several other WH virgins read along with the seasoned veterans who 'held our hands' as we made our way through.

So, what did I think? First and foremost, this was not at all what I was expecting.

EXPECTATION: Wuthering Heights is one of the world's great love stories.

REALITY: People consider this a love story??? It seems more like obsession, revenge, and misery to me... although this was a great quote from Cathy I:

My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I AM Heathcliff! He's always in my mind: not as a pleasure to myself, but as my own being. (page 83)

EXPECTATION: A tall, dark, and handsome hero captures the young girl's heart.

REALITY: An boy of questionable origin, taken in and raised by a family, grows to be a man of questionable mental health bent on seeking revenge against the family's son who mistreated him, while acting on an obsession with the daughter that lasts beyond her life.

EXPECTATION: An atmospheric tale, where the setting is an integral part of the story.

REALITY: I was one for three!

What have I learned?

Although I have long suspected this was true, I learned that I do not need to like or identify with any character in order to enjoy a novel. Until now, I have never been able to point to a specific title where I disliked everyone. Wuthering Heights has changed that.

Although there may have been passing sympathy for Hareton, this was a pretty despicable lot. It's hard to say whether I disliked Heathcliff or Linton more. And, oh that Nelly! So many times she could have stepped in and changed the course of events, but the one time she feels even a slight twinge of guilt, it is quickly discounted. Who knows about Joseph... I didn't understand much of what he had to say, but what I did catch wasn't very favorable. At least Cathy I was interesting, poor Cathy II didn't even have that going for her!

I love classics and Wuthering Heights did not disappoint. It will not go down as one of my favorite books of 2010, but I am very glad to have finally read it. The read-along, however, will definitely be among my favorite blogging 'activities' of the year. The group made what was ultimately a pretty creepy book loaded with loathsome characters into an enjoyable, memorable read. And best of all, I have a some new friends whose blogs I will continue to visit regularly.

Thanks so much for hosting, Jill!

The WHW Group:

• Jill at Fizzy Thoughts
• Vivienne( Serendipity)
• Messy Karen
• Victoria
• Ti (Book Chatter)
• Lisa – Lit And Life
• Dar@ Peeking Between the Pages
• J.C. Montgomery (The Biblio Blogazine)
• Whitney
• JoAnn (Lakeside Musing)
• 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

The Sunday Salon: Hurry Up Summer

It's been quiet at Lakeside Musing lately. A new dog in the house requires a huge time commitment, and if that dogs gets sick, it becomes even greater. Zelda arrived just over a week before our trip to the 'doggy ER' last Sunday. Four hours, $400, and a few tests later, we were back home. Zelda, freshly pumped up with fluids, received a diagnosis of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, a week's worth of antibiotics and dietary supplements, and I began boiling chicken and rice for her next meal!

Thankfully, Zelda bounced back just as quickly as she became ill. A couple of days later, we began reintroducing dog food along with the chicken and rice. The last chicken will be fed tonight.... we'll see how she feels about a breakfast of just dog food tomorrow! Aside from the digestive issues, she has adjusted seamlessly into the household.

This is the final week of school and Regent's Exams for Twin B. Summer at the lake officially begins Friday afternoon. We can't wait!

As far as reading goes, I finally finished a book! The last 50 pages of The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton were turned while sipping my morning coffee. This was a very entertaining, plot-driven novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My book club meets for discussion on Thursday, but I'm not quite sure what we're going to talk about. Will need to give this a little thought...

The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper is my current audio book. Cooper was born into a privileged Liberian family and enjoyed what seemed to be an idyllic childhood before civil war forced her family's exile to America. The book is read by the author. It took a couple disks to get used to her flat delivery, but I really enjoy when she speaks in the Liberian dialect.

This week also mark the conclusion of our Wuthering Heights Wednesday read-along hosted by Jill at Fizzy Thoughts. I've really enjoyed this experience, probably even more than the book, and will post my final thoughts on Wednesday.

As for my next book... we'll see what strikes my fancy later this evening. What are you reading today?

Wuthering Heights Wednesday: Week 10

It's week 10 of the Wuthering Heights Wednesday read-along hosted by Jill at Fizzy Thoughts and we're coming in the home stretch! But I have a confession to make: I finished the book. I couldn't stop at the end of chapter 30, so just kept going. Yes, there was a surprise or two. If you're sticking to the schedule though, I'm not going to spoil it for you.

Summary

• Cathy and Linton are married.
• Edgar, realizing Cathy is being mistreated, tries unsuccessfully to change his will. He dies before the lawyer (under Heathcliff's control) arrives.
• Linton dies - at last!
• Heathcliff gains control of Thrushcross Grange and insists Cathy return to Wuthering Heights.
• Heathcliff digs up Cathy I's grave.

My thoughts

I'll save this for next week. Now that I know the outcome, it's hard to comment on just this section. The end is near...

Reading Along

Jill at Fizzy Thoughts

Literate Housewife

Vivienne( Serendipity)

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)

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

Wuthering Heights Wednesday: Week 9

It's Wednesday again and you know what that means! We're at week 9 and coming in the home stretch of our Wuthering Heights read-along hosted by Jill at Fizzy Thoughts. Chapters 25 - 27 or Volume II chapters 11 - 13 are up for discussion this week. We've ended with a cliffhanger (sort of), so let's get right to it...

Summary

• The time frame is finally put into perspective as Mrs. Dean tells Lockwood the preceding events occurred just one winter ago!
• Mrs. Dean wonders if Lockwood might love Cathy.
• Edgar agrees to let Cathy and Nellie meet Linton - but not at Wuthering Heights.
• At the meeting, Linton - disinterested, inattentive, and looking like hell (although claiming to feel better) - becomes quite agitated when Cathy and Nellie threaten to leave. He's obviously afraid of Heathcliff's anger if perceived as "silent and stupid".
• While Edgar's condition continues to deteriorate, a second meeting occurs the following week. Linton is a little more animated, but that seems motivated by fear of his father.
• Heathcliff appears and manages to get Cathy and Nellie to Wuthering Heights, takes them both prisoner, and knocks Cathy around when she tries to escape.
• Heathcliff says Cathy and Linton must be married before she is released... and it turns out Linton is in on this little scheme!
• Cathy is taken away the next morning, but Nellie is kept for 5 nights and 4 days with Hareton as jailer.

Quotes

Mrs. Dean to Lockwood:

"You're too young to rest always contented, living by yourself; and I some way fancy no one could see Catherine Linton and not love her. You smile; but why do you look so lively and interested when I talk about her? and why have you asked me to hang her picture over your fireplace? and why-? (page 247)

Linton to Cathy:

'Oh!' he sobbed, 'I cannot bear it! Catherine, Catherine, I'm a traitor, too, and I dare not tell you! But leave me, and I shall be killed! Dear Catherine, my life is in your hands; and you have said you loved me, and if you did, it wouldn't harm you. You'll not go then? kind, sweet, good Catherine! And perhaps you will consent - and he'll let me die with you!' (page 258)

Heathcliff to Cathy:

"I give you what I have: the present is hardly worth accepting; but I have nothing else to offer. It is Linton, I mean. How she does stare! It's odd what a savage feeling I have to anything that seems afraid of me! Had I been born where laws are less strict and tastes less dainty, I should treat myself to a slow vivisection of those two, as an evening's amusement." (page 260 - 261)

Heathcliff to Cathy:

"He [Edgar] will think you are tired of waiting on him and run off for a little amusement... You cannot deny that you entered my house of your own accord, in contempt of his injunctions to the contrary. And it is quite natural that you should desire amusement at your age; and that you would weary of nursing a sick man, and that man only your father. Catherine, his happiest days were over when your days began. He cursed you, I dare say, for coming into the world (I did, at least); and it would just do if he cursed you as he went out of it". (page 265)

My thoughts

The action has certainly picked up this week - physical abuse, emotional torment, imprisonment - but these people are all horrible, and it's about time to wrap this one up! We have at least a couple of impending deaths. I'm starting to wonder who will be left in the end. Maybe it will be survival of the fittest- the sick die off, the 'winner' will be rid of all enemies... and there's nothing left to write about!

Reading along

Jill at Fizzy Thoughts

Literate Housewife

Vivienne( Serendipity)

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

Wuthering Heights Wednesday: Week 8

Welcome to week 8 of the Wuthering Heights Wednesday read-along hosted by Jill of Fizzy Thoughts. This week we're covering chapters 22 - 24, or Volume II chapters 8 - 10.

This is a very brief post... no time for the summary and quotes. Our retired greyhound, Zelda, arrives today and there are still some preparations to be made.

So, Cathy is up to her old scheming tricks again. She's really something - reminds me more of her mother each week. Linton is ill (possibly dying) and totally insufferable. He bothers me even more than Heathcliff! What on earth does Cathy see in him?

It's time to finish this book and move on, but I'll continue to stick to the schedule - we have three more installments. Will return with a 'normal' post next week...

Wuthering Heights Wednesday: Week 7

On to week 7 of our Wuthering Heights Wednesday read-along hosted by Jill at Fizzy Thoughts. This week we're covering chapters 19 - 21, or Volume II chapters 5 - 7. The chapters were fairly short and pretty uneventful compared to last week's reading. Here we go...

Summary

• Edgar returns to Thrushcross Grange with the pale, sickly Linton.
• Joseph appears almost immediately to collect the boy, but Edgar sends him away.
• Mrs. Dean deliver Linton to Wuthering Heights the following day.

A few years pass...

• Cathy and Ellen, out for a walk, happen upon Heathcliff, who convinces them to visit Wuthering Heights.
• Cathy is shocked to find Linton, now nearly 16 and very tall, at home there.
• Cathy becomes aware of all the familial relationships, as well as the nature of the quarrel between Edgar and Heathcliff.
• Heathcliff plans for Cathy and Linton to fall in love and marry (such a union would position him to inherit everything if/when poor Linton kicks the bucket).
• Although forbidden to communicate, Cathy and Linton carry on a clandestine correspondence, only to have it discovered and halted by the ever-vigilant Mrs. Dean.
• Cathy lets it slip that she loves Linton.

Quotes

Heathcliff on Linton:

... he's mine, and I want the triumph of seeing my descendant fairly lord of their estates; my child hiring their children to till their fathers' lands for wages. That is the sole consideration which can make me endure the whelp: I despise him for himself, and hate him for the memories he revives! ... if I wished any blessing in the world, it was to find him an object worthy of pride; and I'm bitterly disappointed with the whey-faced, whining wretch! (page 204)

Heathcliff (comparing Hareton and Linton):

One is gold put to the use of paving-stones, and the other is tin polished to ape a service of silver. Mine has nothing valuable about it; yet I shall have the merit of making it go as far as such poor stuff can go. His has first-rate qualities, and they are lost: rendered worse than unavailing... And the best of it is, Hareton is damnably fond of me! (page 214)

Mrs. Dean (on Cathy's reaction to Edgar's appraisal of Heathcliff):

Miss Cathy ...was amazed at the blackness of spirit that could brood on and cover revenge for years, and deliberately prosecute its plans without a visitation of remorse. She appeared so deeply impressed and shocked at this new view of human nature - excluded from all her studies and all her ideas till now - that Mr. Edgar deemed it unnecessary to pursue the subject. (page 218)

My thoughts

Not an awful lot happening this week...

Linton is such a wimp! I doubt he's going to last long - probably just long enough for Papa Heathcliff to secure the inheritance.

Cathy seems to be developing a mean streak (or has it really been there all along?) She's still nothing like Mommy Dearest, but how about that slap at Nellie and derision of Hareton?

Heathcliff's feeling toward Linton and Hareton make for interesting reading! His fiendish plans seem to be moving forward.

I'm hoping the action picks up again soon...

Reading along

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

Wuthering Heights Wednesday: Week 6

It's week 6 of the Wuthering Heights Wednesday read-along hosted by Jill at Fizzy Thoughts. We're covering chapters 16 - 18, or Volume 2 chapters 2 - 4, depending on your edition. The Grim Reaper has been busy this week, so let's get right to the action...

Summary

• Catherine gives birth to a baby girl (also named Catherine) and then dies.
• Heathcliff , overcome with grief, invokes Cathy's ghost to haunt him.
• Hindley attempts to enlist Isabella's help in killing Heathcliff; she won't agree to violence, but a scene ensues (complete with knife-throwing) that leaves Hindley close to death.
• Isabella seizes the opportunity to escape, runs to Thrushcross Grange, collects a few things, and leaves - forever.
• Isabella goes to London, bears a son, names him Linton (to ensure Heathcliff's hatred), and begins a correspondence with Edgar.
• Edgar becomes a hermit, living a life of seclusion at Thrushcross Grange.
• Hindley dies... drunk.
• Due to Hindley's debt, Hareton is left a servant to Heathcliff, who holds the mortgage to Wuthering Heights - the guest has become the master.

Twelve years pass...

• Young Cathy, not allowed to leave the grounds of Thrushcross Grange, grows to be a joy (unlike her mother), but does have a "propensity to be saucy".
• Edgar, summoned to Isabella's deathbed, leaves Thrushcross Grange.
• Taking advantage of Daddy's absence, Cathy leaves the grounds, ends up at Wuthering Heights, believes Hareton to be a servant, and is appalled/upset to learn he is her cousin.
• Mrs. Dean is furious with Cathy, but the two agree not to tell Edgar of her adventure.

Quotes

Heathcliff to Cathy's ghost:

"And I pray one prayer - I repeat it till my tongue stiffens -Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living; you said I killed you - haunt me, then! The murdered do haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! O God! it is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!" (page 165)

Isabella:

"...but what misery laid on Heathcliff could content me, unless I have a hand in it? I'd rather he suffered less, if I might cause his sufferings and he might know that I was the cause.... On only one condition could I hope to forgive him. It is, if I may take an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; for every wrench of agony return a wrench: reduce him to my level. As he was the first to injure, make him the first to implore pardon... But it is utterly impossible I can ever be revenged, and therefore I cannot forgive him." (page 177)

Hindley:

"Oh, if God would but give me strength to strangle him [Heathcliff] in my last agony, I'd go to hell with joy." (page 177-178)

Heathcliff to Hareton:

"Now, my bonny lad, you are mine! And we'll see if one tree won't grow as crooked as another, with the same wind to twist it!" (page 183)

My thoughts

My goodness, these people are bent on revenge!

Cathy, Hindley, Isabella... all dead in three short chapters. Will Edgar continue to hang on?

No wonder some editions have divided the book into two volumes. It certainly feels like we're moving on. A new cast of characters is moving to the forefront - young Cathy, Hareton, maybe young Linton.

Will Heathcliff wreak havoc in the lives of this new generation, too?

Will (old) Cathy's ghost begin to haunt him?

Reading along:

Jill (Fizzy Thoughts)

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)

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

Wuthering Heights Wednesday: Week 5

It's week 5 of our Wuthering Heights Wednesday read-along hosted by Jill at Fizzy Thoughts and, according to my calculations, we're just about half way through. I'm really enjoying this read-along experience and believe it's adding a lot to my overall enjoyment of the novel.

Chapter 13 - 15 Summary

The bullet points worked well last week. They helped me sum up the main plot points and organize my thoughts... think I'll use them the rest of the book. Last week, we left off with Isabella running off with Heathcliff, and Catherine on the verge of death (or so we thought!).

• Catherine's life is no longer in danger, but she will suffer "permanent alienation of intellect".
• Mrs. Dean receives a letter from Isabella detailing her disillusionment with Heathcliff (did I mention the part about him 'hanging up' her little dog?), the horrible state of affairs at Wuthering Heights, and begging for a visit the following day.
• Mrs. Dean travels, without a letter from Edgar, to Wuthering Heights where she is shocked at the dirty conditions and Isabella's "careless" appearance. (Heathcliff looks surprisingly handsome and gentlemanly by contrast.)
• Heathcliff is plotting his revenge on Edgar through Isabella.
• Heathcliff manages to extract a promise from Nelly (who believes him mad) to arrange a visit with Catherine.
• Heathclif and Catherine have an emotion-filled (understatement!) reunion.
• Catherine swoons again.
• Edgar enters the room and is enraged to find Heathcliff.
• Heathcliff urges Edgar to tend to Catherine first, which he does; Heathcliff slips away into the garden.

Quotes

Isabella on Heathcliff:

"Is Mr. Heathcliff a man? If so, is he mad? And if not, is he a devil?" (page 135)

"I do hate him - I am wretched - I have been a fool!" (page 144)

Heathcliff on Isabella:

"Now was it not the depth of absurdity - of genuine idiocy, for that pitiful, slavish, mean-minded brach to dream that I could love her? Tell your master, Nelly, that I never, in all my life, met with such an abject thing as she is." (page 150)

Cathy and Heathcliff's "scene":

H: "Oh, Cathy! Oh, my life! how can I bear it?"

C: "You and Edgar have broken my heart, Heathcliff! ...You have killed me - and thriven on it, I think. How strong you are! How many years do you mean to live after I am gone? ... I wish I could hold you 'till we were both dead! I shouldn't care what you suffered. I care nothing for your sufferings. Why shouldn't you suffer? I do! ..."

H: "Don't torture me till I'm as mad as yourself.... Are you possessed with a devil to talk in that manner to me when you are dying?... You know you lie to say I have killed you: and, Catherine, you know that I could as soon forget you as my existence! Is it not sufficient for your infernal selfishness, that while you are at peace I shall writhe in the torments of hell?" (pages 156-158)

My Thoughts

Can I say once again how messed up these people are? Heathcliff's cruelty is utterly amazing. Can readers really find him attractive or romantic?

Chapter 15, or Catherine and Heathcliff's scene, was positively spell-binding! But, can this be what makes this book a legendary romance in some readers eyes?

We end this week's section with Cathy swooning once again. When is she going to die already?? We know it happens...

Final word: Romantic? Not really, but oh, how captivating! On to chapter 16 ...

Reading Along

Jill (Fizzy Thoughts)

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)

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

The Sunday Salon: Lessons Learned

Good morning and Happy May! April was not an especially productive reading month here by the lake. In fact, it was the least productive since I began blogging, but it was a month that taught a few valuable lessons.

There were several firsts for me this month:

• My first read-along (Wuthering Heights Wednesdays).
• My first Classics Circuit Tour (Zola - Paris in the Spring)
• My first book tour (South of Broad for TLC Book Tours)

Lesson #1

I am a social reader. This read-along thing is a lot of fun! Sure, I could blast through Wuthering Heights in a week, write a review, carry on a conversation in the comments, and be perfectly happy.

But, it's really fun to read three chapters a week and see all the posts appear on Wednesdays. We may focus on different plot points, have varying impressions or questions, or make some interesting (and often funny) comparisons. Jerry Springer was mentioned several times last week!

Thinking back to January, Woolf in Winter served the same purpose. The group read four Woolf novels and posted on one every other Friday. Although I only read Mrs. Dalloway, it was an amazing experience to read (and comment on) all the other posts that day! It certainly enhanced both my understanding and enjoyment.

In the past, challenges have filled this 'social' need, but that came primarily through sign-up and wrap-up posts. The read-alongs are much more fun - for me anyway. That said, I will be ending my 'no challenges in 2010' resolution soon. Bellezza tells me the Japanese Literature 4 Challenge will begin in June rather than July, and I have four books all ready to go.

Other events, such as Claire's Angela Carter Month and Rachel reading her way through Richard Yates novels, have also been very memorable... and social.

Persephone Reading Week, hosted by Verity and Claire, starts tomorrow! I still regret being away on vacation for last August's edition. Doreen by Barbara Noble will be my Persephone of choice for the week. Are you participating?

Lesson #2

I don't like deadlines. I've never really posted with a deadline in mind. Blogging has been all about fun. This month there were six. The four for Wuthering Heights Wednesday weren't bad... I'm sure people would have 'talked to me' even if I posted on Thursday.

Posting for The Classics Circuit and TLC Book Tours added pressure to have a review done on schedule. I don't write a review immediately upon finishing a book. It sort of percolates until 'inspiration' strikes.... and I haven't found a way to speed that process up!

I should mention that I loved The Classics Circuit tour last month! With participants reading many different books by the same author, the scope of discussion was very broad and interesting.

Maybe reading the books further ahead of time and setting an earlier deadline for myself would help.

Lesson #3

I'm uncomfortable with giveaways, and don't like gimmicks or limitations. I'm hosting one now in conjunction with the South Of Broad tour, but (at the publisher's request) it is open only to residents of the US and Canada. I apologize to my international readers.

There you have it - the April lessons. Now what will I do with this new self knowledge? More read-alongs, skip the giveaways, and, given my slow reading speed, carefully consider commitments with a deadline.

Any other suggestions?

Wuthering Heights Wednesday: Week 4

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.

Wuthering Heights Wednesday: Week 3

It's week 3 of our Wuthering Heights Wednesday read-along hosted by Jill at Fizzy Thoughts. We are about 90 pages in, and it was really hard to stop reading at the end of this week's segment! It's not too late to join in...

Chapter 7 - 9 Summary

It's five weeks later and Catherine finally returns to Wuthering Heights, just in time for Christmas. Her appearance is dramatically altered and she appears quite the lady! Heathcliff has also changed, but not for the better. While working hard for Hindley, he has become dirty and neglected. He cleans up nicely for Christmas, but a slight altercation that leaves Edgar Linton with applesauce all over his face gets Heathcliff banished to his room. Cathy sneaks away to visit Heathcliff. Heathcliff vows revenge on Hindley.

Now it's 1778...

Hindley's wife dies of consumption after giving birth to a son, Hareton. Things get even worse at Wuthering Heights - Hindley has become a ruthless tyrant, Cathy becomes more arrogant (she even slaps Mrs. Dean), and Heathcliff seems to be turning into a monster.

Edgar Linton asks Cathy to marry him. She accepts, but confides her doubt to Mrs. Dean. Heathcliff overhears only part of this conversation and takes off to the moors. Cathy goes searching for him, but ends up with a cold and fever instead. She is again off to recover at Thrushcross Grange, but passes her illness on to Mr. and Mrs. Linton. They both die in short order.

Cathy and Edgar marry. Mrs. Dean joins them at Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff is still MIA.

Quote

Cathy to Mrs. Dean (Heathcliff overhears the first phrase before disappearing):

It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him: and that, not because he's handsome, Nelly, but because he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton's is as different as a moonbeam from lightening, or frost from fire....

My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I AM Heathcliff! He's always in my mind: not as a pleasure to myself, but as my own being. So don't talk of our separation again: it is impracticable... (page 81 - 83)

My thoughts

Wow, wow, wow! This is powerful stuff: Cathy loves Heathcliff - Cathy is Heathcliff. But where is Heathcliff?

Before beginning this book, I had no idea Cathy was such a piece of work. What does Heathcliff see in her? Although it has taken a bit of self-control, I'm sticking to the schedule... more than ready to continue with chapter 10.

Wuthering Heights Wednesday participants:

• Jill (Fizzy Thoughts)
• 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)
• Amy at New Century Reading
• Rob at Books are Like Candy Corn

Wuthering Heights Wednesday: Week 2, Chapters 4-6

It's week two of the Wuthering Heights Wednesday read-along sponsored by Jill at Fizzy Thoughts. We've just reached the 50 page mark, so if you're thinking of joining us, it's not too late!

Chapter 4 - 6 Summary:

After a disturbing night at Wuthering Heights, Mr. Lockwood has returned home to Thrushcross Grange. That evening, before the roaring fire, he draws Mrs. Dean (the housekeeper) into conversation. Through her, we begin to learn the background of the Earnshaw and Linton families.

It turns out that Heathcliff was an orphan "found" by Mr. Earnshaw on a trip to Liverpool and brought home to be part of the family. Hindley Earnshaw took an instant and strong dislike to the dark, "gypsy-looking" boy, while young Catherine (Cathy) grew "too fond" of him. Hindley is sent away to college.

Upon Mr. Earnshaw's death, Hindly returns (with a wife). Catherine and Heathcliff, not closely supervised, are allowed to grow up wild on the moors. One Sunday, as they are peering in the windows at the wealthy Linton family of nearby Thrushcross Grange, Cathy is attacked by the family's bulldog and must remain there to heal. Heathcliff is sent back to Wuthering Heights.

Quotes:

Mrs. Dean on Heathcliff:

Rough as a saw-edge, and hard as a whinstone! The less you meddle with him the better.

Mrs. Dean on Catherine:

Certainly she had ways with her such as I never saw a child take up before; and she put all of us past our patience fifty times and oftener in a day: from the hour she came down-stairs till the hour she went to bed, we had not a minutes security that she wouldn't be in mischief. Her spirits were always at the high-water mark, her tongue always going - singing, laughing, and plaguing everybody who would not do the same. A wild, wicked slip she was - but she had the bonniest eye, the sweetest smile, and lightest foot in the parish: and, after all, I believe she meant no harm...

My thoughts:

What a surprise - another narrator! I love multiple narrators and the opportunities they provide to see characters and events from different viewpoints. Mrs. Dean is in the perfect position to furnish Lockwood (and the reader) with background information on members of the Earnshaw and Linton families. She was in the household when Catherine and Heathcliff were growing up, then went to Thrushcross Grange to be with Catherine following her marriage to Edgar Linton.

"Finding" an orphan and bringing him home is a little strange. I wonder if there will be more revealed about Heathcliff's origin.

The relationships between the two families are still confusing, but the genealogical table in my new Penguin Classics edition really helps. I mentioned on twitter that I was considering purchasing a new copy (the old paperback my daughter had wasn't cutting it) and several bloggers jumped at the chance to enable the purchase! Aren't these editions gorgeous?

I'm looking forward to learning more of the family's history and wonder how long we'll be treated to Mrs. Dean's voice.

Wuthering Heights Wednesday Participants:

• Jill (Fizzy Thoughts)
• 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 Book are Like Candy Corn

Wuthering Heights Wednesday: Week 1

"Wuthering Heights is the name of Mr. Heathcliff's dwelling. 'Wuthering' being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather. Pure, bracing ventilation they must have up there at all times, indeed; one may guess the power of the north wind blowing over the edge, by the excessive slant of a few stunted firs at the end of the house; and by a range of gaunt thorns all stretching their limbs one way, as if craving alms of sun." (page 4)

Welcome to the Wuthering Heights Wednesday read-along hosted by Jill at Fizzy Thoughts. Our plan is to read three chapters of Emily Bronte's novel per week and post our thoughts each Wednesday. If you'd like to join us, it's not too late!

CHAPTERS 1 - 3

Synopsis:

Our narrator Lockwood, a man who seems to consider himself highly civilized, has just rented the remote Thrushcross Grange and arrives at Wuthering Heights to call on his landlord, Mr. Heathcliff. The inhabitants of Wuthering Heights appear unfriendly and standoffish (or just downright rude), but Lockwood in undaunted and vows to return for a second visit.

When Lockwood next visits, a snowstorm strands him overnight at Wuthering Heights. The housekeeper, Zillah, puts him in a little-used room that may be haunted. Lockwood has horrible nightmares that awaken the household.

"... knocking my knuckles through the glass, and stretching an arm out to seize the importunate branch; instead of which, my fingers closed on a little, ice-cold hand! The intense horror of nightmare came over me: I tried to draw back my arm but the hand clung to it, and a most melancholy voice sobbed, 'Let me in - let me in!' 'Who are you?' I asked... 'Catherine Linton'... As it spoke, I discerned, obscurely, a child's face looking through the window. Terror made me cruel; and, finding it useless to attempt shaking the creature off, I pulled its wrist on to the broken pane, and rubbed it to and fro till the blood ran down and soaked the bedclothes: still it wailed, 'Let me in!'..." (page 25)

Lockwood returns home the next day. His servants, presuming he died on the moors overnight and preparing a search for his remains, are thrilled to see him.

Other characters at Wuthering Heights:

Catherine - Heathcliff's daughter-in-law

Hareton Earnshaw - not quite sure of this relationship

Joseph - the old servant

My thoughts:

From the very first paragraph, the setting is described as "completely removed from the stir of society" and "a perfect misanthropist's heaven". I doubt anything good is going to happen here!

Next, the characters at Wuthering Heights (even the dogs) seem incredibly rude. Lockwood appears to be sort of a jerk - it seemed pretty obvious to me that a second visit would not be welcomed. Catherine, the daughter-in-law, threw me. I knew the novel focuses on the Catherine/Heathcliff relationship, but now it appears we have two Catherines! I'm also not quite sure of how the younger man, Hareton Earnshaw, is related to Catherine and Heathcliff.

The violence of the dream scene (quoted above) was startling! How could an author even come up with the idea of rubbing a child's (albeit a ghost/child) wrists back and forth over shattered glass?

After just three chapters, I'm convinced this is going to be a wild ride!

photo credit

Jill's first post with a link to other participant's blogs can be found here.

TSS: Easter Sunday Edition

Happy Easter! The coffee is brewing, the Easter Baskets are on the table waiting for the girls to wake up, and Nan's Baked French Toast is in the oven. Before our day starts, I'd like to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers following my Aunt's death last week. Although it was a sad time, the funeral was truly beautiful and it was a blessing to have all the family together.

Needless to say, not much reading happened last week. I only managed a single chapter in The Ladies' Paradise by Emile Zola. The review for The Classics Circuit is scheduled for the 17th, so it will be my primary focus this week.

Also starting this week, Jill at Fizzy Thoughts is hosting a Wuthering Heights Read-along. The pace will be a slow and leisurely three chapters per week, and we'll be posting our thoughts on Wednesdays. I was surprised to learn that a few other people have not read the book - I truly thought I was the only one!

Blogger reaction to Wuthering Heights seems to be mixed, although I'll admit to seeing more "I hated it" comments. In any event, you'll be seeing Wuthering Heights Wednesday posts here for the next couple of months. If you haven't read this classic or are in the mood for a reread, grab the button (isn't it fantastic?) and join us!

My April reading plans also include A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway (a follow-up to the biography I recently finished) and The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter (for Paperback Reader's Angela Carter Month).

Have a Happy Easter, and I hope you can fit in at least a little reading time today. Do you have any April reading projects planned?