Review: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Format: E-book
Originally published:  in 1847
Series?: No - Stand-alone
Page Count (avg.): 325 pages

     GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Wuthering Heights is a wild, passionate story of the intense and almost demonic love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, a foundling adopted by Catherine's father. After Mr Earnshaw's death, Heathcliff is bullied and humiliated by Catherine's brother Hindley and wrongly believing that his love for Catherine is not reciprocated, leaves Wuthering Heights, only to return years later as a wealthy and polished man. He proceeds to exact a terrible revenge for his former miseries. The action of the story is chaotic and unremittingly violent, but the accomplished handling of a complex structure, the evocative descriptions of the lonely moorland setting and the poetic grandeur of vision combine to make this unique novel a masterpiece of English literature.

     REVIEW:

WHAT I LIKED:

• The first half of the book - I enjoyed it immensely (the second half is another story...literally). It was surprisingly easy enough to understand, with it being written in the 1800s and all, and I couldn't wait to see what happened next.
• Certain characters in this story were very true to human nature at its worst (and sometimes best, sadly). Catherine was manipulative and possessive, as are many young girls these days. How many relationships to do you see out there today that are exactly the same way? Hell, I cant count how many times in high school I forced myself to cry so my boyfriend at the time would feel bad and give me what I wanted. I was a manipulative little jerk. It just shows how Bronte's characters transcend time.
• Edgar Linton. He was probably the only somewhat redeeming character out of the whole book, in my opinion. He definitely made some crappy decisions, but he was probably one of the only characters who wasn't actually a crappy person.
• The relationships came full circle. Catherine Earnshaw died as Catherine Linton, and Catherine Linton would have died as Catherine Earnshaw. It was pretty clever and cool.
• I like being able to understand the references in Twilight now. Though I do not agree with Bella and Edward's characters about sympathizing with Heathcliff - geez, who can sympathize with the devil... He was just totally nuts, but I do see the similarities to Meyer's story, e.g. obsession.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

• The characters were all very confusing and hard to keep track of, especially when some of them were all called by their last names. How am I supposed to know which Earnshaw you speak of?! I had to take extra notes to figure it all out.
• The servant Joseph.. he was impossible to understand. I was literally to the point where I would get ANGRY while reading his dialogue because I mean really, why would you have one of your characters speak in a dialect that sounds like gibberish, and expect readers to understand?! Absolutely ridiculous and extremely annoying!
• Several of the deaths of the characters were not from actual illnesses, but from the characters being bat-sh*t crazy and making themselves sick. I mean, really? I know this was in the 1800s, but did people really die that easily? I've made my self sick with anger or anxiety numerous times.... I'm not dead!
• This book was pretty much two books - two stories. The story of Cathy Linton should've been another freaking book, because halfway through, I had had enough and was super bored. It would've been better as a companion novel or sequel of some sort.
• Makes abusing women seem totally OK. I know back then, it probably was, but come on. Even the narrator saw Hareton slap Cathy and he thought it was OK because she was being "saucy". Give me a break.
• About three quarters of the way through the book, literally everything that was happening was absolutely nuts and completely unimportant. Bronte needed to wrap it up but she dragged it on and on. It became almost unbearable.
• The ending. "Happy" ending? I guess you could say so. But after all the craziness, it was sort of anti-climactic, and super annoying. Hope you like getting smacked around, Cathy!

     THOUGHTS:

I almost cant believe how much I loved the first half of this book in comparison to how much I hated the second half. I was ready to give this book a five star rating, and here it is with a two and a half. The problem I have with giving it a two though, is how clever it was, and really, is a masterpiece, a work of art. The characters and stories come full circle and its so interesting to watch and see how the story plays out a second time.... I just wish the story had played out a little quicker. This truly is an epic story of "love", obsession and revenge. Heathcliff is the master of revenge. I'm kind of mad he goes soft at the end. I would've rather someone take him out - I cant see him going down without a fight.

There isn't much more to say without giving the whole story away to those of you who haven't read this classic yet. I wont warn you away from it. I actually didn't hate it, I just could barely make it through the second half. The first half is so enjoyable and has so much potential, that you may even be able to stand the second half. I actually recommend this read. It is a wonderful read, most of the way through..

★ ★ 1/2

(2.5 stars)

Review: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

ISBN: 9781594483851
Publisher: Penguin Group [USA] Inc.
Release date: May, 2007
Series: No - Stand alone
Page count: 372 pages

     GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years, from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding, that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives, the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness, are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heartwrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love, a stunning accomplishment.

     REVIEW:

WHAT I LIKED:

• The writing was absolutely beautiful, believable, gripping, wonderful.
• I liked how Hosseini consistently uses Farsi in his writing. I'm pretty sure I know a few words now just from reading this book.
• The backstory of Afghanistan's history provided a very clear lesson for someone like me who only knows the history as far back as the Taliban goes. Its easy to lump all those of middle eastern descent together until you learn more about them - and something tells me this novel only skims the top.
• Its very easy to take your life for granted. Reading a story like this, though it is fictional, you realize that people really do live like this. Its heartbreaking and inspriring at the same time. I dont think I will ever feel right complaining about my boyfriend/husband not listening to me anymore.
• It had a sort-of happy ending. This book did not have very much to be happy about, trust me. I was angry and cried very many times, but at the very least, Hosseini gave me an ending that was believably sad yet happy enough to make me want to cry tears of joy at the same time.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

• So many years were skipped over at a time in some parts of the book. I know - imagine how long this book would be if they told me everything that happened - but I feel like so much of Mariam was missing, so much of what made her who she was.
• Some of it was just so awful. It truly depressed me - to the point that I had nightmares! (Okay, I had a dream I had to marry someone I didnt want to - like Mariam - and I woke up almost in tears). I know that the message of the book couldnt truly be understood without the hardships these women endured but... come on Mr. Hosseini. Give me a break!

     SUMMARY:
This was a wonderful tragic tale of endurance, hope through unimaginable darkness, finding love and making sacrifices.  I cant even imagine half of the things the characters in this book went through. Can. Not. Imagine.

A Thousand Splendid Suns also is a huge history lesson. I feel so enlightened after reading this book. Its so easy, being from America, to be ignorant of the Middle East other than the fact that some majorly awful things happened caused by people from there. But they are people too, who endure things we couldnt even begin to imagine.

One thing I found interesting about this book is how it includes a scene where Laila and Tariq see on TV that the World Trade Center had been hit and President Bush declared war on Afghanistan. I am from New York. Some of my family worked very close to the Towers and saw people jumping from to their deaths from the building. My father was stranded in Manhattan unable to contact us for hours after the towers fell. Thank God I didn't lose anyone in the attacks but many did and  New York City still mourns its losses. I remember it all vividly, and as I was reading this book, I was a little nervous as it got closer and closer to  September 2001, wondering if and how he would mention this horrible event that was so close to home for me. I couldnt help but wonder if he would skim over it or say horrible things that would piss me off. For the most part, it was skimmed over. I was almost mad.... and then I continued reading and realized that it was portrayed the way that it was for most people in the Middle East. Seeing it on TV and shrugging sadly, knowing that so many people lost their lives,  then moving on. I think we as Americans discriminate, some people call people of middle eastern descent "terrorists" and hate these people for something they didnt do.

Okay, let me get off my soap box. What I'm getting at is that I am happy with the way this, and other Afghan history, was depicted in this book in a way that was respectful to such a sensitive subject and truthfully portrayed the other side.

So aside from my depressing rant there, I loved this book and it was so well written, so enlightening, inspiring... This is my first Khaled Hosseini novel, but I cant wait to read The Kite Runner and And the Mountains Echoed!


     RATING: ★★★★
I enjoyed this one so much. It fell a little short of the five star mark but I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in Afghanistan's history or literary fiction. Great read!

Have any of you read this one yet? What did you think? Do you agree or disagree with my opinion?

A.