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Wuthering Heights (平装)
by Emily Brontë
| Category:
English Literature, Classic, Fiction |
| Market price: ¥ 78.00
MSL price:
¥ 68.00
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| Stock:
In Stock |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
A perfectly written novel with characters you will remember forever, all the basic human emotions-love, hate, jealously, pride, are on display in this novel but at their penultimate height. |
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AllReviews |
  1 2 Total 2 pages 14 items |
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Carrie Laben (MSL quote), USA
<2007-03-08 00:00>
And it must be a fine something indeed, for it kept me, a fairly discerning reader, going all the way through despite the dated language, occasional impenetrable dialect, and characters who as grown adults behaved precisely the way I remember behaving when I was about 16.
Part of the "something", I think, is the surprisingly modern psychological insight underlying the book. Today we all know the people who cry "I'm in love" while inflicting only pain on the loved one, or who destroy children and families because of some perceived wrong. But at the time this book was written, it was not common to focus a novel on a pair of lovers with the understanding that those lovers were, in fact, jerks. The way Bronte alternately panders to "romance" conventions with craggy Heathcliff and wayward Catherine and then spits in the face of those conventions by showing the effeminate, willowy Edgar to be the closest thing to a decent adult character in the book is refreshing for those of us who are tired of the dominance of the alpha male.
In passing, I must also mention that between the stormy moors, the borderline necrophilia, and the grandiose tooth-gnashing spurned-lover angst, this is a very goth book, which never hurts from my point of view.
The other part of the equation is that (despite the protestations of certain reviewers) Bronte keeps the suspense high throughout the book. Between worrying about the fate of young Cathy, waiting for the ghost to make another appearance, and eagerly anticipating the moment when Heathcliff gets his, there's hardly a slack moment.
I must say that the ending was not, in my opinion, as strong as it could have been, but I'll speak of it no more so as not to spoil it. Hence, only four stars.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-03-08 00:00>
I read what the self-proclaimed "immature" reader wrote, and I beg to differ. I love this book not because I'm supposed to, but because I just do. The austerity of the language, which you term "dull", is what sets the whole tone for such a troubling work. I doubt that Bronte set out to write a classic romance; I believe she was denouncing the sins of her characters. This novel is multi-faceted with its never-ending parallels: two houses (Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange), two love stories, two heroes, two heroines, two narrators, etc. The inexplicable love that two heartless people like Heathcliff and Catherine share is fascinating to say the least. When Catherine cries out, "Nelly, I am Heathcliff," I'm sure many a girl's heart has thudded in her chest. This book sweeps you away to a place and time far removed from us and gives us a view into a harsh and distant world. You don't have to like the book. But don't be so dumb or immature as to assume that no else does either. The longer you study literature, the more you'll see that some books have passed the test of time, because, well, they're just that damn good.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-03-08 00:00>
I'm 16 and fall into the vast catogory of Wutehring Heights readers who had to finish it for a highschool english assignment. If I hadn't been, er, forced to read it, I never would've encountered this amazing book. The themes that it encompasses, love, hate, revenge, isolation, are so masterfully blended in this book that I found it extremely powerful. True, it is not a romance - it is so much more. I didn't find it confusing, although Joseph's lines had to be read allowed several times before they were actaully understood. The doubling-up of names just increases the sense of isolation within the book, something which I think is rather important to the story. I hardly find this book boring at all, it's passionate and full of action, something which took me completely off guard. Please, give it a chance. And even though he was a complete jerk, my favourite character is still Heathcliff. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-03-08 00:00>
This is an absolute masterpiece, and I feel confident in saying that it is the best book I have ever read. I'm stunned that the average rateing is not five stars. This book is an amazing work. It was written by a woman who never married and yet her description of the vivid passion that exists between the hero and heroine in this book is so passionate and moving that you almost feel as though you can't understand the raw, almost jealous need they have for one another. It reverts to basic animal instinct. She creates characters that you love one momment and hate the next. These are real humans, not representations. They are flawed in every way that they should be and yet they are the ones you sympathize with. They truly are three dimensional, with all the motivations of love, greed, lust, jealousy, and anger that every human being must deal with. If the characters are not enough to convince you of this novel's superiority, all you have to do is look at the actual construction of it. It's like an onion, starting with Mr. Lockewood as the narrator, then Nellie, and eventually even Heathcliff and Cathy speaking to one another in the white hot core, the climax of the story. The two love triangles, emulating each other through generations, the first a tragedy, and the second resolving the fault of the parents with true love succeeding. It is absolutly fascinating how intricatly and beautifully the story is constructed to tell every aspect of the characters. This novel is so moving. It faces every aspect of ourselves as human beings, at the best and the worst of our capabilitys. It may have been written long ago, but it still holds true to problems we face every day. What emotions do we allow to motivate our deeds? That is the real question that this book asks. The images, and the lasting feelings continue long after you have finished the final haunting paragraph. That is why this is the best book I have ever read. If you think I'm simply babbling, all I have to say is read the book yourself. It will be like nothing you have ever read before.
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1 2 Total 2 pages 14 items |
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