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Wuthering Heights is one of the most famous love stories in the English language. It is also, as the Introduction to this edition reveals, one of the most potent revenge narratives. Its ingenious narrative structure, vivid evocation of landscape, and the extraordinary power of its depiction of love and hatred have given it a unique place in English literature. The passionate tale of Catherine and Heathcliff is here presented in a new edition that examines the qualities that make it such a powerful and compelling novel. The Introduction by Helen Small sheds light on the novel's oddness and power, its amorality and Romantic influences, its structure and narration, and the sadistic violence embodied in the character of Heathcliff. The volume retains the authoritative Clarendon text and notes, with new notes that identify literary allusions hitherto unnoticed. In addition, the edition boasts two appendices, one of which contains poems by Emily Brontë selected for their relevance to the novel, and a second which contains Charlotte Brontë's "Biographical Notice of Ellis & Acton Bell" and "Preface to the New Edition."About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
The intense, destructive bond between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff drives a cycle of vengeance that spans generations and consumes the inhabitants of two isolated estates. The narrative follows the turbulent lives of the Earnshaw and Linton families, centered on the foundling Heathcliff and his obsessive attachment to Catherine. Opposed by social class, familial duty, and their own volatile temperaments, the protagonists navigate a landscape defined by the harsh Yorkshire moors. The story utilizes a complex, multi-layered frame narrative, primarily relayed through the accounts of Lockwood and the housekeeper Nelly Dean, which creates a sense of distance and unreliable perspective.
Discussion often centers on the novel's unconventional structure and its refusal to provide a traditional moral resolution. Readers frequently highlight the stark, haunting atmosphere of the moors as a central character in its own right. Critics often examine the ambiguity of Heathcliff's motivations and the extent to which the narrative validates or condemns his actions. The work remains a subject of debate regarding its classification as a romance versus a dark, psychological study of human cruelty. Scholars continue to analyze the influence of Romanticism on the text's portrayal of extreme passion and social alienation.
Page Count:
384
Publication Date:
2009-11-23
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0199541892
ISBN-13:
9780199541898
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