I DNFed Wuthering Heights

I had such plans. Such plans. 

Ok, let me rewind and get you up to speed. Last month, on impulse, I decided that I should be less scared to read classics and make an effort to push myself out of my comfort zone. You see, like most people, classics felt out of reach for some unknown reasons. I wouldn’t be smart enough to understand the delicate butter of why these cough have survived and remained so well-loved. 

So, I went “Just try one. Any one will do”, and I decided to requested several from my library and whichever came first, I would listen to. I requested Dracula, Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights. Wuthering Heights came to me first and so, I went in. 

Oh boy, this was a slog. 

We all know the story about Cathy and Heathcliff, two damaged people who lov ed each other obsessively and how this became EVERYONE’S problem? Well, I knew this but I thought this would be romance read. Nope - it was a gothic tragedy and NO ONE IN THIS BOOK IS LIKEABLE. THEY ARE ALL AWFUL, AWFUL PEOPLE. 

Why are they awful people? Well, this book has so many trigger warnings/red flags from both Cathy and Heathcliffe: obsession, toxic relationship, domestic abuse (physical and emotional), animal cruelty, racism (my goodness, the racism!), alcoholism, incest and death. 

I tried to get too the end. I really did. I was audiobook the Aimee Lou Wood reading and not even her reading saved this. I got to about 60-odd% and went “Nothing is worth this torture.” I mean, I really liked reading/watching flawed characters, maybe even unlikeable characters but I need something to hook onto, something that makes me go “Oh, this think they are the hero in this story”

What’s worse is that because of how badly Wuthering Heights went, it’s making me fearfulness to try other classics (I have cancelled my audiobook library requests on Dracula and Frankenstein, though I am keeping eye on them and others such as Great Gatseby and Fellowship of the Ring), but maybe I need faster-moving classics with more likeable characters. 

As for Wuthering Heights: well, maybe I will stick to Kate Bush’s version…