Book Description

The renowned Hatfield edition includes verse from an early, pseudonymous volume entitled Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, as well as 200 works collected from various manuscript sources after Brontë's death in 1848.

Customer Reviews (2)

Wonderful Collection
Emily Bronte's poetry is wild and beautiful.Ranging between gentle melancholy to fierce pride, her poems successfully capture human emotion.Many of her poems are about, or written from the viewpoint of the inhabitants of, the fictional kingdom of Gondal.Although these are set in an imaginary land, the Gondal poems stand well alongside the more personal verse.This particular volume is valuable because it includes a description and history of the Gondal saga Emily and her sister Anne created.It is often hard, in other collections, to tell which is personal and which is fictional, but here the Gondal poems are listed.This is very useful to those who wish to study this creation of the Bronte imagination.Also useful is the the chronological order of the poems (as far as can be determined), which makes it easy to follow her development as a poet.I recommend it highly.

Breathtaking
Few who read Emily Bronte's poems and magnificent novel, Wuthering Heights, can fail to be moved by the sheer power of her language and insight. Though her tragic early death robbed the world of countlessliterary treasures, EJB's poetry here provides plenty of beautiful poetry(some of it foreshadowing WH) for those who love her to enjoy and study.Read it and savor it. ... Read more

Book Description
The most gifted of her famous, troubled family, Emily Bronte has too often been portrayed in "storm-tossed, sentimental" biographies, according to Katherine Frank. Now Frank presents a startling new interpretation: pledged to self-denial and social isolation, Emily starved herself, contributing to her wild imagination. 16-page insert. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not as bad as you might believe...
Many of Frank's arguments were convincing to me--especially those regarding Emily's peculiar eating habits. All of her conclusions were backed up with sources, etc. Although I didn't believe this spin on the life of the Brontes word for word, I do think it was worthly of more than 1 star, hence my review. Check it out--you may disagree, but isn't that part of the fun?

Chainless Soul?
Although it seems unrealistic to expect complete objectivity from any biographer, Katherine Frank shows a level of bias toward her subject somewhat striking in the genre.Her descriptions of Emily Bronte areenthusiastic and warm, even when Emily's behavior (by her own description)warrants at least some kind of approbation, or at least evenhandedness. This unmitigated warmth is reserved for Emily alone, however; Charlotte,for example, is portrayed as living a constant struggle withconventionality which Emily gloriously escapes.Of particular interest isthe expression of Emily and Charlotte's intense relationship.Charlotteconsistently suffers in the comparisons with her sister -- at least byFrank's view.She doesn't seem interested in exploring Charlotte'ssuffering under Emily's emotional tyranny, even though she does describe itin detail.One gets the impression that Charlotte would do better in thisbiography if only she would care a little less about what others think. Their brother, Branwell, fares badly as well, and Frank's conclusionregarding one of Branwell's many pathetic attempts to be employed that hehad been terminated due to a homosexual advance on his pupil seemsstrikingly unsubstantiated. Frank seems to come to this conclusion onlybecause she can't think of any other. In the end, it's not that thereader can't see what Frank shows as part of Emily's character, it's thatit's not the only thing to be seen. ... Read more

Book Description
Jane Eyre, Shirley, Villette, and The Professor by Charlotte Brontë and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë are included in this new addition to the Library of Literary Classics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Such beautifully woven paragraghs
After reading classic novels on and off in school until I got out of college and in my own free time, I have to say Charlotte Bronte's writing style is the most intricately and splendidly crafted masterpiece. Her sister is quite talented as well. It's a great deal to have this collection that you can pick up and just start reading one of the shorter stories, or go over some of the most powerfully written sentences in Jane Eyre.

Charlotte & Emily Bronte: The Complete Novels
What a beautiful book!This is a hardbound book with gold leaf and a red ribbon bookmark.Beautifully put together.It contains ALL of the works of the two Bronte sisters, so if you love 19th century "trashy" romance novels, (which I do!) this is the collection for you!Would definitly recommend this edition over any of the paperback bound editions.Cost more, but it's worth it.

Charlotte and Emily Bronte: The Complete Novels
Great collection of Bronte sisters' work at a good price. Nice hardcover, with dust sleeve. Big prints. Love it.
If you are a Bronte sisters fan, definitely get this book. The novel I like the most of course is "Jane Eyre". I read some of the dialogues between Jane and Rochester several times, and every time I read, I got something new out of it. I love Gothic romance, and the Byronic hero of the English literature.

The Genius of the Bronte Sisters
This one book collection of Charlotte and Emily Bronte's five novels seems quite a deal indeed - and in hardcover! Anne Bronte's novels are must reads alongside this book of works to complete the genius circle of the Bronte sisters. As an ardent fan of all the Bronte sisters, not only for their storytelling brilliance but their high literature skills, I often find myself reading a sentence over and over again in order to absorb something profound or so perfectly worded. Even if you do not prefer the melodrama of Wuthering Heights or dramatic romance of Jane Eyre; as with all Bronte sisters' novels, they are worth the read just for the amazing literary food to be found therein. The bulk of the Bronte sisters' books also illustrate pages from their own interesting and challenging lives of 150 years ago.
Kerri Bennett Williamson, Author

Have not had time to read this book
There is no review at this time. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Bronte Poems
A wonderful book for any person interested in reading poetry from the Bronte sisters. Even though they were well - known for their novels ( Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Villette...), their poetry wasn't really known that well. This book presents it in a readable format. I recommend it for any Bronte fan. It's good to know about their novels, its even better when you are familiarized with their poems. : )

Ah, the successes and faults of the Brontës...
This is a rather small book composed of various poems by Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë. It's divided into three parts; one for each author.

I gave it three stars because it's a good collection, but not really a good read. I find the Brontë's poetry rather dry and cumbersome compared to their books, but it's still worth a look if you're a true fan. Emily is by far the best poet of the three, and at a whopping $2.00, you're not out much if you decide you don't like it... and you definitely get all that you paid for with this one.

Total Chick Bait
Yep, this book is fine for getting college chicks to dig you.Just have a copy of it on your bedside table and they will think you are sensitive and will be all over you. Don't bother to read the book - just keep it in plain sight.

READ ME! READ ME! READ ME!
I enjoyed the selected poems. I saw a lot of the same passion in the poems that I have seen also in many of their novels. If you enjoyed the poems you should be sure to get a hold of the Tenant of Wildfell Hall written by Anne Bronte and my utmost favorite Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is definitely a book I would recommend.

Excellent!
If you love the Bronte's novels, you'll love their poetry. You learn so much about their lives and relationships with each other by reading it. After reading a biograhpy of the famous family, I can more fully appreciatethe poetry that got them started. ... Read more

Product Description
7.75 by 10 by 7 inch. The illustrations by Fritz Eichenberg were printed letter press from electrotypes of the original wood engravings. The text was composed in Monotype Bodoni with long descenders. Composition & Electrotyping were by Kingsport Press of Kingsport, Tennessee; and the Printing & Binding were by H. Wolff Book Manufacturing Company, New York. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (491)

Looks Good
Haven't had a chance to read the book yet.But, it looks like it will be a great read.The book came as promised.It is a paperback - but a high quality one.If you are looking for this classic, I do recommend this printing.

Not bad, not bad at all...
I was kind of skeptical of this book in the beginning, after all, a book that has like three generations of families, half of them with the same name is really confusing. In addition, it seemed that I could find any good characters in this book. Even the main character has faults that I would look down upon. This book centers around the revenge of the main character Heathcliff. After trudging along several chapters I found this book to be quite interesting.

This book incorporates a lot of gothic elements within the book. Emily Bronte conveys a deep horror and arouses our morbid curiosity with this. One will find many supernatural elements and suspenseful atmosphere within this book, and even a ghost! Because Bronte writes this book through the eyes of several characters, it is hard to judge the objectivity of the story, forcing readers to determine for themselves whether or not certain actions were justified. In the retellings through one character who used to care for Heathcliff's lover, she consistently paints him as the antagonist, emphasizing his faults and his actions against the family. This makes the book that much more interesting to read.

The story of Wuthering Heights is a really complicated love story that focuses mainly on Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw. Through Bronte's appeal to pathos, she is able to convey and build up the romance between Heathcliff and Catherine. When she dies, Heathcliff, literally becomes a monster mentally, and Bronte applies this to a figurative level, describing him as a monster too. This also reveals the inner turmoil he experiences upon her death.

Emily Bronte definitely writes on par with her sister Charlotte Bronte. Emily's work on Wuthering Heights, with her use of pathos and figurative language definitely makes it a classical gothic romance novel with a novel storyline.

It is a beautifully written book that is full of human emotion from the seemingly cold and calculating Heathcliff. After the death of Catherine he burns for revenge. It is a great book, one just needs to get through the first couple of chapter to realize this. The conclusion is also satisfactory and provides for a good release of tension and an epiphany-like ending.

I find this book to be a good read, because it has some adult themes, I would not exactly advise little kids to read it, but I am sure that anyone who appreciates literature would be "wowed" and amazed by this book. Give it a chance, and you will find that this book is worth every single penny!

It's a classic for a reason
I have very mixed feelings about this book. While it's a beautiful book, and I will probably read it again, I could not stand the story! All of the characters are horrible people, in my opinion, and the only thing that kept me from throwing the book across the room was the last two chapters. If I had not had to read this for class, I would not have finished it at all - though I am certainly glad I did finish it.

If you're looking to read the Classics, definitely do read this. Same goes for if you're looking to read a classic romance, or one of the Gothic classics. However, if you're looking for a "good" book, one that will leave you happy or going "aww," you're at the wrong book.

A very gothic and dark story
Okay, everyone has heard of this book so I probably don't need to give a review, but I will anyways.=) Some have seen the movie adaptations of this book as well so some already know the storyline and what this book is about.

I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't stop reading until I reached the very end. I had seen both the 1939 and 1992 movie adaptations of this book so I already knew what happened, but the movies don't capture the essence and emotion of the story as well as the book can.

Heathcliff is the gothic romance hero with traits that I think many romance writers use in their own heroes: brooding, mysterious, darkly handsome, and harsh (though of course, not so tortured and brutal). Cathy is gay-hearted and a wild beauty, but also selfish and manipulative in her behavior and actions. Both characters are so realistic in their human emotions and failings that you can't help but empathize with them and hope for that happily-ever-after you know will not occur (as the story is told in flashback so you already know their love was doomed). They are two people that are meant for the other, and each hold flaws and are not always the most likeable of characters.

I found myself going through the "what-ifs" scenarios: What if Cathy hadn't spurned Heathcliff for the more wealthy and civilized Edgar? What if Heathcliff hadn't left to make his fortune to win Cathy? What if Heathcliff hadn't decided to seek vengenance and revenge on those who prevented their union?

What made this book so tragic to me was the fact Cathy knew instinctly what she was doing (by accepting and marrying Edgar for position and wealth) was so wrong! She was going against herself by rejecting the fact that they were indeed soulmates and meant for each other. One half of a whole:

"In my soul and in my heart, I'm convinced I'm wrong!"

"I love him; and not 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 lightning, or frost from fire"

"My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath--a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind--not as a pleasure, but as my own being"

Despite her confessions of the heart, she goes through with her folly and dooms herself and Heathcliff and all those they encounter, and this passes on to the next generation. Her actions causes obssession and borderline madness in Heathcliff that continues long after Cathy dies. Even though he becomes so cruel and unlikeable in the second half of the book, I couldn't really hate him, knowing what he went through in the first half of the book. Although what he went through doesn't excuse his behavior and actions, you still understand the reasons behind them. You can hear the pain and anguish in his soul when he asks Cathy why she did what she did:

"Why did you betray your own heart, Cathy?"

"Because misery, and degradation, and death, and nothing that God or Satan could inflict would have parted us, you, of your own will, did it. I have not broken your heart--you have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine.

All in all, this book is dark, despairing, emotionally wrenching and passionate. Be warned, this book will make you cry.

Pride and Revenge are Lonely Companions, by Camille Zoebell
I love a good book that draws you to your favorite chair and the warmth of the fire in the fireplace.That when you open the pages you snuggle deeper into your chair and pull your soft warm blanket up around you and disappear into the story.Wuthering Heights is that kind of book.What woman doesn't love reading a romantic story, full of conflict and suspense along the road, ending in a state of contentment?In Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights she appeals to pathos, or emotion, and effectively uses symbolism, analogy, foreshadowing and imagery to depict a story full of emotions ranging from love and peace to degradation and anguish.These components make for a very enjoyable and satisfying read.

Pathos
Emily Bronte appeals to pathos effectively to create the feelings Catherine has for her childhood friend and love, Heathcliff.Catherine reveals her feelings for Heathcliff to Ellen, their housemaid, in saying, "He's more myself than I am.Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same" (Bronte 63).She goes on to tell how if "all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and, if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the Universe would turn to a mighty stranger.I should not seem a part of it" (Bronte 64).Emily Bronte uses beautiful language not only in this instance, but throughout the book, to manipulate our feelings for a sense of love and devotion between these two companions.In our day we don't often get to hear words of endearment spoken like this.My friend and I were lamenting, "Why don't people talk like this anymore?!"This book is worth reading if only to have your romantic senses appealed to.

Symbolism
Along with Pathos, Wuthering Heights also contains a sense of deep symbolism.When Catherine passes away at a young age, her husband, Edgar Linton, and Heathcliff are extremely overwhelmed.Edgar and Heathcliff obviously have a deep disdain for each other, so Heathcliff has to sneak in to have one last glimpse of his lifelong love.During his visit Heathcliff removes from the locket around Catherine's neck the lock of light hair owned by her husband and replaces it with a lock of his own.Ellen, upon finding this, twists the two and "encloses them together" (Bronte 131).This single act is symbolic of Catherine's entire life.Her heart has always been divided between the two.She had a deep and unrequited love for Heathcliff since she was a child.However, she also had a love for her husband who never faltered in staying by her side, and whom she always had a trust for.The simple symbolism of these entwined locks of hair gives a representation of her entire life.The reader is given a deeper understanding of Catherine's life, and this makes the book easier to understand and definitely more enjoyable to read.The use of symbolism gives the reader a sense of awe and wanting to find deeper meaning in the book, and everyday things in their own lives.It makes the story easier to relate to.

Analogy
After Catherine's death, Heathcliff mentally transforms into a monster, seeking only revenge throughout most of the book.One person he seeks revenge upon is Hareton Earnshaw whose parents have died, so Heathcliff becomes his caretaker.Heathcliff makes Hareton's life a living Hell to get back at his father, Hindley Earnshaw.Once again, I love Emily's use of language to create the perfect image in our minds of what she wants us to see. Heathcliff compares Hareton to his own son Linton, in saying, "One is gold put to the use of paving stones, and the other is tin polished to ape a service of silver" (Bronte 169).Hareton is to the gold, as Heathcliff's son Linton is to the tin.His son is worth nothing, yet he makes him the best he can be.Hareton has first-rate qualities, yet they are smothered out.Heathcliff, in his devilish ways, has done everything he can to make the life of Hareton valueless, and miserable.Heathcliff's whole sad life revolves around revenge.He pays for a tutor to come three times a week for his son, yet leaves Hareton to his uncivilized doom, being unable to read a syllable.This and other analogies used in the book, express perfectly what the author is trying to say by comparing to real life objects, and made me love this book even more.

Foreshadowing
In addition to analogy, foreshadowing is used.The author hints at what the future holds for Cathy (deceased Catherine's daughter) and Hareton.When Heathcliff's son Linton dies Cathy is mourning over him, and "Hareton seemed a thought bothered, though he was more taken up with staring at Catherine than thinking of Linton" (Bronte 224).This hints that maybe he will let his bitter outlook on life and abhorrence of her be lessened, and allow himself to like or even love her.I was glad for this part, because it made me feel hope, and that perhaps there could be happiness for someone in this tale of sadness and revenge.This makes the book an enjoyable read, because the reader begins to wonder and predict what will happen between these two, if anything.This builds anticipation for the reader.

Imagery
Another literary device Bronte uses is imagery.She uses both gruesome, and beautiful imagery effectively to make the story more real and meaningful for her audience.When Heathcliff gets in a fight with his enemy, Hareton's father, imagery enhances the scene dramatically."The knife closed into the owner's wrist.Heathcliff pulled it away by main force, slitting up the flesh as it passed on, and thrust it dripping into his pocket...the adversary had fallen senseless with excessive pain and the flow of blood that gushed from an artery, or a large vein" (Bronte 138).This imagery is so descriptive that it causes the reader to cringe and even evokes repulsion.Also, it contributes to making this a good book, because it's not only a romance, it also contains suspense.

In the closing paragraph of the book it says, "I watched the moths fluttering among the heath and hare-bells; listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass; and wondered..." This intricate imagery and language is beautiful.It makes this book all worthwhile; leaving the reader with a sense of contentment and reflection, and sadness that the book has come to an end.

Conclusion:
Emily Bronte effectively appeals to pathos, symbolism, analogy, foreshadowing and imagery to create a book full of meaning and emotion.She writes this book that contains love, degradation, revenge, anguish and at last peace in such a way that once you start it, you won't be able to put it down.It is written beautifully.It's a book to be enjoyed by any woman, and is definitely worth buying.And when you come to the last page and close it with a sigh, you'll be satisfied and feel your time was definitely well spent.


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Book Description
Largely self-educated, Emily Bronte (1818-1848) was her father's favorite daughter and spent most of her life at the rectory in Haworth, on the edge of the Yorkshire moors. She lead a protected, uneventful existence, with almost no social contacts. Robert Barnard examines her insulated childhood, peculiarities, social boorishness, and aversion to relationships. He includes excerpts of Emily's lyrical poems of her twenties which presage the raw intensity of Wuthering Heights. Many aspects of her only novel are shaped by her own experiences, and the author traces the real-life counterparts of characters, landscape, and buildings. He draws extensively from critical sources varying from early reviews of Wuthering Heights to Gaskell's appraisal of Emily's "stern selfishness," to Juliet Barker's recent biography of the Bronte family. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Visually Appealing, Packed With Facts
The British Library Writers' Lives Series on EMILY BRONTE was shelved in the Biography section at my library with a "Young Adult" sticker on the spine.But why should the YA set have all the fun?This 112-page volume is packed with goodies:

It's Colorful.

Glossy pages, which makes for great reproductions of artwork.

Reproductions of Emily Bronte's original manuscripts (clearly readable with a magnifying glass or reading glasses).

Maps of where the Brontes lived and the settings for their books.

Many color and B&W photos of the Bronte homes.

Emily's watercolors and drawings (quite good ones, too).

Photos and drawings of structures and places that inspired Wuthering Heights.

Emily's poetry (also quite good).

Chronology of the Brontes.

Index.

Further reading.

This biography is primarly about Emily, but because her life was so intertwined with her sister Charlotte's life, the book is almost a dual biography.Probably because a young woman's life in the 19th century (on the English moor, anyway) was so family-centered, do we read so much about the entire Bronte family and those they daily interacted with.

Robert Barnard (author) is the Chairman of the Bronte Society and a writer of crime novels as well.His mystery/detective sense shines through in this volume, as he seems to be able to spot a smoking gun here and there in the Bronte history.He often highlights discrepancies, mysteries, and twists in the history of the Bronte family.Apparantly, there is no shortage of such mysteries and has given rise to many theories about the family and the girls.

This book is a fine introduction to the life of the Brontes.The photos, drawings, and other coloful items included in this slim volume bring this 19th century history to life.I highly recommend it for Young Adults and other adults as well. ... Read more

Book Description
Essays by leading scholars explore the lives and tragic early deaths of the three Brontë sisters. They set two of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century :Charlotte's Jane Eyre and Emily's Wuthering Heights, in the context of the other prose and poetry of the sisters, and trace the reputation of the Brontës through history. A detailed chronology and guides to further reading are included.Download Description
Essays by leading scholars explore the lives and tragic early deaths of the three Brontë sisters. They set two of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century :Charlotte's Jane Eyre and Emily's Wuthering Heights, in the context of the other prose and poetry of the sisters, and trace the reputation of the Brontës through history. A detailed chronology and guides to further reading are included. ... Read more

Product Description
Jane Eyre ranks as one of the greatest and most popular works of English fiction. Although Charlotte Brontë's heroine is outwardly plain, she possesses an indomitable spirit, and great courage. Forced to battle against the exigencies of a cruel guardian, a harsh employer and a rigid social order which circumscribes her life when she becomes governess to the daughter of the mysterious, sardonic Mr Rochester.
Villette is based on Charlotte Brontë's personal experience as a teacher in Brussels. It is a moving tale of repressed feelings and cruel circumstances borne with heroic fortitude. Rising above the confinement of a rigid social order, it is also a story of a woman's right to love and be loved.
Wuthering Heights is Emily Brontë's wild, passionate tale 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, he leaves Wuthering heights. When he returns years later as a wealthy man, he proceeds to exact a terrible revenge for his former miseries.
Agnes Grey, Ann Brontë's deeply personal novel, is a trenchant expose of the frequently isolated, intellectually stagnant and emotionally starved conditions under which many governesses worked in the mid-nineteenth century.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall shows Ann Brontë's bold, naturalistic and passionate style. It is a powerful and sometimes violent novel of expectation, love, oppression, sin and betrayal. It portrays the disintegration of the marriage of Helen Huntingdon, the mysterious 'tenant' of the title, and her dissolute, alcoholic husband. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great bang for your buck!
What a great value, and a wonderful way to rediscover some old favorites, and perhaps to find some new ones, along with comparing the different writing styles of the Bronte sisters.

One thing in this printing is you will not find the endless footnotes that you would in some of the other printings available now. I don't feel I missed out on anything, but if you feel you need to understand every word and nuance you might want to get a different version of the book(s).

Jane Eyre -- which I enjoyed much more the second time around. It's always good to take time to reread those required books from school once you've obtained some years and maturity. This is a lovely and somewhat autobiographical tale of Jane Eyre, orphaned and raised by self-centered and uncaring relatives until they send her off to school. Eventually she is hired as a governess to a young girl and meets the girl's guardian Mr. Rochester, and of course they fall in love and plan to marry. But, there is a mystery about the house that once it is discovered destroys the wedding plans.

A lovely tale, and Bronte has such a wonderful prose that makes you want to slow down and savor it and the story like a fine red wine or chocolate. Highly highly recommended, one that should be taken off the shelf and reread every couple of years or so. Five stars.

Wuthering Heights -- The dark and brooding tale of Cathy & Heathcliff. What a great experience to finally reread this classic as an adult. Emily Bronte depicts a very gothic and depressing story of two star-crossed (but not terribly likeable) lovers, Cathy & Heathcliff, and the love between them that transcended the grave. Added to that a wonderful depiction of the dark English moors and the local characters with their strange dialects. This was also told in a very unusual style, like a tale within a tale within a tale, adding more layers and perspectives to the story.

How unfortunate that one's upbringing can so affect a person that their grief and bitterness turn what could have been a fine young man into such a hateful and vengeful person as Heathcliff became. And fortunate that Cathy's daughter and Hareton could overcome their dark upbringing to bring a happier light onto the dark moors of England.

It's one book you have to read at least twice in your life -- of course in school as required reading and then again as an adult to add that perspective of age and experience in life so that one can more fully appreciate a such a classic tale. Four stars.

Villette -- another semi-autobiographical tale from Charlotte Bronte, based upon her time spent teaching in Belgium. This is not a novel of page turning excitement, but a lovely tale of one woman's battle to maintain her independence. It's very interesting how the author brings characters in and out of her tale, and ties them all together in the end. Along with that, Bronte's gorgeous prose and all those large words that make you want to go running for the dictionary.

A lovely tale, but this one had much more french than Jane Eyre and I would have appreciated some footnotes to interpret those phrases to enjoy the tale more. Five stars.

Anges Grey -- This was a simple, albeit enjoyable tale of Agnes Grey, a younger daughter who seeks her way in the world employed as a governess. I understand this tale is based upon Ms. Bronte's own experiences and brings to light the snobbery of the upper class along with the often degrading way that the servants are treated by the same.

The first family literally has the children from h***, the second family being not quite as abusive, but still treat the servants as second class people. The young Misses Murray and self centered and thoughtless, particularly the elder (who gets what she deserves in the end).

It's been interesting to compare the sisters' writing styles. Anne's is much closer to Chartlotte's, with the gorgeous flowing prose, but not quite so littered with the large words and the smattering of french.

Well worth your time checking out for a pleasant, short read. Four stars

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall -- This is a very different novel from the other of Anne Bronte's that I've read, Agnes Grey. The story is told mostly from the first person viewpoint of Gilbert Markham as he and his fellow villagers meet the mysterious new tenant of Wildfell Hall, the widowed Mrs. Graham, who has a bit of a mystery about her and her young son.

As feelings grow between the two main characters, the story is shifted to the viewpoint of Mrs. Graham as retold through a diary she wrote, and about her life married to an abusive, unfaithful alcoholic, and her efforts finally to extricate herself from the marriage.

An interesting tale, and I give the author marks for tackling what in her time would have been a most controversial topic (women just did not leave their husbands, no matter what the reason). Some of the melodrama is more than a tad bit over the top, Helen was just too pure and good natured, and having a woman writer write in the first person viewpoint of a man was a bit of a stretch for me. Gilbert was at times too emotional in a womanly sort of way -- I mean throwing himself down on the wet ground and having a good cry over a broken heart was way over the top for me. He was also a bit too brutish and rough at times for my taste, and not always very likeable, but that is the author's choice as to how she wrote her characters.

Other than those quibbles it was a very entertaining read and some very thought provoking topics to take with you when finished with the book.Four stars.
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Book Description

A timeless classic by on of the most popular writers of all time. Indexed with an easy-to-use table of contents for easy navigation.

Book Description
The text of the novel is based on the first edition of 1847. For the Fourth Edition, the editor collated the 1847 text with the two modern texts (Norton's William J. Sale collation and the Clarendon), and found a great number of variants, including accidentals. This discovery led to changes in the body of the Norton Critical Edition text that are explained in the preface. New to "Backgrounds and Contexts" are additional letters, a compositional chronology, related prose, and reviews of the 1847 text. "Criticism" collects five important assessments of Wuthering Heights, three of them new to the Fourth Edition, including Lin Haire-Sargeant's essay on film adaptations of the novel.

About the series: No other series of classic texts equals the caliber of the Norton Critical Editions. Each volume combines the most authoritative text available with the comprehensive pedagogical apparatus necessary to appreciate the work fully. Careful editing, first-rate translation, and thorough explanatory annotations allow each text to meet the highest literary standards while remaining accessible to students. Each edition is printed on acid-free paper and every text in the series remains in print. Norton Critical Editions are the choice for excellence in scholarship for students at more than 2,000 universities worldwide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Beautiful gothic romance
Oh, where to begin? Yes, some people complain about the melodramatic (some even say soap-operatic) quality of this book, but it is simply wonderful. It's hard to find a book about the dark side of love, and this book (which offered, perhaps, the first "modern" character in Heathcliff) has the dark side of love in spades. The story is centered around the Earnshaw and Linton families, who occupy the Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange estates, respectively. While it would give away many important and poignant moments to go more in-depth, rest assured that there is betrayal, violence, and passion. The character of Heathcliff may very well be the best character in literature (in my opinion, at least). His inner conflict between vengeance and love is tragically human, and the fact that he knows that he is doing the wrong thing but cannot stop his drive for vengeance makes him that much more human. This book is excellent. Maybe the best book I've ever read.

"Why did you betray your heart, Cathy?"
There is a thin line between love and hate, and once Heathcliff crosses it, we see a grand, passionate and absorbingly interesting man turn into a fearsome thug. Thwarted in his love for his childhood soulmate, Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff turns his devastation outward, becoming a hateful -- and hated -- person all across the bleak moors that surround his Yorkshire village.

Heathcliff courts and marries the sister of the man whom Catherine chose over Heathcliff, only to torture her emotionally as a way of getting even with her brother. Meanwhile, Catherine slowly wastes away pining for Heathcliff, for although she once rejected him, she eventually realizes that she has made an irredeemable error and can never be happy. Heathcliff sums up the tragedy of their lives in a single question near the end of the novel when he asks, "Why did you betray your heart, Cathy?"

Sound depressing? It's not. Wuthering Heights is a grand and glorious novel that dramatically illustrates the power of love, for good and ill. But more importantly, it teaches us that the only path to happiness is to be true to one's heart, rather than one's head. Had Catherine honored her bond with Heathcliff and refused to bow to the social mores of her day, not only would the two of them been much happier, but all of the many people whose lives they stumbled into would have been much better off.

Another reviewer said that those of us who love this novel probably have a strong identification with one of the characters, and for me that is quite true. That's the reason for reading a classic like Wuthering Heights, because when it speaks to you in the clear and true way that Bronte does, you know that you are not alone, and that some things transcend time and place.

Think about it -- a prim, Victorian preacher's daughter living on the moors of England before there was electricity can reach across 150 years of time and speak to the heart of a wired American in the 21st century. Pretty amazing, and highly recommended

Does it get any better than this?
Having read a number of books in my life, I must say I was not convinced this was one I could enjoy when it popped up on my mandatory reading list for my first year in university.
How wrong one can be.
Ever since Catherine visited MR Lockwood on that stormy night at the Heights, I have been completely spellbound by this novel. I have tried to rationalize my affection and utter amazment over this book, but I have so far not succeeded. To give a reweiv with any kind of substance when it comes to the theme of this book would be pointless. After having read the book over and over again,and having watched the movies made about it, I still cannot tell you what this novel is really all about. Don`t get me wrong, the plot is easy enough to follow, but the underlying drama is something that keeps haunting me. Maybe that was what Emily Bronte wanted. For the reader to put down the book and forever be spellbound by what he or she had read. I know I am.
Maybe, in our sedated worlds, we long for this kind of emotion, this kind of passion. Not just in our love lives, but in our lives in general. The story touches timeless subjects, it erases the line between heaven, hell and the world we know. It might even suggest that heaven and hell are right here on earth among us all.
It is utterly compelling and I would recomend it to anybody. Give it a couple of chapters before you judge it, and I asure you it will be the reading experince of a lifetime.

This publishment is even more rewarding because you can read the different analysis of the book in the Critical Edition part of the book.

Bizarre, cracklingly brilliant, a moment in literary history
Is there anybody out there who hasn't heard of Heathcliff, the dark villian/hero of this high pitched and utterly committed work of madness? Oh, I love it. It was difficult for me at first. I'm a writer, but not a natural reader. But once I was into this book, once I stopped asking questions ofthe narrative and just entered the shadowy world of Catherine and her doomed household, I was quite literally spellbound.Bronte died believing this book was a failure. What a dreadful irony that this quiet, disciplined woman who lived out her life in a cold parsons' house with her brilliant sisters, her drunken brother and her eccentricfather (The man memorized Paradise Lost: imagine.And outlived all his children!) never even had an inkling that this outpouring of her heart and soul would become a classic, overshadowing even her sister's highlysuccessful Jane Eyre.Both Bronte sisters had the capacity to create archetypes -- to imprint upon the culture seminal patterns that endure to the present time.One last point: the father was Irish.Madness and genius in the blood, indeed.Enjoy it.I read it over every year or so, sometimes twice in a row. I study it; I watch all the film versions. I just love it, the way it works, its strange cruelty and enchantment.

Tragedy Born of Jealous Love
I thought this book was tragic in that two people who obviously love each other very much and have so much in common that they actually refer to themselves as the other person, end up spending most of their lives in other relationships trying to make the other lover jealous or hating their choices.Ultimately, Heathcliff's desire for revenge was hard for me to understand because I suppose I have never loved anyone enough to go that far.And the end was especially tragic because he actually begged Cathy's ghost to haunt him for the rest of his life: "...drive me mad!Only do not leave me in this dark alone where I cannot find you." ... Read more

Book Description
Published a year before her death at the age of thirty, Emily Brontë's only novel is set in the wild, bleak Yorkshire Moors. Depicting the relationship of Cathy and Heathcliff, Wuthering Heights creates a world of its own, conceived with an instinct for poetry and for the dark depths of human psychology.

Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Pauline Nestor
New Preface by Lucasta MillerDownload Description
"ENDURING LITERATURE ILLUMINATED BY PRACTICAL SCHOLARSHIPThe unforgettable story of Heathcliff and Catherine, whose doomed love torments them in a tempest of madness, vengeance, and redemption. " ... Read more

Customer Reviews (50)

A great read.
Although some of the plot elements seem preposterous today the story remains a great read.What a love story!A great tale of people sometimes setting in motion awful events due to their desire to do what they see as right in their own eyes. Recommended.Well-written.

Interesting but tedious.
Heathcliff is a fierce, pitiless, wolfish man inside and out.His character makes this an interesting story.But it was a little tedious to read.Sexual language: none.Number of sex scenes: none.Setting about 1775 to 1805 England.Published about 1847.Genre:obsessive historical romance.

Free SF Reader
Set on the moors, it is a pity that the Hound of the Baskervilles didn't get 'em.This would have saved a lot of characters a lot of grief. An orphan is taken in, and the problems start there as he grows up, has his own problems and inflicts them on others. The great detective has something to say about such places : "But look at these lonely houses, each in its own fields, filled for the most part with poor ignorant folk who know little of the law. Think of the deeds of hellish cruelty, the hidden wickedness which may go on, year in, year out, in such places, and none the wiser. Had this lady who appeals to us for help gone to live in Winchester, I should never have had a fear for her. It is the five miles of country which makes the danger."

It really helps!
This is one of the Best ways of learning SAT vocab, or simply vocab for your own personal gain. Read the classic work on the right, SAT words are bolded and defined on the left. The real kicker is that words are repeated throughout the book. After seeing words over and over you learn them extremlywell. Great Concept, Great Study Aid, Great Book!

Masterpiece of the Macabre
Wuthering Heights is a love story. But it is not your typical, love conquers all tale. It is a dark, twisted story of obsession, greed and lust that spans beyond the grave. What really strikes me about the story still is how dark it is. And I don't mean 'given the time it was written' because the story is legitimately dark no matter what era it is set in.

In the story Bronte perfectly frames two very different kinds of love. There is the healthy love that the tragic heroine of the story has for her husband. There is a fondness in that love that seems destined to grow and flourish. But, there is also an unhealthy, all consuming fiery love between the heroine and the devil of the story, our tragic hero, the scoundrel Heathcliff. So consuming and obsessive is the love between the two that it becomes dark and twisted. Their love is so unhealthy and obsessive that it consumes and devours both of them. It all sounds so amazingly romantic but what it drives the characters to: insanity, murder, captivity, and revenge makes even their proclamations of love to one another macabre.

On a side note, Heathcliff, the center of the story for most intents and purposes, is so damned intriguing. I haven't really encountered a character quite like him in literature. You find yourself wanting to know more about him and can't helping thinking that a man who could love so deeply could be so damned evil! But oh, he is...

Far and away, Bronte succeeds in the book in creating characters who are both sympathetic and intolerable. None of the characters are entirely loveable, save for the story teller herself. Otherwise there is a pathetic air among everyone save for Heathcliff who seems the only one in the novel who can exploit this weakness. It makes for a lot of moments of cringing as you can almost see the gears of evil genius working in Heathcliff's head.

My only complaint with the book is the conveinance of pregnancy. Never is it mentioned until the child is born and never is the mother said to be or appear pregnant. It wasn't enough to entirely take me out of the story but I did roll my eyes on every instance. That is really the only hard argument I can make of Bronte taking an easy way out in her plot but given this is her first and only attempt at a novel, I can let it go as it truly is a masterpiece. ... Read more

Product Description
The novels in this book are: Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Shirley, Vilette, and the Professor. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great introduction to the Brontes
This book is an excellent introduction, for the young and old, into the world of the Brontes. It's a slim volume full of wonderful photographs that, if nothing else, will serve to make the reader want to learn more about this family. Not just about the three daughters who published novels, but about the two men in the family who didn't. And you'll also want to know more about Tabby the maid. In the end, this book will lead you to read other books about the Brontes. And maybe, if you haven't already, you'll read all that they wrote and drew. ... Read more