I found this quotation while browsing through the classics section at http://www.bookpeople.com in Austin, TX a few weekends ago and it was too good not to share.
"Classic: a book people praise and don't read" - Mark Twain.
In my quest to work my way through the classics I should have read but never did, Mark Twain's comment really hit home. I just finished Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. This was my first experience with one of the Bronte sisters and well, the jury is still out on how I feel about it. The book began and it was one of those experiences where 3 chapters in I had no idea what I had just read, I decided to push through and see if I could make better sense of what was going on. (Plus I hate not finishing a book) You don't like any of the characters, at one point you begin to empathize with Catherine (the older one), pity her almost. However, that quickly changes, you find that she is instead a selfish, dramatic girl who causes more pain and frustration, pleasing her every whim instead of growing up and rising above her circumstances. You want to like Ellen, the housekeeper and narrator,the eyes and ears between the two estates, but I think it's because you don't actually get to know her so really it just causes indifference. Everyone was miserable, why would you voluntarily spend hours reading a book for no resolution?
"Classic: a book people praise and don't read" - Mark Twain.
In my quest to work my way through the classics I should have read but never did, Mark Twain's comment really hit home. I just finished Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. This was my first experience with one of the Bronte sisters and well, the jury is still out on how I feel about it. The book began and it was one of those experiences where 3 chapters in I had no idea what I had just read, I decided to push through and see if I could make better sense of what was going on. (Plus I hate not finishing a book) You don't like any of the characters, at one point you begin to empathize with Catherine (the older one), pity her almost. However, that quickly changes, you find that she is instead a selfish, dramatic girl who causes more pain and frustration, pleasing her every whim instead of growing up and rising above her circumstances. You want to like Ellen, the housekeeper and narrator,the eyes and ears between the two estates, but I think it's because you don't actually get to know her so really it just causes indifference. Everyone was miserable, why would you voluntarily spend hours reading a book for no resolution?
Do I recommend Wuthering Heights? I mean, this book has gotten a new audience thanks to the Twilight series, take that with a grain of salt. It's a classic and has produced some of the classic characters in literature. My suggestion, (unless really desperate for something to read) leave Wuthering Heights to High Schoolers and English majors.
No comments:
Post a Comment