Well Read Company Book Reviews: Wuthering Heights

One of our most popular designs features Emily Brontë’s classic Wuthering Heights. Since its publication in 1847, it has become a romantic classic that has been cherished through the generations. An ode to the raw and elemental nature of love, it combines the wild setting of the Yorkshire moors with the equally wild love Cathy and Heathcliff have for one another.  Our vegan handbag design pays homage to this iconic love story with the depiction of a windswept tree on the moors, against a charming bright green backdrop. 

The three Brontë sisters are viewed as literary feminist pioneers, writing novels where women were the main characters with individual thoughts and desires, rather than male accessories. Cathy is a vibrant, turbulent character - so much so that she returns as a ghost later in the novel (apologies for potential spoilers!) It’s hard to imagine now, but on it’s first publication Wuthering Heights was criticised for being too wild and animalistic. However it’s precisely these relatable qualities, echoing the madness that love can create, which has ensured the novel’s continued reverence.

“He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”

The Brontë sisters are wildly different from the restrained politeness of Austen’s later regency romances, and Wuthering Heights is full of beautiful descriptions of the wildness of the Yorkshire landscape. Emily was influenced by earlier gothic novels such as Frankenstein, which weren’t in fashion at the time she was writing, hence the original criticism. However she was firmly a subversive person, wearing clothes she knew to be out of fashion even when she was teased for it, and not caring for the opinions of others. 

We’re so glad Emily was such a headstrong, creative woman able to give us such a masterpiece. Over 150 years later the Brontë sisters’ works remain loved and celebrated. Join us in honouring this timeless literary creation by treating yourself to our green Wuthering Heights collection!