Don't understand the fuss about it.

I've always thought the classification of Wuthering Heights as a love story is a bit wrong. Heathcliff and Cathy's obsessive love for one another is central to the plot, but I've always thought the story to be Heathcliff's tale of revenge, more than anything else. Hindley's mistreatment, Cathy's rejection--these two forces turn a selfish, angry boy into a monster of a man with an unending appetite for vengeance.

But that's just my opinion!

What is it about this book and these characters that I love so much? Heathcliff and Cathy are absolutely terrible, and even though I hate them, I perversely want them to be together. That, for me, is the magic of Wuthering Heights: it makes me care about these characters despite myself. Bronte managed to create these moments of pathos that really resonate.

The best example I can think of is Heathcliff condemning Cathy's soul, saying he hopes she "wakes in torment" (which is not a particularly nice thing to wish upon anybody), then toward the end of the speech saying, "only do not leave me in this abyss where I cannot find you! Oh God it is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!" Sure, he wants her damned to roam the earth, but he wants it because he is afraid to be alone. His feelings are selfish and terrible...but also sad and lonely. It's one of the few moments in the novel when I really feel for Heathcliff.

I didn't know that Heathcliff and Cathy were going to be so unlikable the first time I read WH, and it really threw me. The more I read, however, the more I appreciated it. It's bold and different. An absolutely fantastic book.

Sorry to hear you didn't like it, but I suppose that it's not for everyone!