Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights is the only novel of Emily Brontë. Published in 1847, it has become a classic of English literature, and has given rise to many adaptations, including several films, television and radio dramatisations, a musical, and a hit song by Kate Bush.

The setting for the book is Bronte's native Yorkshire. It takes the form of the first-person narrative of a minor character, Lockwood, who through conversations is told the tale of the principal protagonists. This framing device gives distance to the events. Nellie Dean, the secondary narrator recounts scenes of strong emotion, violence and sadism in a manner which is not completely dispassionate, but somewhat detached: she is not surprised at the extremes she recounts.

Warning: Wikipedia contains spoilers!

The anti-hero is Heathcliff[?], who is taken in by the wealthy Earnshaw family as a child, and falls in love with their daughter, Catherine. But he is not considered good enough to marry her. Instead, Cathy marries a wealthy neighbour, and the embittered Heathcliff sets out to ruin the fortunes of her family, which he does over a period of many years.

Adaptations

Perhaps the best-known of the film adaptations was released in 1939. It stars Merle Oberon as Cathy Linton, Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff[?], David Niven as Edgar Linton[?], Flora Robson as Ellen Dean, Donald Crisp[?] as Dr. Kenneth, Geraldine Fitzgerald[?] as Isabella Linton and Leo G. Carroll as Joseph Earnshaw. The film was adapted by Charles MacArthur, Ben Hecht and John Huston. It was directed by William Wyler. The movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Role-Playing Game

The Wuthering Heights Roleplay game is based on the French "René le Jeu de Rôle Romantique".
This is a parody game, free for download here : http://philippe.tromeur.free.fr/rene.htm

External Links

• Full text available in multiple formats (http://pdreader.org/details.asp?id=768)