I'm not a traditional sort under any circumstances! But I do have certain traditions I do follow. One of them is reading Wuthering Heights around Christmas time. I don't really know why I do this! Maybe because something about the book reminds me of Christmas? But this is something I do every year for quite a while now.
Wuthering Heights is a tragic love story by Emily Bronte and is the only novel she ever published. I first read it sometime in middle school, I think. Obviously, there is a difference between me reading it when I was a kid and reading it now! The novel is set in the Yorkshire moors. It's about this ill-intended love story between Heathcliff and Catherine. Like many works of literature around this period, it was an ill-destined love match. Even so, it was a very different book from what was 'acceptable' during the era. It was and is a very complexly written passionate story which is probably why it was quite ill-received.
The story rips you apart. It shows you the class inequality that was rampant then. It brings the readers uncomfortably close to the gross injustice and tyranny that existed in the society. It also shows you that revenge is probably not the best step one should take! Every time I read it, it makes me sad because it shows you that even in literature sometimes a Disney-style happy ending might not be in the works! It's a showcase of real life which has gone quite tragically wrong. It's different from all the tales of 'love triumphs all' that you get to read, which is probably why I keep re-reading it.
Despite how morose the book makes me feel, I revisit it every year. It's now a very important part of my small list of traditions.
If you've ever read it, let me know how it makes you feel!
Cheers!
Madhu x
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