‘We were then. Are now. And ever shall be. Catherine. Heathcliff.’
A retelling of ‘Wuthering Heights’? I picked this book up not quite knowing what to expect. I am wary of interpretations of the classics, especially of ‘Wuthering Heights’, which is my favourite novel.
I was pleasantly surprised. In this retelling, Ms Landman does not stray from the original story, but presents it entirely from Cathy’s point of view.
‘We both looked so deep that somehow – don’t ask me how – our souls seemed to tumble headlong into each other.’
‘Wuthering Heights’ can never be a happy love story. In my head, in my own personal retelling, it could be, but Cathy’s choices set off a chain of events which guarantee both Cathy and Heathcliff a personal form of hell on earth.
If you have never read ‘Wuthering Heights’, this book may give a perspective which might entice you to read the original. If you have read ‘Wuthering Heights’, and would like a satisfying ending, one in which Cathy’s ghost is at peace, then this retelling may appeal.
I liked it more than I expected to.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Tasmanian Bibliophile @Large 