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Thursday, January 19, 2006

Thursday, January 19, 2006 11:03 am by M.   3 comments
The American Enterprise publishes a review of Jane Smiley's 13 Ways of Looking at the Novel , that we commented some time ago. The book as we explained "is a defense and thorough study of the novel through a reading of 101 of its best examples".

One of them is Emily's Wuthering Heights. In the article we read the following:

The book in some ways feels a bit like a college class. The classics are well represented, with long discussions of Charles Dickens and Giovanni Boccaccio. But it’s nothing like any of the English classes I took. A sense of fun is always evident. She writes, when arguing that Wuthering Heights gets less attractive as the reader gets older, “The Heathcliff of the novel is not played by Laurence Olivier. He is played by your scary Uncle Hugo, who never liked you for a moment.”

Readers, do you agree with that?

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3 comments:

  1. I certainly found the opposite. I grew to like him more as I grew older...perhaps because I understood him more...

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  2. I agree with you, mysticgypsy. There's a reason why Heathcliff is who he is. Supposedly as you grow up you learn more of his motives and feelings.

    But to understand him you don't have to like him. I guess the reviewer meant that Heathcliff emodies this image of wild love that you supposedly lose as you grow up.

    Cristina.

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  3. emodies=emBodies. Sorry.

    Cristina.

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