Wuthering Heights [Trout Lake Media Edition]

By: Emily Brontë

Narrated by: Emma Messenger

Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Famous, all-encompassing, passionate, but ultimately doomed love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, and how this unresolved passion eventually destroys them and the people around them. Today considered a classic of English literature, Wuthering Heights was met with mixed reviews when it first appeared, mainly because of the narrative's stark depiction of mental and physical cruelty. Wuthering Heights has also given rise to many adaptations and inspired works, including films, radio, television dramatisations, a musical by Bernard J. Taylor, a ballet, three operas (respectively by Bernard Herrmann, Carlisle Floyd, and Frédéric Chaslin), a role-playing game, and the 1979 chart topping song by Kate Bush.

Public Domain (P)2012 Trout Lake Media

Great book

Loved the book, a epic and thrilling tale, and read in such a way that eagerly wanted to get back to it when ever I could!

Narrator Held This Back

What did you like best about Wuthering Heights [Trout Lake Media Edition]? What did you like least?

It was difficult for me to distinguish point of view character due to the narrator. Her voice didn't change enough for me to easily pick this up and I kept getting lost in the "who's speaking now?". The narrator did a fine job with the "country" dialects. Over the story was just ok for me. Not too interesting, not too uninteresting, so a three star rating.

Denise

Destitution I might inject, horridly boring and everlasting sadness, nothing to look forward to. So devastatingly rebellious in all forms.

Not a Fan of the Narration

Unlike most of the reviews I had issues with the narration. My primary complaint is that the narrator, Emma Messenger, does not have enough distinction among the main characters, nor does she vary their speech as they age. The book follows a non-linear history and jumps back and forth across several years at a time. I found myself having to remind myself where I was at in the story instead of getting lost in the story. Is this Heathcliff, Linton, Hareton, or Hindley and how old are they at this point in the story? Frankly, if I didn't know the story line before I listened to this production, I would have been utterly lost. The narrator has some very distinct voices and tones for the supporting characters (the voicing of Joseph is amazing), but it is the lack of distinction between the main male characters that I struggled with. She has a very good voice and brings Emily Bronte's extensive vocabulary to life -- I just kept getting lost with a host of male characters that sounded alike.

If you are not familiar with the plot, there is little action outside of the interaction between a dozen characters in two locations. So if you are looking for travel and adventure, this book would disappoint. However the interaction is so intense and the writing so vibrant that the book has stood the test of time.

one of the best novels of all time

one of the best novels of all time and very well narrated. one that you can listen to over and over.

Oh The Language!

Any additional comments?

I have been on a classic book kick lately. I LOVE the language, the rhythm, and the detail to event, the thought process, intelligence, and above all; I love never having to worry about the gratuitous vulgar language. Yes, today's culture has evolved and the language has changed, but the classic struggled to love and to be love hasn't changed at all. Of course this is a classic for the ages and most know the story even if only through legends, but while reading "Wuthering Heights" keep in mind the day and time it was written. Women were seen almost as property, as well as the children, and the struggle to find and true love was ridiculously hard and really considered trivial. Emily Brontë's writing compels us to pity, loathe, and cry for these characters. I for one love this book, sometimes the narrative is hard to understand because the language is so different, but who care listen twice. The more I read these classic stories the more I can see how much of today's so-called original works were influenced. So now it is on to the next classic.....

story telling at its best

I like the way they used two people to read the story from both view points, the female and the male. Nice voices, able to keep my attention.

Tdyf

recursive. Nino hoi high n job ink on I n no Nino. Jon I Nino no on. Hi hi

my favorite book of all time!

no I've read it many times, this was my first time listening to it. the production was well done and it was enjoyable.

More of a tragedy than a classic

Though rich in character description and pathological behavior, WH is a rather dark story with little to redeem it in moral, character, or plot terms. If time is short and precious, I might steer clear of the heights.