Wuthering Heights Book Summary - Wuthering Heights Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

Wuthering Heights summary

Emily Brontë

A Passionate Tale of Revenge Fueled by Unfulfilled Love and Loss

4.7 (59 ratings)
20 mins

Brief summary

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë is a novel that tells the story of Heathcliff and Catherine, two tormented lovers, and their tumultuous relationship on the wild moors of Northern England. It explores themes such as love, revenge, and social class in the 19th century.

Table of Contents

    Wuthering Heights
    Summary of 4 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 4

    Early years: Heathcliff and Catherine

    The year is 1801.

    The narrator, Lockwood, is staying in Yorkshire, in a house named Thrushcross Grange. One day he decides to visit his landlord, who lives in a farmhouse on the moors. It’s known as Wuthering Heights.

    The atmosphere at the house is tense, and the landlord, Heathcliff, comes across as rude and misanthropic.

    On another visit to Wuthering Heights, a snowstorm forces Lockwood to stay overnight. He has a vivid, disturbing nightmare – a little girl appears at his bedroom window, begging him to let her in. She says her name is Catherine.

    Lockwood’s screams of terror wake up his host. After hearing about Lockwood’s nightmare, Heathcliff rushes to the bedroom window, tearfully begging Catherine to return.

    Lockwood is disturbed but intrigued. He wants to know more about Heathcliff and Catherine. Apparently, she used to live at Wuthering Heights, but she died years ago.

    Lockwood returns home to Thrushcross Grange, and talks to the housekeeper, Nelly Dean. She knew both Heathcliff and Catherine very well, so she can tell Lockwood the whole story.

    Nelly begins her tale, starting with events from 30 years ago.

    The Earnshaw family lives at Wuthering Heights. There are two children – Hindley and Catherine.

    One day, Mr. Earnshaw returns home from a trip with a new addition to the family – an orphaned child. His name is Heathcliff.

    Heathcliff’s arrival creates tension in the family, and Hindley hates him from the beginning. He bullies and beats his adoptive brother.

    But Catherine and Heathcliff become close, then inseparable. And as they grow up, their bond only develops into intense love.

    However, at the age of 15, Catherine decides that even though she loves Heathcliff deeply, she won’t marry him. She plans to marry her neighbor, the more respectable Edgar Linton.

    Catherine expresses her thoughts and feelings in a conversation with the housekeeper, Nelly, unaware that Heathcliff is eavesdropping. When Heathcliff hears Catherine say that it would degrade her to marry him, he slips out of the room and vanishes.

    Later that evening, when Catherine realizes that Heathcliff is nowhere to be found, she’s extremely agitated. She goes outside during a thunderstorm, gets drenched, and becomes feverish. Her illness lasts for days.

    And still, there’s no sign of Heathcliff.

    Three years pass before the young lovers see each other again.

    ANALYSIS

    Heathcliff and Catherine’s intense relationship is the beating heart of Wuthering Heights. The sheer elemental force of their bond drives the plot, acting as a catalyst for subsequent events.

    Although Wuthering Heights could be described as a love story, it’s not romantic in the conventional sense. It’s about a dark, destructive kind of love. You might even call it toxic.

    Heathcliff and Catherine become so close to one another that they lose their sense of self. Catherine even states, “I am Heathcliff.”

    But that all changes when Heathcliff discovers that Catherine plans to marry Edgar Linton. To say that Heathcliff feels rejected is an understatement. His sense of hurt and anger is an important motivator from this point on.

    But to truly understand Heathcliff, we also need to pay attention to his relationship with his other adoptive sibling, Hindley. Growing up, Heathcliff is abused by Hindley both physically and emotionally. And because they live together, there’s no escape.

    So gradually, Heathcliff starts to plot his revenge.

    “I'm trying to settle how I shall pay Hindley back,” he tells Nelly. “I don't care how long I wait, if I can only do it at last.”

    As we’ll soon see, Heathcliff isn’t a character who forgives and forgets. He’s motivated by love but also by another equally powerful force – hatred.

    Want to see all full key ideas from Wuthering Heights?

    Key ideas in Wuthering Heights

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is Wuthering Heights about?

    Wuthering Heights (1847) is a masterpiece of English literature. Set in Yorkshire, it tells the story of two families and their intense, often tumultuous relationships – in particular, the stormy romance between Heathcliff and Catherine.

    Wuthering Heights Review

    Wuthering Heights (1847) by Emily Brontë is a captivating novel that explores themes of passion, revenge, and the destructive power of love. Here are three reasons why this book is worth reading:

    • The intense and complex characters draw readers into their tumultuous relationships, creating a compelling and immersive reading experience.
    • The raw and emotional portrayal of love and its consequences adds depth and realism to the story, making it a powerful exploration of human nature.
    • The atmospheric setting of the bleak Yorkshire moors adds a sense of foreboding and mystery to the narrative, making it impossible to put the book down.

    Best quote from Wuthering Heights

    My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, Im well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I AM Heathcliff! Catherine

    —Emily Brontë
    example alt text

    Who should read Wuthering Heights?

    • Fans of family sagas
    • People drawn to unconventional love stories and antiheroes
    • Anyone interested in classic novels of the nineteenth century

    About the Author

    Emily Brontë was an English novelist and poet and the sister of the writers Anne and Charlotte Brontë. Wuthering Heights was her only novel; she died only a year after its publication, at the age of 30.

    Categories with Wuthering Heights

    Book summaries like Wuthering Heights

    People ❤️ Blinkist 
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked these summaries

    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    34 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    10+ years
    Experience igniting personal growth
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial

    Wuthering Heights FAQs 

    What is the main message of Wuthering Heights?

    The main message of Wuthering Heights is a passionate and destructive love story set in the moors of Yorkshire.

    How long does it take to read Wuthering Heights?

    The reading time for Wuthering Heights varies, but reading the Blinkist summary takes just a few minutes.

    Is Wuthering Heights a good book? Is it worth reading?

    Wuthering Heights is a classic that delves into complex human emotions, making it a must-read for literature enthusiasts.

    Who is the author of Wuthering Heights?

    The author of Wuthering Heights is Emily Brontë.

    What to read after Wuthering Heights?

    If you're wondering what to read next after Wuthering Heights, here are some recommendations we suggest:
    • The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
    • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
    • Persuasion by Jane Austen
    • Seculosity by David Zahl
    • Macbeth by William Shakespeare
    • One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
    • I Know why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
    • Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
    • The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
    • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey