Faithful & engaging rendition of a Bronte classic

AUDIO QUALITY
Rating: 10/10
No issues with audio quality here. Although this was recorded in 2006, you would think it was recorded just this year by the sound of the crisp, noiseless, and audible quality. Joseph's peculiar pronunciation is even made clear, thanks to McTeer's level pronunciation.

NARRATION / VOICE ACTING
Rating: 9/10
Janet McTeer and David Timson perform wonderfully in this superb narration of Emily Bronte's classic novel on the effects of childhood abuse, upbringing, generational trauma, love, and the damaging concept of finding one's "self" in another. Timson has the "quaint and proper young British gent" thing down pat. And McTeer may literally draw you to tears (as she did me) at some of the critical moments within the novel - her performance is so delightfully emotional. That being said, McTeer's performance of certain male characters (re: Linton and occasionally Heathcliff) are a bit too... whiny + breathy? But otherwise it's great.

PLOT (**SPOILERS**)
Rating: 10/10
"Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being. So don't talk of our separation again: it is impracticable".

This quote from the novel clearly summarizes what is at once so transfixing for so many of us who find ourselves bewitched by the story of Catherine and Heathcliff's sordid love-affair. But the discerning reader, this is also an indication of one of the novel's greatest themes - that of how impossible, contradictory, and fundamentally absurd it is to claim that one's self exists in the body of another. In all truth, it is *certainly* practical for Catherine and Heathcliff to be separated. All people, at some point, are separated from another. But this is the truth that the lovers of Bronte's novel cannot except, and perhaps it is their denial that leads their ultimate tragedy.

Asides from that, the many interwoven generational tales within this story (the family ties, the effects of the past on the present and future, how children suffer due to the sins of their elders, etc.) all make this novel far more interesting than a simple tale of star-crossed lovers.

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2 people found this helpful

Riveting!

Brilliant performance in a classic tale... couldn't wait to get back to it when life interrupted my listening!

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Brontë and McTeer: a work of high genius.

This one is a rare gem. Wuthering Heights is a work of high genius and dark romance. Janet McTeer’s performance is silky and perfect - her native accent is the from the same region as the Bronte sisters and so she not only brings a deeper level of authenticity to the book, but she really understands the heart of each character. I have already listened to this book twice and I’m sure it won’t be the last. This is THE definitive edition of Wuthering Heights and a must read. Brilliant.

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