Wuthering Heights [Recorded Books Edition]

By: Emily Brontë

Narrated by: Flo Gibson

Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

"If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be...I am Heathcliff...." Catherine Earnshaw's passionate statement reveals the core of Emily Bronte's tempestuous literary masterpiece. Meeting as children, Catherine and Heathcliff begin a relationship that grows into obsession as family, class, and fate work against them as much as their own jealous natures.

Public Domain (P)1981 Recorded Books, Inc

Critic reviews

"Flo Gibson is consistently one of the best cassette readers at work." (The Washington Post)

A Classic

This book is a classic. I enjoyed it, though at times the old language seems to drag on and can be difficult to follow. All in all this is an excellent read.

Nice experience

Highly recommended. The narration is great, the listener can almost picture the situation being natrated

I still Love this story.

Would you consider the audio edition of Wuthering Heights to be better than the print version?

Yes. For my purposes.

What did you like best about this story?

True love.

Have you listened to any of Flo Gibson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes but not possible.

Any additional comments?

Just that.Heath cliff really
Loved Cathy.

Tempestuous Star-Crossed Classic

A 1847 Victorian Romantic drama for the ages set in the atmospheric Yorkshire countryside for Emily Bronte's finest effort. This classic was one I was swept away with back in high school and haven't returned to it since. I was reluctant to, actually, because my tolerance for broody, outrageous people has tempered over the years, but a chance to gain the audio free and see a talented narrator and audio production at the helm had me changing my mind.

Cathy and Heathcliff, the tempestuous, star-crossed lovers immortalized as a still-popular classic in book and film, are at the heart of this dark, revenge-laiden tale. I didn't realize how much I had forgotten until I listened in. I found myself in profound dislike of nearly everyone except the stranger who heard the story, Mr. Lockwood, young Hareton Earnshaw and Heathcliff as a youth and as an older man.

Wuthering Heights is told from the perspective of housekeeper, Nellie Dean, who was there when old Mr. Earnshaw brought home the orphaned gypsy waif, Heathcliff. She sits down and tells the new tenant of the Hinton estate, Mr. Lockwood, the stunning tale from that inauspicious beginning.

Earnshaw's son, Hindley detested the boy, but his wild harridan daughter, Cathy, loved him as her bosom friend and she loved him. Heathcliff is kept in ignorance and used as a drudge once Hindley inherits Wuthering Heights from his father so that there becomes a class distinction which Cathy notices as she gets older and meets the Hinton children. Heathcliff keeps sees and feels it and leaves without word later to return and find Cathy married to his rival, Edgar Linton. Heathcliff enacts his slowburn revenge first against Hindley whose son Hareton falls into Heathcliff's dastardly clutches, and then against Edgar. This challenge to Edgar sends Cathy into a pelter that ends in her into starving herself and bringing on her own decline. Meanwhile, Heathcliff finds a new way to torture Edgar, but also line up a taking of all Edgar has by marrying his sister who seems to be blind to Heathcliff's true nature even though everyone, including Heathcliff, has been honest with her.

But, the rivalry and love triangle of Heathcliff-Cathy-Edgar only takes the book to the half-way point. Heathcliff is left to finish off Hindley and then set his sights on seeing his own weak son, Hinton, win over Edgar and Cathy's daughter, Cathy with Hareton watching it all and yearning, like Heathcliff after, young Cathy who is taken with the more polished suitor- though she soon learns his real weak character- Hinton. So, the cycle begins again... or not. Lockwood leaves and returns to get the end of the tale and is in suspense whether Heathcliff left off with revenge to give a rightful pair of lovers their chance without further interference or whether he finished off even the next generation of those who wronged him?

When I started this story, I found it dreary and depressing. But, it wouldn't let me go. Later, I found Cathy and her daughter so spoilt and Hinton with his whining was annoying. However, just like my heart went out to the young Heathcliff, I was very taken with cheering on young Hareton who had so much to overcome. No one would educate him and in fact mocked him so he worked hard at educating himself and rising above his abusive beginnings. Nellie was a fascinating character who saw everyone so clearly and did what she could to mitigate nearly everyone's flawed choices, but often wasn't heeded. She was not roughened by the abusive characters around and tried to mother the plethora of orphans this story produced with fairness and common sense.

There are some dramatic moments and the story never lags. The ending was hopeful and light after all the storm and darkness that came before.

Flo Gibson was fabulous and voiced that large cast with diverse voices and just the right tone and pacing.

I'm so glad to return to this classic and experience some of what enthralled me the first time.

Okay

I'm an avid reader and always wondered what all the fuss was about Wuthering Heights so I decided to read the book but just couldn't get into it, I recently started listening to audiobooks so when I saw this book I was ready to give it another go...although the story was okay, the female narration of a male character "bugged" me and I couldn't get beyond the first few chapters. Wish I could rate the book better as it pains me to give a classic story such a mediocre review.

readers tone and voice made re read the book

I tried but I couldnt get into it. it bored me from the start to end.

bizarre story

I had always heard of Wuthering Heights as a classic, and wanted to know what I was missing. After listening to the whole thing, I wish I hadn’t. It is a long, depressing story of hatred and vicious abuse. Thankfully it isn’t overly descriptive, aside from the nightmare of the guest in Catherine’s room, in the beginning chapters. If it were more descriptive, I’m afraid I would’ve been quite disturbed! Overall, I feel it was a waste of time - which I am pained to say of a classic. The narrator’s voice is quite raspy, like a chain smoker - which was hard to get over - but she really did a wonderful job. Her talent redeemed the story a bit. I would never have gotten through this book in written form, though I am an avid reader.

Couldn't finish- Narration is terrible

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I honestly have no idea. I only listened to about 20 minutes or so before deciding it wasn't worth it.

Has Wuthering Heights [Recorded Books Edition] turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. My biggest issue with this book was the narration. I can't tell if I thought the story was boring because it was boring or if I was just annoyed at the narration.

How could the performance have been better?

A different narrator all together. The narrator's voice was too raspy and hard to understand.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Just annoyed.

Any additional comments?

I have no idea if this book is good or not. Perhaps it would be good with a different narrator.

Horrendous narration

This is a great story, at least from what I remember when I read it 10 years ago! I enjoyed some of the other classics on audio so much and decided to give this one a try. The narration is awful, so difficult to understand and it seems like it's on fast forward. I had to slow the narration on my ipod so that I could understand what was being said. Very disappointed at the quality of this audiobook, this is a first as I have enjoyed every other narrator I've heard thusfar. The one star is not directed at the story, but at the awful narration!

Wuthering Heights

This is the worst reader I have ever listened to.