Love is a complex force and passion within humans, and it does not rest until it reaches its goal. If this complex force faces disappointment, it may activate feelings of hatred, revenge, or both within a person.
According to the news analysis service of Saed News, this time, Emily Brontë tells us a strange and painful story in her book "Wuthering Heights," set in a 19th-century mansion with a blend of love and fear. "Wuthering Heights" is one of the top 100 novels in the world.
Mr. Earnshaw finds an abandoned child named Heathcliff on the street and decides to take him in and bring him home. Hindley, the eldest son of the family, becomes hostile towards Heathcliff from the moment he arrives and continues to treat him with contempt and insult after their father's death. Meanwhile, Catherine, the daughter of the family, forms a close and emotional bond with Heathcliff, and a thread of affection and love develops between them. However, Hindley, who despises Heathcliff, becomes an obstacle in the way of his sister's love for Heathcliff and forbids their meetings.
The situation worsens when Catherine marries a wealthy man named Edgar. Heathcliff, now bent on revenge, returns to the village after three years to seek vengeance on everyone, leading to strange events for both families.
"Wuthering Heights" was published in 1847. The original title of this novel is "Wuthering Heights," named after the place where the story takes place. The translator explains in the introduction that the geographical features of this location indicate that it is situated on a height and is exposed to the wind. Since it is known by this title in Iran, the translator did not change the title. Some translators have also translated the book under the title "Love Never Dies."
Emily Brontë is a realist writer who wrote "Wuthering Heights" in a simple language. She narrates the book in a straightforward manner and incorporates elements of Romanticism in the story. Romanticism, which emerged in the 19th century, is a style of writing characterized by self-construction, self-belief, and an inclination towards imagination and dreams. The presence of fantastical and even magical elements in this novel shows that Brontë aimed to create a gothic novel about death, love, and revenge.
This long novel has 20 chapters. The events, characters, and settings in the story reflect Emily's personal life. By looking at Emily Brontë's life and understanding her morals and personality, we can see the reflection of her life in "Wuthering Heights." The presence of natural elements, the death of the main characters' mother during their childhood, and the life of Catherine's brother, Heathcliff, closely resemble Emily's brother's life. Joseph, a religious and bigoted character in the story, is also a representation of Emily's strict and religious father.
The entire story is narrated by a servant named Nelly, whose observations and experiences invite the reader to judge and understand the characters. Where Nelly is absent, the narrative is taken over by other characters. In this way, Emily Brontë examines the actions and deeds of the characters through Nelly's eyes.
In 19th-century England, discussing issues such as gender and class inequalities, religious matters, and unconventional love was somewhat taboo. However, in this novel, we see Emily Brontë courageously stepping ahead of her time and openly discussing these concepts.
The main themes of the story are the struggle between poverty and wealth, the presence of ghosts, love, and separation. Heathcliff's failure to attain his love for Catherine leads him to commit acts of violence and malice, but the enduring and prominent feeling throughout is the crazy and mysterious love that Emily Brontë describes for the reader.
In England, a survey was conducted among literature enthusiasts to find the most romantic sentence in various literary works. The phrase "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same" received the most votes as the most romantic literary sentence. As a result, "Wuthering Heights" was chosen as the most romantic book in English literature.
Emily Brontë's brilliant descriptions and poetic tone in "Wuthering Heights" have inspired many directors to create romantic films based on the book over the years. Since 1920, there have been over 30 film adaptations of this novel. One of the earliest adaptations was a 1939 film directed by William Wyler, starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon. This film won two Oscars in 1940.
Another well-known adaptation is the 1992 film directed by Peter Kosminsky, starring Juliette Binoche as Cathy and Ralph Fiennes as Heathcliff.
Emily Brontë was a British novelist and poet. She was born in 1818 in Yorkshire, northern England. Emily was the fifth child in her family, and her father was an Irish clergyman. Emily Brontë was the younger sister of Charlotte Brontë and the older sister of Anne Brontë, both of whom are considered prominent classical writers and are known collectively as the Brontë sisters in the literary world.
Emily's mother died when she was only three years old. Her father, left alone with five daughters and a son, became a strict and religious man, imposing hardships on his children. He wanted to raise his children with no inclination towards worldly pleasures, which led to prohibiting them from eating meat, laughing, or interacting with others. The two eldest daughters died from malnutrition and tuberculosis.
Emily and her sisters, Charlotte and Anne, and their brother bonded with the nature of Yorkshire and spent their free time in it. During the Victorian era in England, when the industrial revolution was leading to the development of factories, the working people's lives were increasingly affected by the economic crisis. The Brontë sisters turned to poetry and writing during this time, using pseudonyms to write poetry, which was not well-received. Despite their father's financial struggles and pressure, the three sisters decided to work and become French teachers.
In 1838, Emily became a teacher, but the heavy workload forced her to quit. Six years later, she and her two sisters established a school, but no students enrolled.
In 1847, after the successful publication of Charlotte Brontë's "Jane Eyre," Emily Brontë published her only novel, "Wuthering Heights," which took her two years to write. Charlotte was Emily's editor and supporter in publishing "Wuthering Heights."
Initially, "Wuthering Heights" was not well-received, but after the author's death, it was recognized as one of the best English novels. For over 150 years, it has been reprinted worldwide, gaining many admirers.
Emily had a short life and suffered from Asperger's syndrome, a neurobiological condition affecting nerve function, influenced by her father's harsh behavior. She died at the age of 30 from tuberculosis, just a year after publishing her book.
Years have passed since the publication of the classic masterpiece, "Wuthering Heights." This timeless romance has a vast audience worldwide and has not been overlooked by publishers in Iran. To date, there are more than 20 translations available in the Iranian market.
"Wuthering Heights" was first published in Iran in 1956 under the title "Love Never Dies" by Franklin Publications. Later, in the 1960s, it was republished under the same title, translated by Parviz Pezhvak, by Ain-e-Elahi Publications and is available for download on Fidibo.
In 1975, Ali-Asghar Bahram Beigi published this work under the title "Love Never Dies" through Amir Kabir Publications. He revised the translation, and Scientific and Cultural Publications republished it in 2011 under the title "Wuthering Heights."
Ney Publishing released this novel with a translation by Reza Rezai in 2011. Rezai's translation recently reached its fifteenth print run. You can purchase and download "Wuthering Heights" translated by Reza Rezai on Fidibo.
Ofoq Publishing is another publisher that released "Wuthering Heights" translated by Nushin Ebrahimi, available on Fidibo.
Translations by Akram Mozaffari, Mehdi Sajoodi Moqadam, Negar Gholampour, and Shadi Abtahi of Emily Brontë's only novel, "Wuthering Heights," are also available for purchase and download on Fidibo.
