Posted by Matilda
This is one of my all time favourite
books to read when I want a reminder that I’m not the only one who chooses the
wrong man – dark, unreadable, world weary. It goes hand in hand with the whiff
of I-can-fix-you syndrome.
The protagonist Catherine is no
exception. The story follows the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff
– an orphan taken in by her father. Though she falls for him, Catherine is
encouraged to marry a boy of her own class, Edgar, leaving Heathcliff pining
over his lost love by showing Catherine what a poor choice she has made. It is
clear Catherine has no passion for her husband but it begs the question - why
doesn’t she want Edgar Linton? His love is no less intense than Heathcliff’s
and has none of the controlling, self obsessed qualities either but it’s not
enough. It never is. It’s simple. He is predictable and safe. The strength of
this book lies in the flawed characters – unmistakably human and identifiable.
This book makes me feel good about
myself. I will no longer make the same decisions once I re-read it. I am much
more aware of the pitfalls of falling for the emotionally unavailable man. I
could tell Catherine a thing or two.
You can read this book easily in one sitting.
However, it should come with warning – the reader will cry. Lots. If I’m
feeling weepy with nostalgia for lost love, I take out this book reminding
me of the futility of a relationship
without communication. I don’t mean the hours on the phone and the usual time
you spend with a loved one, I’m talking out-in-the-open, raw and honest. What’s
really going on.
This book charts the journey of young
newly-weds. One of the skills of McKeon is to successfully create a time frame
of one day (Saturday, for example) or a single weekend, like we have in this
book. It’s beautifully written, the
language evocative and the images carefully structured to mirror the young
couples’ relationship. Often it’s the language used that speaks more than the
story itself.
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