I've just discovered the post on BronteBlog about Wuthering Heights being re-issued with a label declaring it is "Bella & Edward's Favorite Book." I am sickened.
I have mentioned that I find Twilight extremely odious. What I dislike even more than Twilight is this phenomenon of associating Wuthering Heights inseparably with Twilight.
You'd think Bella discovered Jane Austen and Emily Bronte! In fact, the only thing close to enjoyment I received from reading Twilight was the brief passage where Bella leafs through her Austen omnibus for a book to read, only to realize the heroes of S&S and MP are named Edward and Edmund, respectively. But I have heard, time and time again, people simply identify Wuthering Heights as "the book they read in Twilight."
Wuthering Heights was published in 1847, Twilight in 2005. You'd think the book that was published 158 years before would be recognized before the one published much, much later. But no, today's teenagers have been reduced to knowing a classic of English literature only through an insuperior novel.
I will admit that Wuthering Heights took me three months to read. I was the only person in my English class brave enough to do it. My teacher read it, too, and it also took her three months. It was not the easiest going in the world, but I really did enjoy it. I wish other teenagers could, too, rather than reading it solely because Bella does and not getting the full grasp of it.
Edward does not allow Bella to have interests outside of himself. Heathcliff doesn't exactly allow Cathy that pleasure, either. Heathcliff is a Byronic hero-- something that Meyer was trying to go for with Edward. But the Byronic hero just does not translate to modern literature, if Twilight can even be called literature (ha, haha)! Edward comes off as abusive, manipulative, and just plain annoying. Bella sets feminism back like it never even happened.
I hate to see the name of Twilight attached to Wuthering Heights as though Meyer discovered it. Am I glad Wuthering Heights is getting more readers? Of course I am. Do I wish they'd done it simply because they wanted to, and not just because Bella mentioned it? I sure do.
Until next time,
Trai
If it's any comfort at all, the smarter kids are going to make the comparison between Bronte and Meyer, Bronte's going to win, and they'll never go back to reading Twilight ever again. Or so it is to be hoped, anyway.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, that label on the front of WH is pretty depressing...