What Is The Best Edition Of Wuthering Heights To Read?

Read an edition of Wuthering Heights that includes some of Emily Brontë’s poetry. Her poems – ‘Remembrance’, for instance, or ‘The Prisoner’ – are like little windows into the mind of the author of Wuthering Heights. Of a similar tenor to the novel, they treat of themes of loss, of nature, of yearning and of longings both earthly and metaphysical. Together in an edition the poems provide a complete and moving portrait of a great author. And you shall see that Wuthering Heights was not a chance event, that it was the ultimate expression in powerful prose of a deeply poetic and philosophical soul. Some editions – Broadview, for example, and Norton – include a fair selection of her poems. A lovely bonus to read.

Oh, another great point! Usually when I decide between different editions of a novel, I consider personal preference – are you more of a simple reader who likes few footnotes or a richer, more detailed scholar? The annotated editions of ‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Brontë really do add another layer to your reading experience, however. Not only does it give you a little background information on the historical events, Emily Brontë and the setting (the moors are a character in themselves), but also an explanation for the dialiects used by different characters and background information on the families featured in the novel. I once read an annotated version of the novel and it was really wonderful because it added to my understanding of the novel in so many ways. I wouldn’t have gotten as much out of the novel without it.

The Folio Society has a beautiful illustrated edition of Wuthering Heights. The artwork in this version is haunting and lovely and brings the wild and often barren story to life. It makes for a wonderful read and with the gorgeous illustrations and the book’s beautiful binding, it’s a book that I love to have on my shelf. It’s not just a read, it’s an experience. And if, like me, you like books for their aesthetics, then you will be motivated to re-read this classic when you have such a beautiful version to read.

Sometimes I wish to read a contemporary edition of Wuthering Heights. The texts can be translated in a modern language in order to better understand them for new readers. I find these editions are perfect for reading and afterwards discussing a book in a book club. Not everyone knows how to read 19th-century English texts. There are so many different editions of a same book, each of them being good in their own way. It’s all up to you and what you are looking for in a book. Whatever edition you choose to read, you will definitely enjoy the passionate love story of Catherine and Heathcliff, just like many generations of readers before you.

I have the Wordsworth Classics edition of this novel, and it has a special place on my bookshelf. I really like the introduction to the novel and the notes at the end. They help to explain the background to the story and how the characters in the novel relate to each other. My first introduction to the world of Emily Brontë's moors was a real treat and I got really lost in them. The dark romanticism of the novel was not always clear and needed some background information in order for me to get to grips with it.

Another great thing about this paperback version is that it is really portable, so I can take it with me to read in cafes, for example. The design of the Wordsworth version is simple but effective. I much prefer simple covers than flashy ones that make books look too glittery and I therefore cannot recommend enough this and other simple edition versions that have lots of good textual supporting notes for readers. Re-reading this novel and I keep discovering more and more that I had somehow missed before – it is a real complex novel with lots of layers.