Do you consider Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights a favorite romantic hero?

I read it a few years ago so I must have been around 30 I guess. Its not always nice, romantic people that fall in love, sometimes horrible people do as well and I loved the novel for depicting that. I was stuck by how much of a love story it was though as I had heard ppl complaining that it wasn't any such thing. That's how I read it anyway.

I read it in my 20s - still a naive and very 'young' woman - and really did not get what all the fuss was about. Certainly did not like Heathcliff, but then neither did I like Cathy. IIRC I found him a shellfish buly, and her a feeble wuss. I liked the melodrama and atmosphere, though.

On the back of this thread, I'm going to re-read WH and see how my more mature and experienced self interprets it.

As for favourite romantic hero, that has to be Darcy (And NOT because of the swimming scene on TV.) Closely followed by Hornblower (does he count?).

I first read WH as a teenager and to my me Heathcliffe was a poor misunderstood soul whose love for Cathy knew no bounds etc, etc. I was definitely influenced by Kate Bush.

However, having read it several times since then, I definitely agree that Heathcliffe was a selfish bully and a control freak. Cathy, a bit of a madam!

That said, I still love the book.

at C19th Eastenders

MsQueenie I too have loved this book. Cried buckets over it but as I have just said he was a devil. I loved the book so much I called my daughter Cathy.

Heathcliffe was a black devil but so in love with Cathy that my young teenage heart was captured by his agony. The Bronte sisters were all longing for a romantic figure like the Duke of Wellington and alone with their imaginations they conjured up their own particular sexual fantasies. As an adult you wouldn't touch him with a barge pole.

Can you all just stop, you're spoiling my favourite book.
I thought that the whole point is that the characters are "flawed", make terrible decisions and behave badly. This is how people are in real life. The fact that some women aspire to Heathcliff as a romantic partner highlights this. I think that most people likethe idea of the soul mate bit and gloss over the part where Cathy and Heathcliff wreak havoc while wallowing in their self induced misery.
It's C19th Eastenders.

He is a Romantic hero, as in the literary movement, but he is basically a twat. But then the lot of them are.

Utterly brilliant book though.

John

He's a gripping character for a novel, but you'd run a million miles from the festooned bunting of red flags flapping wildly around him in real life.

Basically, he's not much craic, is he?

JohnFarleys brilliant!

I always thought Heathcliff was the mixed race result of an African slave working as a prostitute on the Liverpool docks and a white sailor.

It's hardly surprising he turned out as he did!

I blame Kate Bush for making them seem all romanticy.

Yes, I didn't mean 'occurred' at all, of course it occurred

Its, not it's.

It occurred, it just wasn't legally defined as such.
I can't think of many other Victorian novels (some) where it seems as obvious that a husband is viciously raping his wife. As I recall (unfortunately don't have my copy to hand) he repeatedly makes sinister references to some different ways he has of making her suffer, without explicitly stating what they are. I always assumed he was referring to sexual violence.
Maybe this is a mis-reading though, as lots of readers seem to think he's ok, and some quite like him!
I have to say I always forget how absolutely disgusting he is between readings, and am shocked anew when I re-read the text. And the thing as a whole is so savage. Great novel, but astonishing given it's context, I think. I'm not surprised she struggled to find a publisher.

I don't think that marital rape occurred in those days, did it? That's taking it completely out of context. If you do that, they're all absolutely awful.

I have always read him to be a rapist and partner abuser. I did have an argument with a friend about this - she asked me to identify where it is made clear that he rapes his wife. But I think it is implicit in the entire description of his relationship with her, really.

None of them are, really, are they. No matter how great they seem on the books, take them out of context, bring them into modern society and they'd all be shunned

JohnFarleys

I'm not convinced about Rochester either. And that St John person.

JohnFarleys

Galaxymum That has always been my take on it.

Totally agree with you about Nelly Dean, too.

I thought I was Cathy. I said to my BF. "You are more myself than I am".

He was a mild mannered fella. He said, "er, yeah, Ok."

Priceless

Yes, think most of us studied it in depth at school . Cathy was ghastly too, yes, also agree that people who think of him as 'romantic' in the traditional sense, probably haven't read the book properly.

Also, I don't think he's fond of pets, especially dogs.

Sorry, I went into long term hidden literature student mode there!!! Just realising this book still means a lot to me. I didn't mean to sound patronising. That is my essay mode!

Not a conventional romantic hero but I think it very much depends on how you approach the book, your age, and your interpretation from experience. I studied it in great depth for A level, taught by a teacher who was very sympathetic to Heathcliff. We read the character as an abused child becoming the abuser. Through his neglect and abuse as a child, he struggled to hold his relationships and was tormented by the jealousy and neglect from Cathy when she chose Linton.

Also, we studied Nelly as a narrator - she was such a cow really. She is portrayed in films as this lovely person, but when you study scenes she was very bitchy and told her version.

I think Heathcliff very much reflects the landscape, the harsh treatment, and his abuse. He is a far more complex character than merely a romantic hero.

Also, the second part which tends to be forgotten shows the opposite as Hareton (also neglected and abused and brought up to be rough) is influenced by the good character of Catherine and he becomes the man Heathcliff could not. In fact, they show the alternative ending of what COULD have been Heathcliff and Cathy.