10 Lesser-Known Facts About 'Wuthering Heights'

Emily Brontë’s singular work, Wuthering Heights, features the tumultuous and often dark romance between Heathcliff and Cathy, which left readers astounded upon its debut. Now, this tale of love and despair set against the English moors has achieved iconic status.

1. The moors were Emily Brontë’s childhood home.

Emily spent the majority of her life in Haworth, Yorkshire, alongside her siblings Charlotte, Anne, and Branwell. A solitary figure, she had little social interaction outside her family. The moors, accessible from the back door of her father’s parsonage, became her sanctuary. As a nature enthusiast, Emily had a deep connection to this untamed terrain, which she vividly brought to life in Wuthering Heights. Many of the novel’s locations can still be explored today.

2. The novel’s setting may have been influenced by an actual farmhouse.

Emily might have drawn inspiration for the farmhouse Wuthering Heights from a real location known as Top Withens. Though now in ruins, Top Withens was a functioning farmhouse during Emily’s lifetime. Originally named “Top of th’Withens,” it sits on a remote, windswept hill with a view of the valley. While some architectural elements of Wuthering Heights resemble High Sunderland Hall, Top Withens is widely regarded as the novel’s primary inspiration. Today, it’s a popular spot for visitors.

3. Wuthering Heights was initially self-published.

After facing rejection from publishers, Emily and Anne invested 50 pounds to publish Wuthering Heights and Agnes Gray together in a single volume. Aware of the bias against female authors, they adopted male pseudonyms: Ellis Bell for Emily and Acton Bell for Anne. (Charlotte released Jane Eyre the same year under the name Currer Bell through a traditional publisher.)

4. Hindley Earnshaw bore similarities to Branwell.

While Emily penned her novel, Branwell resided in the same home, battling addiction to alcohol and opium, a decline hastened by the end of his affair with a married woman, Mrs. Robinson. In Wuthering Heights, Catherine’s brother Hindley Earnshaw spirals into alcoholism following the death of his wife Frances. The novel describes his grief as one that “will not lament,” stating, “He neither wept nor prayed; he cursed and defied; execrated God and man, and gave himself up to reckless dissipation.”

5. Wuthering Heights is not a traditional romance.

Many regard Wuthering Heights as a romance—it was even named the greatest love story ever. However, the book leans more toward gothic fiction than romance. The relationship between Heathcliff and Cathy occupies only half the narrative. The latter half focuses on events after Cathy’s death, involving her daughter, Hareton, and Linton. Heathcliff is far from a romantic hero; he’s an obsessive and abusive figure. His bond with Cathy is unsettling, exemplified by his act of breaking her coffin so they could decay together after his death. His character is deeply troubled.

6. Critics initially panned the book.

Wuthering Heights stunned Victorian critics with its raw violence, intense characters, and morally ambiguous storyline. While some praised its originality, others were appalled. Graham's Lady Magazine remarked: “It is baffling how anyone could write such a book without being driven to despair within a dozen chapters. It is a blend of crude depravity and unnatural horrors.”

7. Emily passed away believing Wuthering Heights was a failure.

Wuthering Heights was published in December 1847. A year later, in December 1848, Emily succumbed to tuberculosis at the age of 30. Her brother Branwell had died in September, and Anne would follow in May 1849, leaving Charlotte as the sole survivor. Emily never lived to see her work hailed as a masterpiece of English literature.

8. Charlotte Brontë influenced the public’s perception of Emily.

In 1850, Charlotte released a revised edition of Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey. Beyond correcting typos and adjusting the Yorkshire dialect, Charlotte included a preface disclosing that the authors were women. She also addressed criticisms of Emily, attributing the novel’s untamed essence to Emily’s rural Yorkshire upbringing, describing her as a “child of the moors.” Charlotte implied that Emily’s creative genius operated independently, almost unconsciously. This edition shifted critical opinion in the Brontës’ favor but also perpetuated enduring myths about Emily.

9. Wuthering Heights has seen numerous adaptations.

The novel has been adapted into films ranging from a lost 1920 silent version to the acclaimed 1939 film featuring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon. Other adaptations include a 1992 version with Sinead O’Connor as Emily and a 2011 film starring Kaya Scodelario and James Howson. As a global classic, it has inspired international adaptations like the 1966 Hindi film Dil Diya Dard Liya and the 1988 Japanese movie Arashi Ga Oka. The story has also been reimagined in musicals, ballets, operas, and even the TV movie Wuthering High School.

10. Wuthering Heights has influenced artists across various mediums.

Numerous artists have drawn inspiration from Wuthering Heights. Sylvia Plath penned a poem titled “Wuthering Heights” after visiting Top Withens, and her husband Ted Hughes later wrote a poem about her creative process. The novel’s narrative has been reimagined in works like Maryse Condé’s Windward Heights, set in Cuba and Guadeloupe. It has also influenced paintings, graphic novels, a Monty Python sketch, and even a roleplaying game. Additionally, Kate Bush’s iconic song (above) pays homage to the classic tale.