Wuthering Heights is my favourite book.

As a book lover, it’s incredibly difficult to narrow down all the amazing stories you’ve read and the worlds you’ve visited when someone asks you the dreaded question – “what’s your favourite book?” But for several years now, I’ve been able to.

I first read Wuthering Heights in sixth form, as part of my A Level English Lit course. While I can’t remember my inital reaction to it (somewhere between intrigue and frustration I’d imagine, as with all studied texts), I do know it’s become an ongoing love in my life.

Since that first, albeit forced, reading at 16, I have reread Wuthering Heights at least once a year; it’s become somewhat of an autumn tradition for me throughout my twenties.

Now, like anyone else who has cherished a book or story deeply, I met the news of a film adaptation with concern and excitement. Excitement because my favourite book is being shown on the big screen, but concern for… well, everything else.

It makes sense that the cast received a mixed reception, despite how brilliant both actors have shown themselves to be (at least in my experience). However, I also do not see or understand Catherine Earnshaw (“it’s me, I’m Cattthhyyy”) as a blonde. I feel like this would have been an easy thing to rectify, so I feel completely justified in my disappointment here.

That’s my main gripe, to be honest, because the trailer – as they are supposed to do – shows a mere snippet of what is to come.and, in the case of this film, what is shown seems to be primarily centred on ‘vibes’, as the kids used to say.

Now, these so-called vibes may not sit right with you, and that’s okay. You’re certainly not the only one.

But could I direct you to what is perhaps the biggest missed clue in every review, rant video or reaction clip I’ve seen?

The title.

Note the very deliberate use of quotation marks around the title. I feel like this tells us all we need to know – it is not designed to be an accurate retelling.

At least that’s how I’m taking it.

And thank goodness, because one comment I do agree with is the fact that it’s bloody hard to replicate such a beautifully complex and toxic story on screen.

For example, one of the main characters of the story is the setting. Simply showing this through B roll and photography, however gorgeous, is always going to land flat.

The characters, too, are going to be hard to accurately replicate on screen. Not only because they’re awful people, generally unlikeable, and therefore unlikely to connect with a modern audience, but their story is told from a distance.

We never get a first-person point of view in the book; the story is told through two side characters, who take on the role of narrator, (both of whom are also deeply unlikeable). While this is incredible for the atmosphere of the book, leaving us never really knowing what is truly happening, it will never reflect well on screen.

As a director, there is not much to work with bar the vibes of the story, if you will.

Taking this difficulty to adapt into consideration, along with the inverted commas of the title, and the fact this is made for an ultra modern audience, the trailer makes complete sense, I think.

This is NOT supposed to be a direct adaptation; this is not a movie that can be shown in schools in lieu of reading (and no movie should, even if it is better than the book). It has been made to make money and to give modern viewers what they want.

You only have to scroll on booktok for two seconds to see what it is people want these days – sex, and lots of it.

For those trying to argue this does not work with the text have clearly never read it. Like all gothic literature, sex is an underscore of most of the characters’ decisions in Wuthering Heights. It may not be as blunt as your ‘good girls’ and choking hands within modern-day dark romance, but sex is involved in Wuthering Heights.

It’s a story of obessesion, passion and madness. The wild actions of the characters are reflected by the wild Moors around them, and Emerlad Fennel has centred these themes through the one thing that gets people talking – sex.

And not just the suggestion of sex, as the book offers, but blunt, in your face, up close and personal sexual themes, from the looks of the trailer. Perhaps this is a sign of the times, perhaps it’s just a way to get the story to be exciting on screen. Either way, subtlety is not an option.

Wuthering Heights is one of the original dark romances, the original if you’d like. One with creepy child ghosts, incestuous connections, and grave digging rendezvous.

While that’s not all there is to the story, it makes sense why these would take centre stage in a movie made for a mass audience.

I know this is old news by now, but I was recently reinvigorated by a badly timed YouTube suggestion and decided to finally get my thoughts out there. I know you’ve all been dying to know!

What do you think of the trailer? And while we’re at it, what’s your favourite book?

Speak soon,

Rachael.

Image: Warner Bros (from Variety)