Wuthering Heights Thrift Study Edition

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up

This audio version of Emily Bronte's classic is narrated by Ann Flosnik. Initially, her narration makes it difficult to distinguish between characters, but as the tale progresses, her vocal characterizations become more dramatic and unique for each character, drawing listeners deeper and deeper into this dark and brooding love story. The first disk of the set also contains a PDF ebook of the full text of the novel which can be downloaded. Some students will want to read along with the narrated version, while others can use the ebook as a reference tool for class assignments. A nice addition to classic literature collections and a good way to enhance the English curriculum.-Anita Lawson, Otsego High School, Otsego, MI

Internet Book Watch

This abridged presentation of a classic brings to life Bronte's gothic romance and provides a powerful reading by Martin Shaw, whose voice perfectly captures this dark story of the moors. Those reluctant to read the full classic will find this audio version compelling and hard to quit listening to.
—Internet Book Watch

Children's Literature

More twisted and thorny that the branches of a wild rose, Heathcliff's dark, passionate obsessions consume him—and everyone who crosses his path. Considered one of the greatest works of English literature ever written, this gothic novel's bleak, destructive love story set against the desolate backdrop of England's Yorkshire moors has, for over 150 years, ensnared readers with its complexities, unreliable narrators and characters nearly beyond belief in their harshness. This affordable edition in the Puffin Classics line includes many helpful features that make the story more easily understood by modern readers, including a family tree, an annotated "Who's Who" to distinguish each character's role, an author profile, and two introductions. The first introduction is by S. E. Hinton, author of The Outsiders, and the second is by Charlotte Bronte, who edited the 1850 edition. Astute teachers will capitalize on the glimpse of the time period provided by a "Biographical Notice of Ellis and Acton Bell," which, though slightly confusing, ultimately reveals that all of the Brontes works were originally published under the gender-neutral pseudonyms Acton, Ellis, and Currer Bell. In this notice, penned after the death of her author-sisters Anne & Emily, Charlotte clears what was apparently a great mystery at the time: that Anne was Acton, Emily was Ellis, and she was Currer. This could be used as a springboard into discussions of social customs of the time and how they impacted both the author's life and the novel she wrote. This edition also includes some thought questions and suggested activities based on the novel. Best of all, however, is the book's design. It fits perfectly in one's hands and has easy-to-read type. Reviewer: Keri Collins Lewis

School Library Journal

Gr 5–7—The opening spreads in these retellings introduce main characters through short descriptions accompanied by small portraits. Colored-pencil illustrations scattered throughout the narratives take the place of lengthy descriptions in the original works. Tavner carefully re-creates the original plots and characters as well as the authors' styles. Editor's notes provide background information on the stories and explain the process of retelling a classic, which includes omitting some subplots and details, combining some events, and changing dialogue to allow ease in reading. Short lists of related movies and discussions of themes and style will spark interest in the originals. Clarifying the plot and character interactions, these retellings are good introductions to the novels.—Denise Moore, O'Gorman Junior High School, Sioux Falls, SD

From Barnes & Noble

An intriguing tale of revenge in which the main characters are controlled by consuming passions. This novel was once considered such a risk by its publishers that Emily Bronte had to defray the cost of publication until a sufficient number of copies had been sold.