Title: I am Heathcliff
Editor: Kate Mosse
Genre: Short Stories
Series: n/a
Goodreads Rating: 3.7/5
Synopsis: 16 modern fiction superstars shine a startling light on the romance and pain of the infamous literary pair Heathcliff and Cathy.
Short stories to stir the heart and awaken vital conversation about love.
Sixteen stories inspired by Wuthering Heights.
In ‘Terminus’ a young woman hides in an empty Brighton hotel; in ‘Thicker Than Blood’ a man sits in a hot tub stalking his newly-married love on social media; and in ‘A bird half-eaten’ an amateur boxer prepares for a match.
A woman recalls the ‘Heathcliffs I Have Known’ and the physical danger she has borne at their hands; in ‘Anima’ a child and a fox are unified in one startling moment of violence; and in ‘One Letter Different’ two teenagers walk the moors and face up to their respective buried secrets.
Curated by Kate Mosse and commissioned for Emily Brontë’s bicentenary year in 2018, these fresh, modern stories pulse with the raw beauty and pain of love and are as timely as they are illuminating.
The full list of contributors is:
Leila Aboulela, Hanan Al-Shaykh, Joanna Cannon, Alison Case, Juno Dawson, Louise Doughty, Sophie Hannah, Anna James, Erin Kelly, Dorothy Koomson, Grace McCleen, Lisa McInerney, Laurie Penny, Nikesh Shukla, Michael Stewart and Louisa Young.
What I thought about the book:
Fantastic collection of short stories inspired by Wuthering Heights. I enjoyed each one of the sixteen stories included which is rare for a short story collection. Some were inspired by themes in the novel and some were more like retellings but each one made a strong impression.
Some left me feeling uneasy, others made me angry and others left me feeling a bit disturbed. I highly recommend reading this whether you’re a fan of Wuthering Heights or not.
I listened to the audio version but I will be buying the print edition to reread and make notes.
My Rating:
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“Nelly, I am Heathcliff…”
Synopsis from Goodreads. Photos from my Instagram @elainehowlin_
Intriguing review! Wuthering Heights is high on my list of classics to revisit someday, and when I do, I’ll have to pair it with this.
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This sounds wonderful, I have just ordered it on the strength of this review.
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Hope you enjoy it as much as I did 😄
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Been debating on whether to try this or not, but I might give it a go after reading this!
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Not managed to read Wuthering heights, but this book sounds more fun:)
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I’m a little hesitant reading follow ups to classic books because they never do the original any justice. Though this one may be good based on your review.
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I know what you mean. I’ve read some bad retellings of classics!! I really liked this one because they were all short stories and if one wasn’t great the next made up for it.
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That’s a relief. I may have to look into this one. Of course after the New year
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