Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights” is a tale of star-crossed lovers: Catherine, the wild daughter of an aristocratic family, and Heathcliff, an orphan whom Catherine’s father brings home unexpectedly. While Catherine’s brother and mother denigrate Heathcliff, depriving him of an education and forcing him into a servant-like role, Catherine forms an intense, almost spiritual bond with her family’s new charge.

Despite their deep connection, however, she marries the scion of a nearby wealthy family — a decision that leaves Catherine yearning, Heathcliff bent on revenge and everybody in their orbit on a path to calamity.

Brontë’s classic has long been a favorite among readers, and the novel is back in the zeitgeist thanks to Emerald Fennell’s recent film adaptation. On this week’s episode, host MJ Franklin discusses “Wuthering Heights” with colleagues from the New York Times Book Review.

Other works discussed:

“Wuthering Heights,” the song by Kate Bush

“Twilight,” by Stephenie Meyer

“But Daddy I Love Him,” by Taylor Swift

“Wuthering Heights,” the 2026 film directed by Emerald Fennell

“The Safekeep,” by Yael van der Wouden

“Mexican Gothic,” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The “Wuthering Heights” comics in Kate Beaton’s “Hark! A Vagrant” series

“Villette,” by Charlotte Brontë

“Rebecca,” by Daphne du Maurier

“The Idiot,” by Elif Batuman

“The Great Gatsby,” by F. Scott Fitzgerald

“The Count of Monte Cristo,” by Alexandre Dumas

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Book Club: Let's Talk About 'Wuthering Heights,' by Emily Brontë

The Book Review