Okay, serious question. Why would anyone name their child after Bronte's Heathcliff?

[Colleen]

I'm re-reading Wuthering Heights just now ~ actually, reading it completely for the first time. I don't know that I ever finished it before because it's so distasteful to come in continual contact with these people. It's well-written, no question. Were it a contemporary novel, though, I seriously doubt I'd read it. Something there is about knowing a book is an alleged "classic" that puts it in a different light. But let's be honest. This is one weird story, with an array of unlikeable characters. Not the least of which, of course, is Heathcliff, a diabolical protaganist if ever there was one.

I once read an interview with Heath Ledger (RIP) in which he said his mother ~ a "hopeless romantic" named him after Bronte's Heathcliff. What the...?! Did the woman seriously read this book? Naming your child after a guy who attests he'd gladly vivisect his son and niece?:eek:

Anyway. No real point here. I was slammed with an absolutely horrific stomach "thing" yesterday and last night. I so hope my children don't get this, because it would, er, not be pretty. But since I was awake most of the night, I was able to just about finish WH and for that I am glad. I can now say I finished it once and for all!

[Lisa at Home]

I hope it isn't so! What a strange thing to do.:confused:

W.H. is one of the few books that when I read it, I had a sick, disgusting feeling afterwards.

Blech.

~Lisa

[Amy in NY]

I was looking for something interesting and thought it might be good b/c, as you said, it's a classic.

I read the back cover and that description was enough for me to put it back.

Kuddos to you for reading it. You are a more disciplined woman than I. Instead of something of quality, I settled for a cheesy romance and a promise to myself to buy Pride and Prejudice so that I can read it at my own leisure.

Amy

[Janna]

I have no idea why a person would name their child after that character. I'm in complete agreement with you there. And I agree that it is a weird story and very dark.

However, as you said, it is very well written. I will say that I bought this book when I was college, knowing nothing about it except that it was a classic and I should probably read it. It sat on my shelf for years. Actually, I only took it off the shelf to read for the first time about 2 or 3 years ago. It was my first real "classic" novel that I had ever read. It was an amazing book to me. I can't tell you how I fell in love with it and cherished it because it was the first book I had ever read (or remember reading) that was truly well written! I thought that Joseph, the servant, had some pretty funny lines that would make me literally smile or LOL as he spoke in his Scottish accent. I think I was just so taken with that fact that it was a true story, rather than the unimaginative modern, contemporary books I had read. It was a breath of fresh air, even though it was such a dark story. Because of that, I will always treasure that book.

I don't know if that makes sense. I am not a talented writer so getting my thoughts conveyed properly doesn't always work, LOL.

[SFP]

What I remember most about WH: Heathcliff hanging puppies from the backs of kitchen chairs. Cathy biting pillows and naming the feathers that came through the holes.

If I'd been told that this was a story about crazy people, I might have managed to read it in the proper frame of mind, but after being told it was sooooo romantic, I'd expected to find a few redeeming characteristics in the Dark and Broody set.

I wanted to slap sense into everyone in that book.

[Sophia]

I read this book in high school because it is a 'classic' and then promptly banned it from my memory bank!

[Karin]

Same here. The thing is, I didn't have to read it, but did. I used to finish everything I started. But I hated Grapes of Wrath, too, because it started off depressing, stayed depressing, and ended up more depressing. And I would never, never name a child after Heathcliff.

[Lady Katherine]

I agree. I did NOT like that book!

[WTMindy]

I didn't like the book either, but there are so many references to that book in other places that I wanted to read it.

[Plaid Dad]

Maybe it's a s*xy bad boy thing? :confused:

Some dear friends of ours have a daughter named Lilith. That definitely gave me pause, although she is a gentle, lovely girl. We also know a Signy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signy) - but that one's pretty obscure.

But the one that takes the cake is a little boy I once met named Loki. All I can say is that his parents were getting everything they deserved.

[Janna]

but after being told it was sooooo romantic, I'd expected to find a few redeeming characteristics in the Dark and Broody set.

I wanted to slap sense into everyone in that book.


I will say that I don't understand why people consider it a romantic love story. It's very, very twisted, which makes it very sad.

[Jenny in Atl]

If we had had a boy, my husband wanted to name him Thor Gunter... not too far off from Loki :eek:

[momofkhm]

I remember people saying how wonderful the book was, how romantic Heathcliff was. I never understood. This is the first I've ever heard of someone sharing my views. Thank you! I am not alone!

[Karin]

Maybe it's a s*xy bad boy thing? :confused:

.

But the one that takes the cake is a little boy I once met named Loki. All I can say is that his parents were getting everything they deserved.

Yes, that one does! Thanks for the laugh.

[mcconnellboys]

Gee, I've always totally loved this book!

Regena

[mcconnellboys]

I know some Lilith's too, and always wonder where on earth *that* came from, LOL. Maybe there are some other Liliths in history who are better known than the one we're thinking of? Maybe baby name books don't include the full history of the name? I'm just not sure.....

Regena

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

I read WH in middle school and detested it. Much later, I thought I must have missed something (maybe just hadn't been old enough to appreciate it), so I decided to re-read it. I think I detested it more the second time through. Ugh. Just ugh.

[Stirsmommy]

Gee, I've always totally loved this book!

Regena

Me too. I always use to imagine what the characters would have been like if their circumstances were different. I think that it is found romantic in a whole tragic, star crossed lovers sort of way. And to be honest if his dad had not been so opposed youngest would be Heathcliff. Instead the story line is he is named after the first castle I got to visit when I was little which is where the spelling came but he was also named for a tragic cousin who I adored but made terrible choices that ended his life. My mother was horrified because why would you want to remember such a person but I think I just thought it is a name not a destiny. Wouldn't it be great if such a person/character's namesake went on to be a blessing to those around them. I don't know maybe I am just a bit twisted.
Melissa

[Plaid Dad]

Maybe there are some other Liliths in history who are better known than the one we're thinking of?

Oh, these folks knew. It was a deliberately provocative choice. The mom told me that she sees Lilith as a feminist archetype, and she's not alone (http://www.lilith.org/) in that, I guess.

The girl uses the nickname Lili, though, and it remains to be seen what she'll want to be called when she grows up.

[Barb F. PA in AZ]

I know some Lilith's too, and always wonder where on earth *that* came from, LOL. Maybe there are some other Liliths in history who are better known than the one we're thinking of? Maybe baby name books don't include the full history of the name? I'm just not sure.....

Regena

Lilith represents independence, feminism, and female sexuality. Here's an explanation:

http://fth.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/16/1/36

Barb

[Colleen]

Heidi, your avatar pic is gorgeous! Every time I see you, I'm inspired to go short with my hair again. I need to find a stylist whom I really trust though, kwim? Most of them do not know how to do short cuts.

I can never find good pictures of myself, so I posted mine in my profile but went with scenic Mt. Baker for my avatar.

[Colleen]

Gee, I've always totally loved this book

I love that it's well-written, definitely. But even a "dark" person like myself has to wonder about Emily Bronte's mental state, especially given her poetry It's hard to imagine living with (writing about) these characters. Even Charlotte Bronte tried to lighten the mood when writing about Emily's work.

[nancypants]

I disliked all the characters too but it's funny because I read it in 12th grade (haven't read it since then) and I loved it. It was one of my favorite books of the year. But then, I guess I was sort of into the freaky, dark, weird and/or controversial classics then because my other favorites from that year were Native Son, Frankenstein and Brave New World. :rolleyes: Of course I loved Macbeth and Othello too... And I hated Jane Eyre so much that I couldn't even get through the second chapter. (This would probably be different now if I dared pick it back up. I just so hated it then that I haven't tried since... I know... **shameful**) LOL

Having said all of that I cannot understand what would possess someone to name their child after the Heathcliff of the book.:confused:

[Liz CA]

Maybe it's a s*xy bad boy thing? :confused:


But the one that takes the cake is a little boy I once met named Loki. All I can say is that his parents were getting everything they deserved.

Wasn't there someone named "Moonbeam"???
Poor kids!

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

Thanks so much, Colleen. I had it short off and on a few times, but it wasn't until I found someone who could do it perfectly *for me* that I kept it short. This is the first time in my life that I have maintained a specific style (6 years now). I love it short!

I saw your picture in your profile and think it is a wonderful photo of you! I think you would look fabulous with short hair. I say go for it. :)

[Chris in CA]

I was just trying to decided whether I wanted to read this again for a literary analysis class I have. I remember reading it very quickly, but I think I kept wanting the characters to change, evolve, become more human. I also remember thinking how disappointing the ending was, but still wanting to buy it for a future read. I typically love the dark, brooding types, but Heathcliff was even a bit over the top for me.

[Tia in Wa]

I started reading WH in high school but never finished. I watched the movie - I know:(- I found both disturbing and dark. I might like it now my tastes have changed.

I wonder.....Heath L. was born in '79...was the comic strip character Heathcliff the Cat out then? was she realy naming him after that?
-just kidding.

Both of my dc have middle names that I read in a book somewhere. I did it because I liked the name not the character.:)

[Plaid Dad]

Wasn't there someone named "Moonbeam"???
Poor kids!

Are you thinking of Moon Unit Zappa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Unit_Zappa)? Celebrity kids are a whole category unto themselves.

[mcconnellboys]

Well okey-dokey, then. We'll just ignore that inconvenient little part about her mothering all the demons and other nasties in the world then....

Regena

[Liberty]

I bet Heath was named after the Healthcliff as portrayed in the 1939 Wuthering Heights MOVIE (not the book). Sir Laurence Olivier in that film played one of the most heart-wrenching and hauntingly romantic characters on screen ever (imho). I've never read the book.

[Carol in Cal.]

And, I hated the book.

I feel fortunate that I saw the movie before I read the book, something that is very unusual for me. I thought that the movie was a stunning romantic tragedy. But then when I read the book, already inclined to love it, I hated the characters utterly and couldn't understand why anyone would consider this a classic. I think that I was in my early 20s at the time, and I have neither seen the movie nor read the book since then.

However, I remember reading something intriguing that has nagged at me to look at the book again. It was a literary speculation, maybe from Prof. Takagi?, that Heathcliff was half African, and that that makes the book read completely differently. Wasn't he from Liverpool? And that was a slave port at the time? I don't truly remember the details, and I might be getting them all wrong, but it is interesting to think of this in the light of an early anti-racist novel. One of these days when I have time on my hands and am ready to face it I think I should take another look at this book. (However, the speculation is something that I ran across about 8 years ago, so I'm obviously in no hurry.)

[Robin Hood]

Well for crying out loud! I just finished Jany Eyre (loved it) and almost didn't read it because of a post from Parisarah just before the forum changed over. I started WH yesterday and now you post this. :) If it's a depressing book, I'll skip it and find something else, maybe even finish Don Quixote :rolleyes:. I actually only read one and 1/2 pages before I was forced to put it down, but it didn't start off too bad. Does it grab you at some point regardless of it's content? Tell me more. About the book, not Mr Ledger.

[Karin]

Same here. This is one of the main reasons I started growing my hair long again--no one in town I found could do a good short cut! Now I'm growing it for Locks of Love and by the time it's long enough hope to have found a good sylist.

[Robin Hood]

I've gone back and read all of the posts about WH (eeek) and have decided to finish Don Quixote! I am too old to enjoy a depressed, twisted story.

[Liz CA]

Are you thinking of Moon Unit Zappa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Unit_Zappa)? Celebrity kids are a whole category unto themselves.

Moon Unit - not Moonbeam! LOL I hope he has a real name as a middle name, or something he can use as a signature in real life.

:p

[Colleen]

I'm sorry I turned you off to the book. It is bizarre and the characters (imo) aren't attractive, but it's compelling, I assure you. I had this love~hate relationship with it. Well, okay, "love" is an overstatement. But I can't say I hated it because I was drawn back into it over and over again ~ and I did want to see it through to the end. It's so well-written, I do think it's worth your time. And now you can go into it prepared, e.g. don't expect a lovely romance. If you do read it, I'll be interested to hear what you think. I'm glad you enjoyed Jane Eyre; such an excellent book! I'm curious waht PariSarah said that nearly prevented you from reading it...?

[Hotdrink]

I once read an interview with Heath Ledger (RIP) in which he said his mother ~ a "hopeless romantic" named him after Bronte's Heathcliff. What the...?! Did the woman seriously read this book? Naming your child after a guy who attests he'd gladly vivisect his son and niece?:eek:

A. Because he's sexy. Well, meant to be, I don't quite see it myself.
B. Because it's a pretty sounding name, heath = wild but beautiful


And books don't have to make you feel good to be good. If WH made you feel sick, that is also a testament to the writer's powers of expression.

[Remudamom]

Huh. I liked it. The first time I read it (16??) I cried when Heathcliff flew across the room and gathered Cathy up in his arms.

And I love the moors setting. And the time period.

[OrganicAnn]

I saw the an old movie of WH. I think Lawrence Olivier was Heathcliff and Vivian Leigh was Kathy. I can see if someone saw that movie they wouldn't have thought Heathcliff was so bad.

What was funny was that when I read the book I was so surprised that the movie only covered the first half of the book.

[OnTheBrink]

Moon Unit - not Moonbeam! LOL I hope he has a real name as a middle name, or something he can use as a signature in real life.

:p

Moon Unit is a girl. Frank Zappa's sons are Dweezil and Ahmet, and another daughter named Diva Muffin.

[abbeyej]

A colleague of dh's introduced his dd, Lilith. It was all we could do not to burst out, "You named your daughter after a demon?!" ... I also know a young Delilah. That one just leaves me scratching my head...

[Hotdrink]

A colleague of dh's introduced his dd, Lilith. It was all we could do not to burst out, "You named your daughter after a demon?!" ... I also know a young Delilah. That one just leaves me scratching my head...
But Lilith is only a demon in your tradition. Some people view her as the archetypal feisty/liberated woman to contrast with Eve's depiction of the oppressed woman. Delilah? Who knows, maybe she will grow up to be a talented hairdresser?


I think Moon Unit sounds like a robotic lunar landing module. But there isn't anything really offensive about it, so why not? I'd rather than than Diva Muffin! Double Choc Chip Muffin, though, would be a different story :lol:

[Caitilin]

I read and enjoyed WH, although I happily admit it's dark, weird, and almost anything else you'd throw at it. However, I COULD NOT stand Jane Eyre--she was just the prissiest, most milquetoast-y character; she drives me up a wall. :D
de gustibus non disputandum est...

[Hotdrink]

I read and enjoyed WH, although I happily admit it's dark, weird, and almost anything else you'd throw at it. However, I COULD NOT stand Jane Eyre--she was just the prissiest, most milquetoast-y character; she drives me up a wall. :D
de gustibus non disputandum est...
Hear hear. I much preferred Wide Sargasso Sea.

[LizzyBee]

I also enjoyed Wuthering Heights more than Jane Eyre. They're both dark and weird, but I thought WH had more redeeming qualities than JE.

[Nicole M]

I find it easier to stomach dark books like this or Thomas Hardy when we can listen to them read aloud. Then we can can all look at each other and gasp, WHAT! instead of taking it in and letting it stew.

I was named after Nicole Warren in F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night, which my mother read when she was pregnant with me. Not pleasant characters, Nicole Warren or my mother.

(People have mentioned this, but as for Heath Leger, it's probable that his mother probably named him after the movie Heathcliff, who is not all that pleasant, but not quite so awful.)

[eaglei]

Odd that this post is up today! I just finished re-reading Wuthering Heights two days ago! I had read it LONG years ago - twice (!) and had NO remembrance of its darkness. As I re-read it this time, I kept thinking, "How did all this go so totally over me in the earlier readings?" Guess it was my age . . . Now, since I am - ahem - older - while I *enjoyed* the writing, I did not enjoy the story and closed the book wondering why in the world it was ever dubbed a love story. I had skipped the introduction to the book, so I read it after I finished the story - that gave some *insight* into some things I had missed - but my final thought was that, while I was glad I had re-read this classic with more understanding, I will not be re-reading it again - and I will not be watching the movie as I had originally planned to do. Oh, and I would definitely not name a child Heathcliff!

Jane Eyre is on my list to re-read also. That's another book I read a couple times way-back-when. I am now wondering what I missed those times and if I will like the book or not at this stage of life . . .

[Rhonda in TX]

A colleague of dh's introduced his dd, Lilith. It was all we could do not to burst out, "You named your daughter after a demon?!" ... I also know a young Delilah. That one just leaves me scratching my head...

My mom's reply - "Because her mother was a very mean woman." Well... okay. (and how sad)

[Georgiana D]

I LOVED WH!!! BUT, it's not a romance, more of a dark, gothic, tragic/obsession story. The characters are well drawn, the story is multi-layered, and the setting...wow. The entire book immerses you in a certain feeling and mood. I believe if it can move you to the point of loving it or hating it, the author did her job:)