Windward Heights

Wuthering heights is like a black version of Wuthering Heights. The love story is between Cathy and Rayze. Rayze is a guy Cathy's father brought off the street to work for him. The two fall in love, but it can never work because Cathy is white, and Rayze is black. When Rayze leaves, and then return Cathy is married to another guy which runs Rayze crazy. This novel is told through the eyes of the people Cathy and Rayze comes in contact with, each chapter is written like a short story. I wasen't expecting Cathy's tradegy to take place so early in the book, I ithrought her and Rayze would have more time together once he returned. Rayze considered Cathy his soul, he was always trying to find a voodoo doctor to bring her back alive. I felt so bad for him, he love Cathy her so much. Rayze never get's over her death, and end up treating everybody in his life bad, his wife, kids. The book was good, and sad.

I love Conde's books, and if you like the lazy, almost nostalgic style of so many of the South American and Caribbean writers you will no doubt find this book a great read.The characters are at once powerful and vulnerable - the women are especially fascinating in that they breathe sexuality yet appear within the rigid confines of the society of the day.The book is a 'remake' of Wuthering Heights, but don't let that put you off - it manages to deftly weave the original with Conde's own unique blend of interests and concerns - race, social injustice and hypocrisy. As modern as it is classic.

With or without having read Wuthering Heights, I would have enjoyed this book. Vivid details, compelling situations and themes. She recreated the souls of Heathcliff and Cathy (and others), yet they belonged entirely to Guadaloupe. The ways Windward Heights was like and unlike WH were welcome. Conde never compromised her storytelling for the sake of the idea--a retold WH. As good as Crossing the Mangrove. The cultural portrait is a gift. Must reading for anyone who loves WH--or good novels.

The passionate tragedy created by different social classes in WUTHERING HEIGHTS is hard to comprehend in contemporary USA. In WINDWARD HEIGHTS Conde renews the emotional reaction by changing classes to skin color in a 19th century Caribbean setting. Conde following the Bronte storyline closely which means a plethora of characters with confusing relationships, the only weakness in the novel. The sickness of spirit that results when a child is not loved or accepted by the society in which he or she lives is dangerous to all of society. In Conde's version the Heathcliff character wreaks havoc on the region, not just family members. WUTHERING HEIGHTS was never the romance portrayed by Merle Oberson & Laurence Olivier, it is a story of obsession and revenge. Conde's version is beautifully written and seems more up-to-date.Bronte fans will enjoy comparing the original to WINDWARD HEIGHTS & Alice Hoffman's version in HERE ON EARTH.