History of Wuthering Heights in Timeline

Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë's sole novel, explores the intertwined lives of the Earnshaw and Linton families on the Yorkshire moors and their destructive relationship with Heathcliff, a foundling raised by the Earnshaws. Heathcliff's obsessive love for Catherine Earnshaw and his subsequent quest for revenge after her marriage to Edgar Linton drive the narrative. The story, told through multiple narrators, delves into themes of love, class, revenge, and the destructive power of passion. Set against the backdrop of the bleak moorland landscape, the novel embodies elements of Romanticism and Gothic fiction, solidifying its place as a classic of English literature.

1916: John Cowper Powys Praises Vision

In 1916, John Cowper Powys referred to Emily Brontë's "tremendous vision".

1920: Earliest Film Adaptation

In 1920, the earliest known film adaptation of Wuthering Heights was filmed in England, directed by A. V. Bramble.

1925: Virginia Woolf Affirms Greatness

In 1925, Modernist novelist Virginia Woolf affirmed the greatness of Wuthering Heights.

1926: Charles Percy Sanger's Work on Chronology

In 1926, Charles Percy Sanger's work on the chronology of Wuthering Heights affirmed Emily's literary craft and disproved Charlotte's presentation of her sister as an unconscious artist.

1934: Lord David Cecil's Commentary

In 1934, Lord David Cecil commented that Emily Brontë was not properly appreciated and was seen as an "unequal genius".

1939: Release of Wuthering Heights Film

In 1939, the film Wuthering Heights, starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon and directed by William Wyler, was released.

1948: F. R. Leavis Excludes Novel

In 1948, F. R. Leavis excluded Wuthering Heights from the great tradition of the English novel, viewing it as an anomaly.

1949: Simone de Beauvoir's Interpretation

In 1949, Simone de Beauvoir suggests that when Catherine says "I am Heathcliff": "her own world collapse(s) in contingence, for she really lives in his."

1953: BBC Television Production

In 1953, Nigel Kneale's script was produced for BBC Television, starring Richard Todd and Yvonne Mitchell. This was broadcast live.

1954: Walter Allen on Symbolism

In 1954, Walter Allen spoke of the two houses in the novel as symbolising opposed principles which ultimately compose a harmony.

1954: Abismos de pasión Adaptation

In 1954, the adaptation Abismos de pasión, directed by Luis Buñuel and set in Catholic Mexico, was released.

1958: CBS Adaptation

In 1958, an adaptation aired on CBS television as part of the series DuPont Show of the Month starring Rosemary Harris as Cathy and Richard Burton as Heathcliff.

1959: Australian Television Adaptation

In 1959, Nigel Kneale's script was adapted for Australian television. The performance was telerecorded.

1962: Second BBC Television Adaptation

In 1962, the second adaptation of Nigel Kneale's script aired on BBC Television, starring Claire Bloom and Keith Michell.

1964: French Mini-Series Broadcast

In 1964, Les Hauts de Hurlevent, a French mini-series, was first broadcast.

1965: David Daiches on Cecil's Interpretation

In 1965, David Daiches referred to Cecil's interpretation as being persuasively argued though not fully acceptable in the Penguin English Library edition.

1966: Dil Diya Dard Liya Film Release

In 1966, the Hindi film Dil Diya Dard Liya, based upon this novel and directed by Abdul Rashid Kardar and Dilip Kumar, was released.

1967: BBC Adaptation

In 1967, the BBC adaptation was released, inspiring Kate Bush's song "Wuthering Heights".

1967: BBC Four-Part Dramatisation

In 1967, the BBC produced a four-part television dramatisation starring Ian McShane and Angela Scoular.

1968: French Mini-Series Broadcast

In 1968, Les Hauts de Hurlevent, a French mini-series, was broadcast.

1970: Film Release

In 1970, the film with Timothy Dalton as Heathcliff, the first color version of the novel, was released.

1971: Daphne du Maurier Argues Status

In 1971, Daphne du Maurier argued for the status of Wuthering Heights as a "supreme romantic novel".

1975: Terry Eagleton Explores Power Relationships

In 1975, Terry Eagleton explores the power relationships between the landed gentry, aristocracy, and the capitalist, industrial middle classes in Myths of Power: A Marxist Study of the Brontës.

1976: Genesis releases "Wind & Wuthering"

In 1976, English rock band Genesis released the album "Wind & Wuthering", which alludes to the Brontë novel not only in the album's title but also in the titles of two of its tracks, "Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers..." and "...In That Quiet Earth".

1977: Thomas John Winnifrith on Allusions

In 1977, Thomas John Winnifrith argues that the allusions to Heaven and Hell are more than metaphors, and have a religious significance.

1978: Kate Bush releases "Wuthering Heights"

In 1978, Kate Bush, at the age of 18, released her song "Wuthering Heights" as the lead single from her debut album. The song is sung from Catherine's perspective and includes quotations from the novel.

1978: BBC TV Serialisation

In 1978, the BBC produced a five-part TV serialisation of the book starring Ken Hutchinson, Kay Adshead and John Duttine, with music by Carl Davis.

1980: Pat Benatar covers "Wuthering Heights"

In 1980, Pat Benatar covered Kate Bush's song "Wuthering Heights" on her album Crimes of Passion.

1985: French Film Adaptation

In 1985, Jacques Rivette's French film adaptation, Hurlevent, was released.

1988: Japanese Film Adaptation

In 1988, Yoshishige Yoshida's Japanese film adaptation was released.

1988: Yoshida Adaptation Setting

In 1988, Yoshishige Yoshida's adaptation also has a transposed setting, this time to medieval Japan.

1989: Jim Steinman writes "It's All Coming Back to Me Now"

In 1989, Jim Steinman wrote the song "It's All Coming Back to Me Now", citing "Wuthering Heights" as an influence. He described the song as being about obsession and love.

1991: Hihintayin Kita sa Langit Release

In 1991, Filipino director Carlos Siguion-Reyna made a film adaptation titled Hihintayin Kita sa Langit (1991).

1992: Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights Film Release

In 1992, the film Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche was released.

1993: Angra releases cover of "Wuthering Heights"

In 1993, Brazilian heavy metal band Angra released a version of Kate Bush's song "Wuthering Heights" on their debut album Angels Cry.

1995: Windward Heights Novel Release

In 1995, Maryse Condé's Windward Heights (La migration des coeurs), a reworking of Wuthering Heights set in Cuba and Guadeloupe at the turn of the 20th century, was released.

2000: Dhadkan Film Release

In 2000, the Hindi film Dhadkan, based upon this novel, was released. Directed by Dharmesh Darshan and produced by Ratan Jain, it stars Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty, Sunil Shetty and Mahima Chaudhry.

2002: A True Novel Release

In 2002, Mizumura Minae's A True Novel (Honkaku shosetsu) was released.

2002: Oxford Companion Entry

In 2002, the entry on Wuthering Heights in the Oxford Companion to English Literature states that the ending of the novel points to a union of the two contrasting worlds and moral orders represented by the Heights and the Grange.

2003: MTV Adaptation

In 2003, MTV produced a poorly reviewed version set in a modern California high school.

2003: Robert McCrum Places Novel in List

In 2003, Robert McCrum placed Wuthering Heights in his list of 100 greatest novels of all time, writing for The Guardian.

2007: British Poll Presents Greatest Love Story

In 2007, a British poll presented Wuthering Heights as the greatest love story of all time. However, some consider it an exploration of evil and abuse.

2008: "Cath..." by Death Cab for Cutie is released

In 2008, indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie released the song "Cath...", which was inspired by Wuthering Heights.

2009: ITV Drama Series

In 2009, ITV's two-part drama series starring Tom Hardy, Charlotte Riley, Sarah Lancashire, and Andrew Lincoln was released.

2011: Film Release

In 2011, a film starring Kaya Scodelario and James Howson and directed by Andrea Arnold was released.

2011: Graphic novel version published and shortlisted for award

In 2011, a graphic novel version of Wuthering Heights, adapted by Sean Michael Wilson and illustrated by John M. Burns, was published by Classical Comics. This graphic novel was later shortlisted for the Stan Lee Excelsior Awards.

2013: Perdita Novel Release

In 2013, Canadian author Hilary Scharper's ecogothic novel Perdita was deeply influenced by Wuthering Heights.

2015: BBC Culture Poll

In 2015, Jane Ciabattari polled 82 book critics from outside the UK and presented Wuthering Heights as number 7 in the resulting list of 100 greatest British novels for BBC Culture.