EVERYONE has heard of Wuthering Heights-the song or the book, either way you have heard of it-and it is a book that very much deserves to be read by everyone.

Wuthering Heights, written by Emily Brontë and first published in 1847 after initial rejection, is a harrowing yet moving tale of a fiery, yet doomed, love between the abominable yet pitiable Heathcliff and the hot-tempered Catherine Earnshaw. We are told of the lives, deaths, loves and struggles of each character through the eyes of either Mr Lockwood, the new tenant of Thrushcross Grange of which Heathcliff is landlord, or the faithful servant Ellen Dean. As we travel through the story it is hard not to become close to each character, recognising the good, bad, and more importantly, human qualities in each of them.

I will admit that Wuthering Heights, although I had been very excited to read it, did not instantly grip me from the start. In fact, I got a number of chapters in, and although I could put aside the relatively slow progression, I was somewhat disappointed. I just wasn't gripped. I was so loosely held at this point that I even put the book down for a few days.

And how stupid I was to do that. No sooner had I picked it back up than I was completely in love. The story soon gained pace, making the novel impossible to put down. It was slightly difficult at first to keep up with all the characters, but I soon found myself knowing exactly what was going on and enjoying it. From happiness to sorrow, and from moments where I wanted to laugh, and others where I felt such sympathy and sadness that I wanted to climb in between the pages and comfort the character myself; it is a book that plays with every emotion. The vile but somehow lovable character of Heathcliff evokes much anger, but it is very hard to remain angry with him for long, no matter how callous he can be. Once the story has a hold on you, you couldn't escape even if you wanted to.

Wuthering Heights is certainly one of those books that simply must be read. It will pull your emotions all over the place, yet leave you feeling more than satisfied. There is a reward for suffering through Joseph's thick Yorkshire accent.