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The History of Literature

738 Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (#15 Greatest Book of All Time)

The History of Literature

Jacke Wilson

Arts, History, Books

4.61.3K Ratings

🗓️ 6 October 2025

⏱️ 79 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Emily Brontë only published one full-length book before dying at the tragically young age of 30. But that book, Wuthering Heights, which tells the story of obsessive and vengeful love on the rugged moors of Yorkshire, is still considered one of the pinnacles of English literature, landing at #15 on the list of Greatest Books of All Time. In this episode, Jacke takes a deep look into Emily Brontë's classic "bad boy" novel, with assistance from Virginia Woolf, Elizabeth Hardwick, Joyce Carol Oates, Anne Tyler, Alice Hoffman, Charlotte Brontë, and others. Join Jacke on a trip through literary England (signup closing soon)! The History of Literature Podcast Tour is happening in May 2026! Act now to join Jacke and fellow literature fans on an eight-day journey through literary England in partnership with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠John Shors Travel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Scheduled stops include The Charles Dickens Museum, Dr. Johnson's house, Jane Austen's Bath, Tolkien's Oxford, Shakespeare's Globe Theater, and more. Find out more by emailing jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com or masahiko@johnshorstravel.com, or by contacting us through our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠History of Literature Podcast Tour itinerary⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠John Shors Travel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Help support the show at ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/literature ⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com/donate ⁠⁠⁠. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

The History of Literature Podcast is a member of the Podglomerate Network and Lit Hub Radio.

0:12.0

Hello, everyone, is Jack Wilson telling you that the History of Literature podcast tour through literary England is still accepting deposits, and we'd love to have you join us.

0:23.2

We will be visiting some of the greatest literary sites in history, including walks, tours,

0:28.2

pub visits, and leisure time activities, and with visits from scholars and other special guests

0:34.3

as we experience the amazing cities of London, Oxford, and Bath, in a small group

0:41.1

accompanied by yours truly. If you love literature and if you love life, you are not going to want to

0:47.2

miss this. It's next year in May of 26, but we need you to put down a deposit now so we can

0:53.8

finalize the itinerary.

0:56.1

2026 is around the corner, people.

0:58.5

Give yourself something to look forward to next spring.

1:02.5

You can find out more at John Shores Travel, John S-H-O-R-S, or you can find the links to the itinerary and sign-up page at History of Literature.com. Hope to see you soon. I'm Alan Sisto, the man of the West, here at the Prancing Pony Podcast. And I'm Sean Marquesie, the real-life Lord of the Mark. Every week here at the Prancing Pony podcast, along with Sean or other co-hosts, I explore the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings,

1:28.1

bringing along lots of pop culture references, plenty of nerd humor, and the occasional bad pun. It's just a couple of friends hanging out at the pub talking about our favorite books. We cover just a few pages every episode, reading important sections of the books, and having a chat about what we've read. Now, we do a ton of research for each episode so that we can bring as much background information to our conversation as possible.

1:47.2

We do all the heavy reading, so you don't have to. It's a great way for first-time readers to learn the basics of Tolkien's world. Well, for Middle Earth veterans, it's a deep dive into their favorite stories. Now, the Tolkien fandom is like no other, so we spend time in the community giving talks at Tolkien events, recording live episodes, and hanging out with our listeners on Discord to engage with our audience every chance we get.

2:06.4

So if you're ready to dive into the most beloved world and fantasy literature and become a part of a vibrant active community of listeners, then look for the Prancing Pony Podcast wherever you listen.

2:17.3

Hello, today on the podcast, part one of a two-part look at Emily Bronte's classic novel, Wuthering Heights,

2:23.7

which lands at number 15 on our list of the greatest books of all time.

2:28.7

Why do we find this strange book so compelling?

2:32.0

What is it about repulsive behavior that attracts us?

2:36.1

And why do nice guys like me always have to finish last? Or so it seemed when I was in high

2:41.8

school, watching one girl after another choose a bad boy, sometimes with full knowledge of what

2:48.6

that meant. The psychological underpinnings of a classic romance

2:53.8

with classic, in quotes,

...

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