“My life now, my whole life, regardless of all that may happen to me, every minute of it, is not only not meaningless, as it was before, but has the unquestionable meaning of the good which it is in my power to put into it!”

I don’t normally review books on Goodreads but since I enjoyed this so much I wanted to give it a good send off before it goes out into the world!

The troubles with us is a brilliant blend of northern irish history and the life of Alix growing up and going out into the world - being from NI myself I felt a strong connection with her story and also filled a few gaps in my own knowledge about the history of NI and Belfast.
It is accessible, funny, educational, and just so compelling I read it in just over 24 hours - I found the writing well balanced in terms of giving life to the events of NI through the events of Alix’s life and importance is carefully placed.

It never feels overwhelming in its approach to history and I think it would be a great springboard for someone interested in learning a bit more about NI and why the recent events here have been so scary - if you are like me and get your history through anecdotes then this is perfect.

It was also so refreshing to see elements of my own time growing up in a Catholic school in NI and all of the underage drinking and debauchery that came with. Alix’s connection with those around her and her drive to sponge up more of the world were healing to read about, and the story of her mother was deeply touching and an honour to the lives of Irish mammies everywhere , dutiful daughters and silent soldiers that they are.

I just really loved this with my whole heart , I will be pushing it into the hands of my friends and family until Alix writes something else! Very enjoyable.

Characters 0.5pt - Purely for how outrageous it was to write a character like Catherine Earnshaw in 1847. Rebellious / rejecting Christian values / rough and wild in a time of female compliance and piousness. I also liked the character of Joeseph how he was the only religious character yet he was villainous and hypocritical, saw someone say it could be a reflection of Emily's encounter with religious types in her childhood. Lost half a point for Heathcliff. References to his skin colour undoubtedly go hand in hand with the violent and barbaric way that he is written, nevermind the abusive and horrific way that he treats Isabella. Has the effect of a violent "foreigner" abusing the pale, delicate and English Isabella, harmful and has no place in 2020 whatever way he is redeemed. I am not sure if I like this dislikeable likeableness, however rebellious, but I will excuse it in Catherine's case just for Emily's bravery.

Writing 1pt - I enjoyed the Gothic and nightmarish elements of Wuthering Heights, was truly spooky and Emily Bronte does a good job at atmosphere creation. Enjoyed the Gothic references to faeries and the devil as well as Wuthering Heights as a Gothic mansion and the misty moors and violent weather that make the Gothic so enjoyable to read. The dream part with Lockwood was great. Really good engagement with the sublime through hysteria and passion, very Romantic more than romantic. Liked the various fragmented point of view, through Lockwood / Catherine's diary / Ellen / Isabella etc , added an extra layer of mystery and unreliability that gave the story texture.

Plot 0- Found it extremely lacking. I know it's a tale of revenge but it just seemed like someone was going up the lane for a chat, then someone else was coming down the lane for a chat, then someone died in tragic circumstances. Was a bit difficult to pace through, redeemed only by the Gothic package for me. Not sure if there was a moral, other than like forgiveness and love? Seems flimsy to me, maybe this needs further analysis.


Enjoyable 1/2pt - I enjoyed the Gothic elements a lot, the part in particular where Lockwood spends the night at Wuthering Heights and has the horrific dream and reads the diaries. Felt like Dracula. I think I enjoyed the bits that resembled Dracula and Jane Eyre, not sure about the rest. Enjoyed Catherine as an unlikeable and rebellious female character.

World-Building / Engaging 1pt - It's a classic and it has lasted the test of time, it also challenges notions of femininity and heroism which is interesting. For a novel of its time, it is extremely controversial and some of the themes at the time would have been scandalous, it is so brave. It is very separate from the world, but I think in that way it creates its own world for Heathcliff to terrorise. Not sure if it had such a hard-hitting message or if it was revolutionary in any way, but its legacy and messages can't be ignored.

Overall 3 stars: This feels treacherous but it was good in some respects and not in others. Not much more to say than I mildly enjoyed it but it didn't offer me as much as I'd hoped.