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Wuthering Bites is an actual improvement over the original, attempting to close some of the plot holes and adds: Vampires. And it's reworded into Modern English to make it more accessible to today's readers. My estimate is that 60-70% of Bites is actually lifted directly from Bronte.
- Explains why people keep taking sick and dying young. Vampires. Frances Earnshaw died by vampires. Ghost Cathy's was bitten, and that's why she was a space case. Her throat was ripped apart by vampires (and she becomes undead). Isabella has a few neck punctures after she escaped WH. Hindley is found dead with vampire bites on his wrist and ankles. Who did it? The book does not explicitly say. And Nelly narrated a bunch of hilarious anecdotes of villagers and people she knew who were attacked by vampires (<none of this was in the original book)
- Explains why Heathcliff is so powerful and charismatic and why nobody goes up against him. He's half-vampire with the same hypnotic powers of suggestion that they have. Humans can't withstand him. And he can tame, command and kill the local vampires and keep the area clear of them. That is a valuable skill that benefits WH and the Grange.
- Attempts were made to explain why Heathcliff can seize the Linton property. Bites says he claimed it through the rights of his deceased wife, Isabella. There are some Internet theories that explain the basis for this, although Heathcliff's application of it was seriously flawed.
- Lockwood is more of a character. He has normal conversational exchanges and questions as Nelly relates the story.
- The biggest plot hole: why doesn't Nelly, or Young Cathy even try to escape from WH? Bites explains it because it's too dangerous to be wandering outside, alone and weaponless -because the area is overrun by feral vampires. They HAVE to stay indoors under the "protection" of Heathcliff, who has some power over the vampire packs.
- Although Heathcliff still kidnaps, imprisons, forces an unwanted (and illegal) marriage on Young Cathy, he is slightly more sympathetic in Bites. He has a problem with his own physiology- transforming into a full vampire at times and fighting it back to stay human.
- Heathcliff, going full-vampire, sucks the blood of a young girl in an unholy ritual. But overall, he's 20% less evil than the original, without the implication that Young Cathy "not allowed" to leave WH. Heathcliff does not gloat about hanging Isabella's dog, or beating Isabella's face or "staying within the limits of the law (in beating her)" or letting Lameton torture poor cats. And he doesn't lie to Nelly about "I only want to ask how she (Catherine) is, and if I can do anything for her".
- Redemption for Joseph. Joseph is often preyed upon as a snack by the local vampires, and he calms down considerably and becomes helpful and cooperative when this finally stops.
- Heathcliff gets the ending he deserves (and not the ending Bronte gave him). He becomes increasingly unhinged and haunted by Ghost Cathy, so he stakes himself, and her in the heart with silver stakes to free them both from being undead. They are both at rest and at peace and are not cavorting together or seen in the moors.
- Hareton and Young Cathy actually do get married, and have some affectionate scenes at the ending as they burn down Wuthering Heights and the Grange to purge the properties of a curse (and to stop the local vampires from occupying 2 abandoned properties to use as a base). They drive off in a gypsy wagon to go to Paris to start a new life as vampire hunters. Nelly and Joseph accompany them.
- Lockwood could continue his life as a lonely misanthrope, but on second thought, decides to throw his lot in with the little group, and realizes that he's fallen in love with Nelly.
My thoughts... if you liked Wuthering Heights but don't take it ultra-seriously and you're open to a semi-spoof and some entertainment, give it a look! If you HATED Wuthering Heights (like I did) the book fixes a lot of things without totally sanitizing Heathcliff. And the introduction of true antagonists (vampires) made it all better.
Book is available on Archive.Org, or possibly from an inter-library loan from your local library.
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