Book Reviews by a Chick Who Reads Everything
I read every kind of book from the absolute serious to the downright silly.
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Content warning: this review talks about sex in various forms.
Welcome to Part 4 of looking at various adaptations of Wuthering Heightsand seeing if they can capture the spirit of the book by Emily Brontë. Today, I’ll be looking at the 2026 movie starring Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie as Catherine.
Normally, I would review this one at the very end, but because it came out this past weekend, I wanted to get my thoughts out on it while it was still fresh like the fish Catherine fingers at one point.
At this point, I would describe any differences between the book and the film in question, but the truth is that this is the least faithful adaptation of the story. I can go on and talk about all the liberties it takes, yet that would take at least 3 pages, and I have other things to dive into. What I will say are four things:
The best way to paint this movie is as a reimagination. Like I mentioned in the review of the 1939 version, I strive to judge it by what it sets out to be as opposed to what I want it to be. Writer and director Emerald Fennell has stated in interviews that she wanted to recreate the feelings she had when first reading the novel at age 14. She saw it as a shocking, bodice-ripping romance between two troubled people. When seen through those lenses, it doesn’t work.
This film tries very hard to be provocative with scenes that equate sex with violence. This is especially true with the opening scene that involves a hanging. Even kneading bread has sexual connotations. In addition, throughout, Catherine and Heathcliff have plenty of sexual encounters, something that’s purposely absent from both the book and other versions I’ve seen. And yet, they keep their clothes on, and it’s mostly a montage of them making out. The only time in which the film comes closest to being effectively sexually disturbing is Isabella’s transformation towards the end, and that mainly due to Alison Oliver’s 110% commitment to the bit. This makes it a disappointing viewing because the previews and trailer promised so much, and Fennell has implemented provocative, sexual content in her prior films Promising Young Woman (in which she won an Oscar for the screenplay) and Saltburn to a better effect. On top of that, there are two other adaptations that contain elements that are far more disturbing than anything that occurs in this one.
Despite all of my criticism with this reimagining, it wasn’t a complete bust. Say what you want about Fennell, but she can provide a visual feast with her movies. The cinematography was impeccable with brilliant shot compositions, particularly with Heathcliff riding off into the blood orange sunset. The production design is fabulous with the starkest contrasts between the two estates. Wuthering Heights the house is literally falling apart with a dilapidated roof as well as is filled with cold and bare rooms and short ceilings that Heathcliff has to crouch down. Thrushcross Grange is a rich person’s dream with an immaculate garden and a minimalistic, but beautiful interior. Even the costumes, which I was skeptical of prior, work well in the context of the movie. They might not be historically accurate, but they look good and fit the characters’ moods in plenty of scenes even though I laughed out loud when I saw Catherine’s wedding night gown. Regardless, Fennell’s got the eye for style. And, the soundtrack by British pop singer Charli XCX weirdly works. I don’t know if I will remember it, but it fits the vibe.
Finally, this review wouldn’t be complete without talking about the performances. The casting has been controversial since its announcement nearly a year and a half ago, but was it worth it? Well, not really. Margot Robbie, who’s been on this website before as the titular character in Barbie, plays Catherine. She received a lot of flack for being blonde and too old to play a teenager. My problem with her was that she looked too Malibu to come from the Yorkshire Moors. Now that I’ve seen the movie, I thought she was solid. She played up Catherine’s brattier aspect even though she still doesn’t look like she belongs in that area.
Jacob Elordi, who’s best known for his performances in the television show Euphoria, Fennell’s previous film Saltburn, and his Oscar-nominated turn in last year’s Frankenstein, takes on Heathcliff. His casting was the most controversial because he’s another white guy playing a racially ambiguous character. It also adds insult to injury because the last major film adaptation cast an actor of color as that orphan, and that was from 2011. It’s even worse when the 2026 version decided to have color blind casting with Asian-American actress Hong Chau as Nelly and Shazad Latif – an actor of Pakistani descent – as Edgar. The latter is usually played by a white guy. This is why Edgar and Isabella aren’t siblings in this one because Alison Oliver is white. I’m all for color blind casting, but Wuthering Heights is not the story to do that with, especially with all the whitewashing that has occurred with its protagonist for many years. Anyway, Elordi is not given a whole lot to do besides being a romantic hero, but he does good with what he has, especially when he shows his manipulative side in the latter half.
The rest of the performances are good. Chau depicts Nelly as more devilish than other interpretations, and Latif’s Edgar is more whipped because of his love for Catherine. Clunes is great as the grotesque and abusive Mr. Earnshaw. He’s always had a knack for playing volatile characters like his take on Mr. Chips in the 2002 PBS television movie. The best performance in this flick goes to Alison Oliver, who plays Isabella. Isabella is a character I never thought too much about. She is naive and basically exists to be a pawn in Heathcliff’s game, yet Oliver takes her to new heights (no pun intended). Her Isabella is a socially awkward and dorky psychopath. I understand that this Isabella is not the same one from the novel, but I adore Oliver’s performance. From the moment I first saw her retelling the plot of Romeo and Juliet to Edgar, I knew I would enjoy this movie. She steals the scene from almost everyone around her with her weird charm. Her character’s transformation is one to behold. Oliver has quite the range since she previously appeared in Fennell’s Saltburn as the spoiled Venetia Catton. From now on, I’m going to actively seek out films that have Oliver in it, for she’s going to be a star.
The Wuthering Heights 2026 movie is a mess. It tries to be edgy with how it recreates a teenage girl’s first time reading the book, but it eschews the gothic horror tone in favor of the horny, tragic romance. However, the romance doesn’t fully work because it doesn’t go far enough. The casting is mostly a miss. On the other hand, the technical aspects are well done, and Alison Oliver as Isabella is perfection and knows exactly what film she’s in. If Fennell wanted to make a movie with her self-insert making out with Jacob Elordi, she should’ve kept Wuthering Heights out of it. I would only recommend it to those who know exactly what they’re getting into; are Fennell, Robbie, and Elordi diehard fans; and are watching all other versions. Also, if you want a whiplash, watch it after the 1939 adaptation.
Now, let’s see how this one fits into the ranking.
We’ll see how this ranking evolves after I see all the others.
Stay tuned next month when I review the 1967 BBC miniseries with Ian McShane.
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Full disclosure: I was given an ARC of this book from SparkPoint Studio in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve mentioned on this website before that I love historical fiction. I especially enjoy ones that bring overlooked women to life like Saving Vincent by Joan Fernandez. I also adore ones that have a dual timeline, which makes the story more interesting as they discover the forgotten person in “real time.” Recently, I read The Secret Courtesan by Kerry Chaput that scratches both itches. It’s a good book with a fascinating titular character even if how she was discovered was a bit far-fetched.
The Secret Courtesan is a dual timeline story that explores how a historian risks everything to discover the truth about a female Renaissance sculptor unfairly erased by history. Art historian Mia Harding is running out of time to prove her theory that a famous erotic statue was sculpted by a courtesan and that she was erased from history. This is a scandal that no one will believe. Chasing through Venice, she tracks down details on Sofia, a powerful courtesan who seems to have left behind a handful of sex-fueled art throughout the city, but she’s being followed, and her boss is in on the lie. Meanwhile, in 1609, Sofia Rossi defies Venice’s unfair laws to create illicit art that could destroy her future. Her dreams of becoming a great artist go up in flames when her patron’s wife steals her work and threatens her lover. Four hundred years later, it’s up to Mia to discover the truth, yet she now has uncovered a world of art theft that could leave her ousted, or worse, in the crosshairs of the most powerful crime family in Italy. They will stop at nothing to force her to authenticate the statue. Mia’s only hope is to prove Sofia’s existence before everyone silences them forever.
The story’s dual timeline reminded me of the historical fiction novels written by Lisa Wingate. Wingate is best known for her books Before We Were Yours and The Book of Lost Friends. Those titles mainly focused on the past with scenes from the present that uncovered what happened. The Secret Courtesan emphasizes more of the current day, but the structure remains the same. Another thing that the Lis Wingate novels and The Secret Courtesan have in common is that the past is more interesting.
Those scenes are the best parts of the book, and that’s due to Sofia. Sofia is a courtesan who wants to be a sculptor. Her patrons are involved in the arts, but most of them don’t give her the resources and tools to showcase her craft. On top of that Renaissance Venice frowned upon women creating art. All of these are why she has to stay on her guard and is determined more than ever to succeed. I wanted her to have the opportunities to sculpt, get noticed for her work, and to be together with a man who truly loves her. I was invested in every step of the way.
Meanwhile, the scenes in the present are good, but there were some things that I had issues with. Let me start off with the better aspects. I like Mia and her conflict. She feels frustrated because her male colleagues don’t appreciate her. Hence, she, along with fellow colleague Noah, goes to Venice to find evidence that solidifies her claim. I also like her relationship with Noah. They are very cute with each other, and I love how Noah is one of the few men who actually believes that the sculpture was made by a courtesan and wants to help her prove it.
On the other hand, there were certain aspects that I didn’t find plausible. Throughout the novel, Mia senses history whenever she’s in a room. However, I had to raise my eyebrow when she came up with her conclusions because they were too specific. I’m an archivist by day, and I can sense the relationships of dead people based on the locations and the evidence found. I don’t try to assume too much, but I feel Mia is doing the opposite. In addition, the whole conflict with the mafia was contrived. I know that the scenes set in contemporary day are trying to evoke The Da Vinci Code, yet the situation with the crime family felt like it was only added to raise the stakes. It was too much.
The Secret Courtesan by Kerry Chaput is a good dual timeline historical fiction novel. I love how it unearthed a story about a Renaissance-era courtesan who made wonderful sculptures. It also helps that Sofia is a great character, and I was rooting for her all the way. On the other hand, while I liked the scenes in the present day, some of it felt contrived and not plausible. I would still recommend it to those who love stories about forgotten women in history, art, and The Da Vinci Code. The Secret Courtesan is out tomorrow, February 10, so grab it whenever you get your books.
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Content warning: this review mentions suicide.
Full disclosure: I was given a free eARC copy of this book by Dutton Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Three years ago, I reviewed The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood – a feminist retelling of the Perseus myth. Now, she’s back with another revisioning of a story in ancient mythology – Dido the Queen of Carthage – and her romance with the soon to be founder of Rome, Aeneas in The Wandering Queen. As soon as I learned about this book, I knew I had to read it. The Wandering Queen is just as good as The Shadow of Perseus, but it has a major problem.
The Wandering Queen retells the story of Queen Dido – the founder of Carthage. When the King of Tyre dies, he decrees that Elissa – his clever and strong-willed daughter – and her half-brother Pygmalion will rule the kingdom equally. However, Elissa, who’s not well versed in the machinations of the court – finds herself sidelined by a band of merchants in favor of her more malleable brother. Forced out of her palace home, Elissa decides to forge her own path. While on her journey, she transforms from a sheltered princess to a formidable leader. When she leads her followers on an epic quest to search for a new home in a faraway land, she earns herself the name that will immortalize her: Dido – the wanderer. Then, one day, a stranger named Aeneas arrives at the gates, fleeing the Trojan War. As Dido and Aeneas find themselves increasingly drawn to each other, she has to make the impossible choice between power and love.
I’m aware of The Aeneid by Virgil. I read it in high school for my ancient mythology class. I don’t remember much of it besides the romance between Aeneas and Dido, and I had to look it up to refresh my memory. But then again, that seems to be the part that everybody recalls. As a result, a lot of my perspective on The Wandering Queen stems from how much I could remember from the original story.
Dido is one of the most famous side characters in all of literature. In The Aeneid, she basically exists just to be an obstacle for Aeneas as he journeys to Italy. It’s easy to label her as a doomed lover, but Heywood fleshes her out. In her notes, the author mentioned that she wanted to recenter Dido based on history – the leader, trickster, voyager, and survivor side of her – while incorporating and responding to Virgil’s narrative. Heywood essentially does this by having two alternating timelines. One is of Dido’s romance with Aeneas, and the other is of Dido aka Elissa’s time in Tyre and leaving to find a new home. It took me a little bit to realize that Elissa and Dido were the same person.
Heywood’s Dido is well developed and far more complex than the Virgil counterpart. Dido’s father, the King of Tyre, trains his daughter to be a strategic and just ruler. However, after his unexpected death, the council shuns her out of her rightful inheritance. She tries to do everything to maintain power, including marrying a local priest – a man she learns to love wholeheartedly. Dido is a confident figure, but she makes some dumb decisions. For example, she uses the word usurper while making her case to the council. Given her status, she should’ve been more careful. But, that’s what makes her compelling. Even with all of the smart choices, she still gives into her innermost desires, especially while falling in love with Aeneas. She identifies with him as a broken and wandering creature. As for Aeneas, he wasn’t as unlikeable as Perseus was in The Shadow of Perseus. I was rooting for the couple even though I saw some red flags, and no, I’m not saying this because I read The Aeneid.
Like The Shadow of Perseus, the gods aren’t involved in The Wandering Queen. I wasn’t bothered by the lack of gods in the latter because Heywood remembered to include them more. Characters mention them and hold festivals to honor them. Plus, Dido’s husband is a priest, so the gods play into his work. They don’t have an active role unlike in The Aeneid. For instance, in that epic poem, they’re the reason why it rains while Dido and Aeneas are on the beach, forcing them to seek shelter in the cave. In The Wandering Queen, the rain just happens.
Of course, this wouldn’t be a Claire Heywood novel without something divisive about it. In The Shadow of Perseus, it was the lack of fantastical elements. Here, it’s the ending. Many reviewers noted how it didn’t follow the end of Dido’s episode in The Aeneid. For those who don’t know, she takes her own life as Aeneas sails away on his ship. While Heywood depicts Dido contemplating and planning her suicide, she lets that queen live. Readers thought it was disingenuous to deviate from the epic poem. I wasn’t aware of that ending when I was reading The Wandering Queen. I thought it was more like the one from the movie Pocahontas as the titular character stands while John Smith sails away. This is especially true in how I imagined Dido’s hair blowing in a similar way to that of Pocahontas’s. Was it sad? Yes, yet it was satisfying in a way. However, I do agree that Heywood should’ve followed the original ending to be faithful to how the events unfolded in The Aeneid. It would’ve been more tragic, but it would’ve been more satisfying.
The Wandering Queen by Claire Heywood is a good retelling of Dido – one of the most famous side characters in all of literature. Heywood paints the Queen of Carthage in a vastly complex way. She’s strategic, but vulnerable. I rooted for her to get that second chance in love even when I knew how it was going to end. My only complaint is that the ending should’ve been more faithful to The Aeneid. As of now, I like this title a little more than The Shadow of Perseus. I would recommend The Wandering Queen to those who have read The Aeneid as well as love authors like Madeline Miller and retellings of ancient mythology. The book is out Tuesday, February 10, so grab it wherever you get your books.
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Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
If I had a nickel for every time I reviewed a book that explored a black person’s experience in prison, I would have a dime for now. Last week, it was Freeman’s Challenge: The Murder That Shook America’s Original Prison for Profit by Robin Bernstein. Today, it’s In Black and White: 20 Yrs to Life: Doing time as a black correctional professional. On the other side of inside the fence by Theresa Granville, which relates the author’s experiences as a correctional officer in the Philadelphia area. Stories like these need to be told because it exposes the real dynamics of working in a prison. However, this one definitely needed more editing in order for readers to take it seriously.
In Black and White: 20 Yrs to Life is about one black woman’s time serving as a correctional professional in the PA State Corrections. According to urban research studies, Theresa could have ended up in the criminal justice system as an offender because of her circumstances growing up in Philadelphia. She believed it was divine-order that she found herself working in that system instead of being a criminal. It became a means of support since she was a single mom raising two sons. This allowed her to pursue a career as a public civil service employee. This book is her story of triumphs, trials, and eventually what she deems a win that details her journey in her 20-year career in the PA State Corrections.
Before I get started, I have something to share. One of my dearest friends used to work at a correctional facility as a librarian. A chunk of her story is similar to what Granville wrote In Black and White: 20 Yrs to Life. My friend had to cover herself up, so she wouldn’t attract unwanted attention from the prisoners. She worked at that place for 1-2 years. She realized that one needs to be strong and of a certain personality to be in a place like that; she felt that she wasn’t cut out for that line of work. Knowing my friend’s story makes me admire Theresa’s more because of what the latter went through and her decision to still work in a prison.
I adore Granville’s conversational tone. It made me feel that I was in the same room as her. I could imagine her voice as I read. In addition, I was emotionally invested to a degree because I wanted to know how she did it, how she survived working in a prison system. She went through several ordeals like dealing with racist higher ups, staff members who want to hook up, and the grudges they held when she refused to do what they wanted. I honestly can understand one has to be a certain personality to work in a prison, and Granville absolutely had it.
This has the potential to be a good memoir and one that can influence people. However, I couldn’t fully take it seriously because it was plagued with a lot of grammar errors. It’s not the first time that I encountered a self-published book that contained some pretty obvious mistakes. Last year, I looked at Six Days in Detox by Dianne Corbeau. Yes, it had errors that could have been corrected if an editor was present or looked at it closer, but they were minor compared to those in In Black and White: 20 Yrs to Life. These included typos, fragmented sentences, and odd word choices. They appeared on almost every page that I thought was a joke.
But, those weren’t the biggest offenses. At one point, I noticed that there were two Chapter Nines, but only one was listed in the table of contents. I wondered why, yet once I read the second one, it was clear. Granville copied and pasted the first chapter in the other and elaborated on it. I genuinely don’t understand how no one noticed this before it was officially published. If someone did, the author could have easily shaved off 14 pages. If it was an advanced reader’s copy, I would be a little more lenient because those acknowledge that the titles aren’t corrected yet. This book has been out since June 2025.
I’ve never been more confused about a book than I was while reading In Black and White: 20 Yrs to Life: Doing time as a black correctional professional. On the other side of inside the fence by Theresa Granville. It has the potential to be a powerful story that instills hope in people, especially those looking to work in a prison system. On the other hand, it has some of the most glaring errors I’ve ever seen. They distracted me from being fully invested and enjoying the memoir. Let this be a lesson to those looking to write their own stories. Whatever you do, please get someone to look over your draft.
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Full disclosure: I was given a copy of this book from Coriolis Company in exchange for an honest review.
The 250th Anniversary of America’s independence is coming up this year, and I always strive to learn more about American history, even if it means uncovering some skeletons in the closet. One story that I recently discovered was about the Auburn Prison – the country’s first profit-driven correctional facility. Specifically, I learned about how a former prisoner named William Freeman murdered a family and how its aftereffects linger on in the inherent Black criminality myth. I read about it recently in the book Freeman’s Challenge: The Murder That Shook America’s Original Prison For Profit by Harvard historian Robin Bernstein. It was highly informative, accessible, and riled me up in a good way.
Freeman’s Challenge: The Murder That Shook America’s Original Prison For Profit explores the origins of prison for profit and anti-black racism. In the early nineteenth century, while slavery was gradually fading away in the North, a village in New York State invented a new form of profit-driven prisons. It used incarceration and capitalism by building a prison that enclosed industrial factories. Therefore, the “slaves of the state” were leased to private companies. Even though the prisoners didn’t earn wages, they manufactured items that were bought by consumers throughout the North.
Then, one man challenged the system. Enter William Freeman. He was an Afro-Native teenager who was convicted of horse theft. He insisted that he didn’t commit, yet he was sentenced to five years of hard labor in Auburn’s prison. Infuriated at being forced to work without pay, Freeman demanded wages. His challenge first triggered violence against him, then by him. He committed a murder that confused and terrified white America. They struck back with ideals whose aftereffects reverberate in the myth of inherent Black criminality. William Freeman’s story reveals how the North invented prisons for profit 50 years before the 13th Amendment outlawed slavery “except as a punishment for crime” – and how famous African American figures like Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman invented strategies of resilience and resistance in a city full of unfreedom.
As I alluded to earlier, I knew nothing about the William Freeman case and the Auburn Prison. Bernstein provides plenty of information with lots of sources to back it up. For example, Harriet Tubman’s family actually lived in Auburn while she was on the Underground Railroad. In another, I didn’t know that William Henry Seward – future Secretary of State under both Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, as well as the guy who convinced the US government to buy Alaska from the Russians – lived and worked in Auburn and was invested in prison reform. He even defended Freeman, arguing that he was mentally ill due to his time in the correctional facility, hence he couldn’t stand trial. This was one of the earliest known cases involving insanity pleas.
The way Bernstein structures the book is accessible. It’s set up in three acts. The first provides the backstories of the Auburn Prison; William Freeman and his family, who were well-respected pioneers of the village of Auburn; and his time as a prisoner. The section involving William’s time at the prison is horrific as he’s subjected to a lot of torture, such as the shower-bath. The second deals with how William tried to get his unearned pay after his release and how that turned into payback. Bernstein uses this play on words quite a lot. It might annoy some people, yet it didn’t bother me all that much. The final act revolves around the trial and the aftermath. The book also includes tons of illustrations, including maps and photographs. It even has a series of paintings depicting the murder of the Van Nest family; it’s quite gruesome.
The strongest aspect of Freeman’s Challenge is how Bernstein skillfully imparts empathy to her subjects. She acknowledges the Auburn Prison’s politics and the harsh tactics it used to keep the prisoners in line, but she doesn’t preach on how terrible they were because it would seem redundant if she did. As for William Freeman, Bernstein paints him as a teenager who became broken after his time in prison. He did everything he could to get his wages that he believed he deserved legally, yet the author doesn’t excuse his actions of murdering an innocent white family. Despite the heinous crime, I still felt bad for him. While the whole notion that Black people were more inclined to commit crimes was present, Freeman’s crime exacerbated it. No one, not even his family, would take the time and listen to him about why he did it. At one point, Bernstein brings up that when the Cayuga Tocsin newspaper in Auburn published a portrait of Freeman, it met with great backlash because it didn’t fit with the public’s perception of the murderer. Freeman looked too neat. With the new portrait, he was more disheveled and had a sneer look on his face (p. 113-115).
Freeman’s Challenge: The Murder That Shook America’s Original Prison For Profit by Robin Bernstein is a great book about an overlooked event in American history. I always wanted to see how we got to believe certain things for good or for worse, and this falls right into that camp. There’s a lot of information, and it’s presented in ways that any kind of reader can understand. Also, it depicts the story as is, even if it got me riled up at times. I would recommend it to those interested in American history, Black history, and prisons. With America’s 250th birthday coming up, I’ve been more curious about learning about its history, even if it means shining a light on its ugly side, and Freeman’s Challenge falls into that.
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Welcome to Part 3 of looking at various adaptations of Wuthering Heights and seeing if they can capture the spirit of the book by Emily Brontë. Today, I’ll be analyzing the 1958 teleplay made by DuPont Show of the Month starring Richard Burton as Heathcliff.
Like the 1950 version, this one too is a play made for television. It was produced for the first season of the DuPont Show of the Month drama anthology series. That show ran from 1957 to 1961, and it focused more on adaptations of classic literary novels like Wuthering Heights. The DuPont Company sponsored the series, and they showed long advertisements on how they made the world better through chemistry (note: they are responsible for the microplastics in the world, so screw them). What’s interesting about this adaptation was that the kinescope version was considered lost for a long time until Turner Classic Movies showed it for the first time since its original May 9, 1958 airing in 2019.
Also, like the 1950 adaptation, the 1958 teleplay is a truncated version of the story. This one runs for 90 minutes (commercials included), and you guessed it, it omits the second half of the novel. However, it looks like it had a bigger budget than its immediate predecessor. It contains dogs; horses; rain effects; and realistic sets for the interiors and exteriors of Wuthering Heights, Thrushcross Grange, and the Moors. They all helped to enhance the sense of place.
While this one too focuses on the tragic romance between Catherine and Heathcliff, it also places a great emphasis on the supernatural elements and the torment both feel. In the very beginning, when Mr. Lockwood hears Catherine’s voice, her hand comes out to grab him. I know that’s in the book, but I was honestly surprised that the teleplay did that. Additionally, when Catherine is getting married to Edgar, she hears a robotic voice saying Heathcliff’s name over and over again. Then, when Catherine dies, Heathcliff basically condemns her to a life of purgatory and torments her until he dies.
Speaking of causing pain, there’s a lot of talk about how those lovers make each other and the people around them miserable. The story that Nelly tells Mr. Lockwood is not just about their tragic romance, but also why Catherine the ghost is tormented. Early in the teleplay, Catherine asks why Heathcliff doesn’t leave Wuthering Heights because it hurts her to see Hindley treat him like a servant. He proclaims that he stays for her. Later, when Heathcliff marries Isabella to spite Catherine, Isabella inquires why he doesn’t let her go despite not loving her. He outright states that she’s a proxy for her brother Edgar, whom he’s mad at for marrying Catherine. This proves that even though they make each other miserable, they should be together in order to stop ruining other people’s lives. It’s in this way that makes this adaptation closer to the book’s gothic horror spirit than its two predecessors.
Another thing that I want to point out is how sensual this version is. Heathcliff and Catherine share many passionate kisses throughout, which certainly will titillate and bother viewers. Moreover, Richard Burton is seen at times with a shirt that’s unbuttoned at the top and another all the way open that exposes his chest. For the latter, when Isabella goes to see Heathcliff at Wuthering Heights, she remarks that he’s half-naked. I’ll give credit to the people who made this version for intentionally making it arousing by 1950s standards.
A pitfall that it runs into is the acting. Considering that this is a play made for television, almost everyone overemotes. The 1950 adaptation has the same flaw because it was created in the same medium, yet the 1958 one tones it down just a notch. Yes, there are certainly scenes where Richard Burton bellows in his signature baritone voice, but those are warranted given the character he plays.
Speaking of Burton, while he’s best known for his on-again-off-again relationship with Elizabeth Taylor (it’s he that Taylor Swift refers to when she sings “Burton to his Taylor” in “Ready for it?”), he’s still a good actor in his own right. By 1958, he received two Oscar nominations for My Cousin Rachel and The Robe, and his most widely acclaimed work was yet to come. And once again, I have to acknowledge the white elephant in the room with that Burton is a white guy playing a racially ambiguous character, especially with people making explicit remarks about his appearance (“dark as the devil” and “rogue g***y”). With that aside, Burton is still good in the role. He’s like Olivier in how he broods and expresses passion, yet he takes it a step further. He’s so passionate that one might think that he and Catherine did the dirty deed. Also, in the beginning when Heathcliff hears her voice, he literally breaks the windows in a fury known only to some. Furthermore, he leans more into Heathcliff’s cruelty. There’s the scene in which Isabella comes to Wuthering Heights that he comes off as predatory, especially when he kisses her nonconsensually. Additionally, he’s willing to portray Heathcliff’s violence towards others whether it’s Hindley, Isabella, etc. I appreciate how Burton portrays Heathcliff’s negative traits while retaining the spark that made him irresistible to Catherine.
With that all being said, Rosemary Harris (who’s best known for playing Aunt May in the 2000s Spider-Man movies) puts on the best performance. Her Catherine is psychologically damaged and emotional throughout, but she puts on a brave and happy face when needed. The version makes it clear that she was tormented after all the times she tried to defend Heathcliff from her brother while growing up. And yet, when Heathcliff leaves, Harris bellows out like her life depended on it while in the rain. Then, when Heathcliff comes back and tries to guilt trip her, she withers away. Harris plays this gradually, which works.
While I have plenty of praise for this adaptation, I have two issues that hold me back from placing it at the top as of now. One is that it lifts scenes from the 1939 version even though the writers of the earlier version aren’t credited. These include the conversation between Catherine and Heathcliff before she has dinner with Edgar and Catherine’s time with the Lintons after she runs out into the rain. The other problem is the pacing. By cutting the second half of the novel, the first part would be undoubtedly stretched. Surprisingly, the 1939 and 1950 adaptations are well-paced. This one is not much. The first part moves just fine, but after Heathcliff comes back and before Catherine’s death felt sluggish. My husband got so bored that he fell asleep while watching it. I don’t know if it’s because of Daniel Petrie’s direction, the amount of commercials DuPont showed, or what else. Regardless, the pacing could have been better.
The Wuthering Heights 1958 teleplay is another truncated version of the story that captured the spirit of the book better than its predecessors. I enjoyed how it emphasized the supernatural elements and the torment the famous lovers feel. In addition, I liked how it took it a step further by showing Heathcliff’s cruelty in more explicit ways. However, it still has the same problems as its predecessors because it excludes the second half of the novel along with its issues like retreading scenes from the 1939 movie and the pacing. Even though it doesn’t fully capture the spirit of the book, it’s still a good version that I would recommend to people watching every adaptation of Wuthering Heights and diehard Richard Burton fans.
Now, let’s see how this one fits into the ranking.
We’ll see how this ranking evolves after I see all the others.
Stay tuned next month when I review the 2026 movie with Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie!
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One of the movies I was looking forward to seeing last year was The Housemaid starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried.That was the whole reason why I read the book of the same name by Freida McFadden. I was curious to see how the film would translate the novel’s twists and turns. And reader, it did despite one major issue.
The movie is mostly faithful to the source material. There are some minor changes. For example, Andrew makes a big deal out of the chinaware that his family has owned for many years. This is not in the book, but it plays an important role in the second half. The main difference is the flick adds a ton of gore. There’s far more blood and horror in the movie than there is in the novel.
I love the design of the Winchester’s McMansion. It’s pristine, but it also makes people feel trapped, which is fitting for the story. This is especially true with the spiraling staircase. Even Nina mentions that the home was something out of the Guggenheim Museum.
The performances are mostly fantastic. Millie, Nina, and Andrew and their interactions are the glue to making the story work. One needs actors that understand the plot’s seriousness and insanity. For the most part, the actors in this adaptation do. Brandon Sklenar (best known for his work in the television show 1923 and the movie version of It Ends With Us) plays Andrew. He’s perfectly cast in the role since he looks like a very nice prince. What Sklenar is called to do, he excels.
Sydney my-jeans-are-blue Sweeney takes on the role of Millie the titular housemaid. If you are reading this, you probably know who she is. If not, she’s an actress who’s known for her body, her work in the television show Euphoria, and the controversial American Eagle ads. I’m not crazy about her as a person. She always looks dead behind the eyes and relies too much on her physical appearance for attention. Even if she didn’t make as much noise as she did in 2025, I would feel the same way. As for her performance, Sweeney has little to no reactions to things, especially in the first half. However, she comes alive in the second part. She was intense and funny. In fact, she has favorite moment in the entire film, where after Millie gets covered in blood, she goes, “F***! I need a sandwich.”
If Sweeney had brought energy to the first part, then it would have been a great performance. But as it is, it’s good.
Then, there’s Amanda Seyfried, and she put on the best performance. She plays Nina, and she understood the assignment. Seyfried takes on the worst and best parts of the character with gusto. She’s a pretty actress, but I admire how far she goes to make herself look deranged. While she doesn’t put on a fat suit, Seyfried looks dangerously thin and lets all of her emotions out in the ugliest way possible. Even though they can be hard to watch, these were the most entertaining parts. At one point, she emerges with a busted lip and blush applied to different parts of her cheeks. I honestly couldn’t believe that this was the same actress who played the dumb Karen in Mean Girls and Sophie in the Mamma Mia movies. If anything this movie is worth watching mainly because of Seyfried.
As I mentioned earlier, there was one major issue I had with the flick. It does more telling than showing. Throughout the movie, director Paul Feig adds voiceovers for important bits that take lines from the book, so viewers can hear the character’s inner voice. This worked for the most part. There were two bits that bothered me. First was during the second half, where Nina’s backstory is revealed. Much is told through voiceover and flashbacks, but there were certain things that I wanted to see instead of hear. The other is in the opening scene, in which Millie puts on her glasses right as she enters through the gate to the Winchester home. After her job interview, Millie tells the audience that she doesn’t wear them, and I was like, “I know. We just saw that.”
That voiceover would have worked better if the viewers were introduced with Millie with the spectacles already on.
Finally, watching this movie made me realize that the story is best consumed mainly once. It’s so predictable that I was noting certain things being said that I initially didn’t pick up on in the book. It made me a little antsy. Granted, the novel had plenty of obvious things happening too, but it was my first time engaging with The Housemaid. However, the second halves of both of the book and the movie are worth looking at even more because of how unpredictable they are.
The Housemaid movie adheres to the suspenseful spirit of the book. It’s predictable in the first half, but oh so gutsy in the second. The best part of the film are the performances, especially Amanda Seyfried’s. I would recommend to those who love psychological thrillers, Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, and the novel by Freida McFadden. Check it out while it’s still in movie theaters.
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Full disclosure: I was given an ARC of this book from SparkPoint Studio in exchange for an honest review.
During the daytime, I’m an archivist. I help people find research material for their projects, especially about their ancestors. There are some people who have discovered so much about their families that they have written genealogy books based on what they know about their dead relatives. They are usually nonfiction as they focus on retelling the facts in a narrative format. However, there are some that are told as historical fiction novels. Author Sandra Freels found so much about her ancestors that she wrote a fictionalized tale based on the resources she came across called Anneke Jans in the New World. While it’s an inspiring tale, I wish the story and characters were more fleshed out.
Anneke Jans in the New World is about a spirited young mother who faces the unknowns of seventeenth-century New Amsterdam after leaving the Old World. It’s 1630, and Anneke Jans has just arrived in the New Netherland colony with her husband, Roelof, and two young daughters to create a new life for herself and her family. She is among the few women in the colony. In order to survive, she has to make her own rules. When Roelof dies, she marries Everardus Bogardus – the lively minister of the Dutch Reformed Church. With this marriage, she joins the colony’s elite. However, when the colony’s new director provokes war on the region’s Native Americans and her new husband emerges as the head of the anti-war opposition, she finds herself in the middle of political turmoil. As more difficulties grow, Anneke must rely on her wits to protect herself and her growing family.
I knew nothing about Anneke Jans before coming across this book. I did a little research on her, and it turns out that she’s known as the “Mother of New Amsterdam” because of her resilience, especially how she stood her ground over long-running legal disputes over her farm in that area. Her descendants kept the fight going centuries after her death, when the English took it over and transformed it into New York, and when the land became prime real estate in Manhattan. Freels claims that Anneke is one of her ancestors. She clearly had a lot to work with.
Making Anneke’s story into historical fiction was a big gamble since she is relatively unknown outside of New York State history, but Freels bit off more than she could chew. At nearly 200 pages, the narrative feels rushed. Plotlines are introduced and resolved very quickly. In addition, there’s little time for characters to sit with their emotions and reactions to various things. The closest that readers get with the latter is when Anneke finds out that her second husband died while at sea. The beauty of historical fiction is imagining how famous people felt behind closed doors and their reasonings for why they do certain things that would impact history. The writing belongs more in a textbook than in a novel because of how stilted it can be. Freels previously authored three textbooks, so that checks out. She needed to loosen up and explore more of the characters’ mindsets to succeed in the storytelling department.
As much as I complain about this book, there were things that I enjoyed when I took a step back and saw the bigger picture. I learned a lot about the New Netherland colony. It was fascinating to see how the people worked with each other and with the indigenous community as well as how those relationships changed over time. I kept going to see how Anneke Jans herself evolved over the years being in the New World. She starts off as a quiet and timid wife who didn’t know much about working the land. Over time, she learns how to utilize the property and trade with others in the most effective ways. Society pressured her to remarry after her second husband’s death, yet she remained resolved and wanted to make her own money and become the owner of her land as a widow. Since New York is celebrating its 400th anniversary soon, I hope people get to talk about her, for she’s a fascinating character.
Anneke Jans in the New World by Sandra Freels is a fine novel. It’s nice to know that a historical fiction book about Anneke Jans was written by one of her descendants. I learned so much about the environment at the time and the titular character. On the other hand, the writing needed more work. I felt like I was reading a textbook most of the time with how plots are introduced and resolved swiftly, and it rarely stopped to let characters’ emotions sink in. I would only recommend it to those who are looking to write stories about their ancestors. While it’s not perfect, Freels should feel proud for creating a historical fiction novel about her famous ancestor.
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Hi Everybody!
Grab your hand-drawn maps and hamburger legs because returning guest Carl Malek and I talk about the 2008 movie version The Ruins in the latest installment of “His/Her Reviews” on the Adapt Me Podcast. We discuss the positives, negatives, and everything that freaked us out. Check it out at this link.
In the meantime, you can see my review of The Ruins the movie here.
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Hi Everybody!!
Today is the last Monday of the year! You know what that means? It’s the 6th annual year-end countdown of books* I reviewed in 2025!
*This also includes movies.
For those who don’t know. I’ll pick 6 titles for this list – 3 for the best and 3 for the worst! Now, I have only one question for you!
I sure am! Let’s get started with the Best Books of 2025
This year was interesting to say the least. There weren’t as many as 5-star books that I read. After 7 years of reviewing books, I’ve been looking at titles that I come across with a more critical eye. Nevertheless, I had an easy time choosing my top 3 this year because they were all well-written in their own unique ways. Let me show you.
3. Women in Politics Breaking Down the Barriers to Achieve True Representation by Mary Chung Hayashi
I’m going be very honest. I had a tough 2025 because of the political landscape. I was afraid of what was going to happen because I felt powerless to do something about it. However, this year, I realized could make a difference through education. Part of that shift in thinking was brought on by Women in Politics: Breaking Down the Barriers to Achieve True Representation by Mary Chung Hayashi. The book does a fantastic job with explaining what drives women to get into politics, the realistic barriers, and how gender equality can be achieved in a clear and concise manner and under 200 pages. The best part is Hayashi’s own story of how she became a politician after her sister’s death. She brings it home as to why female representation is important. Even though I never plan on running for political office, this book will definitely inspire others to do that regardless of gender, especially to combat sexism in the political world.
2. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
In the past, I’ve put banned books on my best list. If they are that good, I’ll put in on here. The Bluest Eye – the 1970 debut novel by Toni Morrison – is no different. It has been on several banned book lists over the years. Its depictions of racism and sexual assault are hard to get through, but not every novel is meant to comfort readers. Sometimes, they confront a reality that certain people don’t want to see. This novel falls into that category as it tackles society’s obsession with white beauty standards and how it impacts the black community. But, that’s not the main reason why The Bluest Eye is on the list. It’s the way Morrison tells the story of a little black girl who wants blue eyes. The prose is gorgeously dreamlike and devastating with so many quotable lines as my guest Amy Thomasson and I talked about in the Adapt Me Podcast episode on it. Every character also gets a backstory, no matter how big or small. Morrison knew exactly what she was doing when she wrote this ambitious novel. This marked the beginning of an iconic writing career.
1. Guidance from the Universe: Hopeful Messages for Everyday Challenges by Jill Amy Sager
Women in Politics wasn’t the only book to offer me hope this year. Guidance from the Universe: Hopeful Messages for Everyday Challenges by Jill Amy Sager did that in its own way. In this memoir, Sager demonstrates how she achieved enlightenment and self-acceptance through Tarot readings. While I knew very little about Tarot cards prior to reading this book, I learned so much about how it guides people through various challenges. Sager also encourages readers to make it an active read by including a set of questions that assists readers in their own spiritual journey at the end of each chapter. What truly made this a special book to me was how the author was open and honest about her struggles with a physical disability and her mother. I felt that I was being seen. This memoir was so good that I ordered a copy of it for a friend who too was having a tough year because she loves Tarot cards. As of now, this is my favorite self-help book. I’m going to re-read it as much as I can.
Before, we get the worst list, I want to mention that this is similar situation that I encountered in 2024, in which the titles were not bad. They happened to be the weakest of the ones that I looked at this year.
Now that we got that out of the way, it’s now time to get to the Top 3 Worst Books of 2025!
3. Six Days in Detox by Dianne Corbeau
Six Days in Detox by Dianne Corbeau is not a bad memoir. In fact, it has the potential to be great. It’s a harrowing tale about one woman’s relapse and time in a mental institution with some of the most awful people on Earth. The memoir also looks at an addict’s mindset with great empathy. Yet, why is it on the worst list? Well, there are two things that prevent it from being great. The first is that it’s extremely repetitive. Corbeau reiterates certain pieces of information to the point that it got annoying because it was less than 150 pages. In addition, the memoir contains some of the most egregious editing errors I’ve ever seen. One would need to read the book to find those out. If the editor looked over this memoir one or two more times, this wouldn’t be on the worst list.
2. The Pale Flesh of Wood by Elizabeth A. Tucker
The Pale Flesh of Wood by Elizabeth A. Tucker is a fine novel. Its main character and her conflict are interesting, and there are a lot of nice tree-lace metaphors about life. Sadly, my biggest gripe is the framework. The way the novel’s blurb had it made me think it was going to show several family members’ reactions to the father’s unexpected death. It didn’t. It was mainly about daughter Lyla and how she copes. That’s not the main problem I have with it. It tells the story in a chronological order, and it takes a third of the book before the death even occurs. It also loudly hints at it, and I was like, “We know what’s going to happen!”
It would’ve benefited from a different structure whether it being a flashback, or something similar to that in Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. Bringing up that novel makes me more even disappointed in The Pale Flesh of Wood because that scenario was done much better in the former.
1. A Palindrome: A Universal Theme of Life, Growth, Maturity, and Agedness by Robert C. Jones
I’ve read a lot of titles by Robert C. Jones. He writes in a sentimental way similar to what a lot of older writers tend to do when looking back on their lives, and I give him credit for a unique framing device of analyzing his name Bob. However, A Palindrome: A Universal Theme of Life, Growth, Maturity, and Agedness is not one of his best. Compared to his previous memoir A Life Well Bred, A Life Well Led, it’s not as interesting nor cohesive. Moreover, the whole palindrome framework doesn’t get a whole lot of attention. It doesn’t help that it uses some of the same poems from its predecessor. On top of that, there was a section that I was straight up confused about. I didn’t know why it was there to begin with. There are better memoirs than this one.
And that was the Top 3 Best and Worst Books of 2025! I hope all of you enjoyed it. I look forward to having plenty of new reviews for 2026! See you next year!
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Book Reviews by a Chick Who Reads Everything