The biggest differences between the Wuthering Heights film adaptation and the novel

On February 13, Emerald Fennell’s version of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights finally hit theatres, making it one of the biggest films of the year.

However, Emerald’s film is best understood not as a literal adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel, but as a personal cinematic reinterpretation, one that prioritises emotional intensity, sensuality, and narrative focus over fidelity to every element of the source material.

The director has stated publicly that the film is her version of the over 200-year-old book, saying she wanted to make a film that captured the emotions she experienced when she first read the book at the age of 14.

Taking a look at some of the biggest differences below (Spoilers for both the film and book below)

The Story Ends Where the Book’s First Half Ends — and No Further

Perhaps the single biggest departure is that the film only adapts the first half of Brontë’s novel, focusing on the intense, doomed romance between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff.

It omits the entire second half, which in the book follows the next generation, Cathy Linton, Linton Heathcliff and Hareton Earnshaw, and explores the long-term consequences of revenge and legacy.

In the book: The narrative spans two generations, with complex family politics, cycles of vengeance and eventual emotional resolution.

In the film: The story ends shortly after Catherine’s death. The next generation never appears, and Heathcliff’s later actions (including his treatment of Linton and Hareton) are absent.

Many Characters Are Cut or Drastically Altered

To focus tightly on the central romance and keep the narrative contained, the film eliminated or transformed several key characters:

Mr. Lockwood: In the novel, Lockwood is the narrator and framing voice, a London outsider who hears the story from Nelly Dean. In the film, he does not appear at all.

Hindley Earnshaw: Catherine’s older brother, a brutal antagonist in the book, is virtually erased. In the movie, his narrative traits are folded into Mr Earnshaw, who becomes a darker, more abusive figure than in the novel.

Joseph and Minor Figures: Joseph, the old church servant in the book, is reimagined as a younger, comic-relief character with different relationships.

Edgar and Isabella Linton: In the book they are siblings. The film alters this dynamic, making Isabella a ward of Edgar rather than his sister.

The Relationship Is More Explicit and Sexualised

Emerald Fennell’s adaptation foregrounds the physical and erotic dimension of Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship in ways that the novel never does:

Book: Brontë’s storytelling implies deep passion and emotional intensity, but there are no explicit sexual scenes. The relationship is largely psychological and emotional.

Film: The movie includes numerous explicit sexual scenes between Catherine and Heathcliff, and even a symbolic portrayal of Catherine’s sexual awakening, elements entirely absent from the novel.

Heathcliff’s Race and Social Meaning Are Subdued

In the novel, Heathcliff’s racial and cultural ambiguity is integral to his outsider status, as agreed upon by many Brontë scholars. He’s described as a “dark-skinned gypsy” and is treated with prejudice, shaping his motivations and later cruelty.

However, in the film, he is played by a white actor (Jacob Elordi) and the story does not engage with his race or implied outsider identity. This removes one of the book’s major subtler themes: the way class, race and belonging interact in the Yorkshire moors.

Changes to Plot Points and Catherine’s Fate

Due to the adaptation of only the first half of Brontë’s novel, focusing on the intense, doomed romance between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, the fate of Catherine was changed.

In the novel: Catherine dies after childbirth and gives birth to a daughter, Cathy.

In the film: Catherine suffers sepsis and loses her baby, and the story ends there, eliminating the daughter and her eventual role in healing generational wounds.

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