Alexandria Wyckoff
A rare first-edition copy of Emily Brontë’s famous novel, Wuthering Heights, is heading to auction for the first time in over a hundred years.
Rare First Edition
Christie’s auction house first reported on Monday that it’s the first copy of Wuthering Heights in the publisher’s original cloth binding to be auctioned since 1908.
At the time of publication, only around 250 copies were printed. This particular example has been in a private library since shortly after its publication in 1847.
Christie’s books and manuscripts specialist Mark Wiltshire commented, “The vast majority of surviving copies were rebound for collectors or libraries, meaning original cloth examples are now extremely scarce.”
The first edition of Wuthering Heights is being sold alongside a copy of sister Anne Brontë’s Agnes Grey. The pair is expected to sell between $536,964 and $805,416 (£400,000 and £600,000).
Both books feature the male pen names the sisters adopted to get published during the period: Ellis Bell for Emily and Acton Bell for Anne.
Spelling Mistakes
Along with having its original cover, the copy of Wuthering Heights holds one other peculiarity: spelling mistakes.
After the success of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights was rushed to publication.
Due to the rush, it didn’t have the chance to be looked through, and now first editions are notorious for their typographical errors, including, Wiltshire noted, the occasional misspelling of the word “heights.”
Wuthering Heights Legacy
Wuthering Heights has had some highs and lows throughout its history.
When the novel was first published, some critics were shocked by the content. One critic in 1848 even stated there was “vulgar depravity and unnatural horrors” within its pages.
However, the feeling has changed over the years.
Wiltshire shared that the novel has “moved beyond literature to become a cultural touchstone,” inspiring art, music, and multiple film adaptations. This includes the recent Emerald Fennell adaptation starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Cathy and Heathcliff, respectively.
Wiltshire added, “It remains a work that artists return to again and again because of its emotional force, its atmosphere, and its psychological intensity, ensuring its place not only in literary history but in wider cultural imagination.”
The auction for the first edition copy of Wuthering Heights takes place on June 30th in London.