Nelly Dean

St Just Monday Morning Reading Group 27th January 2025.

Nelly Dean. Alison Case.

Several readers really enjoyed this book, seeing it as a Victorian melodrama, a very interesting and cleverly written story about Nelly Dean, the housekeeper at Wuthering Heights, and a presentation of a servant’s point of view in this context – an angle which is largely ignored in novels of this period. Some readers guessed, and some did not guess in advance, that Nelly was Hindley’s half-sister; Hindley’s behaviour towards Nelly in the earlier part of the book was seen as quite touching. The happy ending was appreciated.

Aspects that were less admired were the over-lengthy discussion of Nelly establishing breast-feeding with Hareton; and the idea that the narrative was a little hard to get into at the beginning, and slightly predictable towards the end.

We talked about how much this book was allied to Wuthering Heights, and whether Nelly Dean could be read independently from it – the consensus was that ideally, one would have read Wuthering Heights first and Nelly Dean immediately afterwards. We also noted that our perceptions of Wuthering Heights itself have been altered by seeing and hearing so many films, adaptations and songs connected with it that the original book has faded into our reading pasts.

There was, however, a different set of opinions about Nelly Dean. Some readers were less impressed with it, and thought it almost ‘parasitic’ – a theft of Emily Brontë’s characters, and in the same place and setting. Moreover, Nelly Dean’s being a more down to earth and grounded story served to remove the mystique, the ethereal quality, of Wuthering Heights, they thought. For some, Nelly Dean detracted from, rather than enhanced, their perceptions of Wuthering Heights. This led to a discussion of the general merits and demerits of sequels to and spin-offs from classic novels, and a comparison with Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead, which is a similar retelling of a classic but set in a completely different context.

We ended by talking about the character of Heathcliff, in both books, his name and possible origins.

This book engendered quite a long discussion and some very interesting points.

It's many years since I read Wuthering Heights and I wondered if my memory of the book and limited awareness of the housekeeper character would reduce my enjoyment. In fact I felt you would gain as much satisfaction whether or not you'd even read the "original".

This was a fascinating dip into history with the relationships between servants and their masters and the realities of life on a poorer estate at the fore. The way Nelly and her mother made their way through life and in which Nelly was treated as a chattel without feelings at times was a fascinating study of the age.
I found it a compelling read and highly recommend this book.

Richard P.

It is possible to enjoy Nelly Dean without having read Wuthering Heights but a little background knowledge would enhance your reading experience. Alison Case tells us the story of Nelly Dean the housekeepers daughter, from her early days sharing lessons with Cathy and Hindley through the arrival of Heathcliffe and beyond to her days as housekeeper. The book does not simply recount Emily Bronte's novel but it takes us in a different direction looking at life through Nelly's eyes.

This book adds some background to Wuthering Heights. It is an easy read but, for me, does not add convincingly to the original. Perhaps it is the case that a much loved work stands the test of time and attempts to add to the story will pale by comparison.