Tough-O-Meter

We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)

(4) Base Camp

With her violently romantic plot line and passionate characters, Emily Brontë has no problem drawing the reader into the book. And once you get through the first two chapters, you are definitely hooked. Heathcliff seems like such a jerk, but he is one of the most famous romantic protagonists ever.

Brontë doesn't always make it easy to follow the timeline—there are all sorts of flashbacks—so you have to pay attention to where you are in the story. Though Nelly Dean and Lockwood are our main narrators, there are numerous sub-narrators. Of course, everyone has his or her own opinion on the Earnshaw-Linton drama, so keep in mind that you are getting anything but an objective narration.