An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations

Wuthering Heights” (1847) by Emily Brontë tells the dark and passionate story of Heathcliff, an orphan brought to the isolated Yorkshire moors, and his intense bond with Catherine Earnshaw. Their childhood friendship blossoms into a destructive, all-consuming love that defies social conventions. When Catherine chooses to marry the wealthy Edgar Linton instead, Heathcliff’s obsession turns to vengeance, tormenting both the Linton and Earnshaw families for generations. Set against the wild, untamed landscape of the moors, the novel explores themes of love, revenge, social class, and the supernatural, culminating in a haunting conclusion where death fails to sever their connection. With its raw emotional power and unconventional structure, Wuthering Heights remains a groundbreaking work of Gothic literature and a timeless exploration of love’s darker extremes.

“Crime and Punishment” (1866) by Fyodor Dostoevsky plunges into the tormented mind of Rodion Raskolnikov, a broke ex-student in St. Petersburg who rationalizes murdering a greedy pawnbroker as a test of his “extraordinary man” theory. But after the brutal act, guilt and paranoia consume him, manifesting in feverish hallucinations and a cat-and-mouse game with the cunning investigator Porfiry. The novel’s tension coils tighter as Raskolnikov spirals between arrogance and despair, while encounters with other desperate souls-like the virtuous Sonia, a downtrodden sex worker-force him to confront morality and redemption. A psychological masterpiece, Dostoevsky’s tale dissects nihilism, suffering, and the possibility of spiritual rebirth through sin.