Emily Brontë's novel was published in two volumes, and a third volume containing "Agnes Grey" by her younger sister was added.
"This is a work of art. Here, not only the text is important, but also the object itself — the book in its original form. Copies in the original binding are exceptionally rare," noted Christie’s rare books specialist Mark Wiltshire.
According to Wiltshire, the last time such a copy appeared at auction was back in 1908. Therefore, modern collectors have a chance to acquire a book of this caliber for the first time in several generations. Interest in the lot is expected from both private collections and the largest libraries in the world.
"Wuthering Heights" was published in 1847: Emily Brontë's novel was released in two volumes, with a third volume added to the edition containing "Agnes Grey" by her younger sister Anne. Publisher Thomas Cottey Newby was eager to capitalize on the success of Charlotte Brontë's "Jane Eyre," which had been released shortly before by competitors.
The Brontë sisters were then published under male pseudonyms: Charlotte as Currer Bell, Emily as Ellis Bell, and Anne as Acton Bell. At the same time, according to Wiltshire, Newby was not opposed to readers noticing primarily the surname Bell and possibly mistaking "Wuthering Heights" for a new book by the author of "Jane Eyre."
The true names of the authors became known only after Emily's death. In 1850, Charlotte Brontë released a new edition of "Wuthering Heights," adding a biographical sketch about her sister.
The first edition of 1847 was printed with numerous errors, which today only increase its value for collectors. The text contained confusing dashes and commas, and the word Heights in the title was misspelled several times as Heghts.
The novel about love, loss, social inequality, and destructive passions immediately sparked controversy. Some were struck by its power, while others were shocked by its darkness and harshness. A reviewer from Graham’s Lady's Magazine wrote: "How a man could write such a book and not commit suicide before finishing a dozen chapters is a mystery. It is a mixture of crude depravity and unnatural horrors."
Even critics who found the novel heavy and excessively dark acknowledged its power. One reviewer from Literary World wrote: "Despite the repulsive coarseness of many dialogues and the incredibility of many plot twists, the book holds us captive."
Later, "Wuthering Heights" gained many passionate admirers. Among them were artist and poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti, poet Algernon Charles Swinburne, and writer Virginia Woolf. She believed that Emily was a greater poet than Charlotte.
Wiltshire himself first encountered the novel through Kate Bush's song Wuthering Heights, released in 1978. According to him, the book has not let him go since then: "It is truly a landmark work, one of the most iconic novels in English literature."
Wiltshire studied the fate of the surviving copies and believes that only six books in original binding have survived to this day from public collections. Only three of them are located in the UK — at the British Library, the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford, and the Brotherton Library at the University of Leeds.
The copy that will be auctioned on June 30 belongs to the trustees of an unnamed aristocratic collection. According to library records, the book has been there since the early 1850s. However, Wiltshire suspects that it was purchased immediately after its release in 1847 — specifically for reading. This is indicated by the condition of the volumes: "Wuthering Heights" is noticeably well-read, while "Agnes Grey" has remained almost untouched.
Before the auction, the book will be shown to the public for the first time — and possibly the last time — at a free exhibition at London’s Christie’s. The exhibition will open on June 26 and last for four days. After that, the lot will go under the hammer at The Exceptional Sale: Masterworks Across Cultures, which will take place on June 30. The final price is likely to be influenced by the popularity of the Hollywood adaptation!
