This is one of my favorite songs by Bob Dylan. The emotion Dylan solicits is incredible, and I think that's rare to find in musicians. One of Dylan's most underappreciated songs. Although it's just using the basic blues form, Dylan easily conveys his anger to the audience. | Since his surfacing in the 60's, Bob Dylan has been an American Icon and pioneer in Folk music. He has had great success throughout the 20th century, and his music is still loved and respected today, nearly sixty years later. The only problem is: you either love Dylan, or you hate him. Dylan has a distinct voice, both in his writing and in his singing. His lyrics tell stories, and many consider his words to be some of the best ever written. However, many don't appreciate his voice. His voice is edgy. It's harsh. It isn't something you would expect from reading the beautiful poetry he excels at. And so those who don't appreciate his voice tend to hate him as a musician, scoffing at his success throughout the years. In the same way, Emily Bronte has a very similar fan base. After telling one of my closest friends that I was reading Wuthering Heights she nearly fell out of her chair. She started with, "Oh my gosh, don't you just love it!?!" and then continued into a rant about how she loves the book dearly, but also hates it passionately. Why is that? I had to ask myself why such a beloved author would have such a bipolar fan base. It was reassuring to know I wasn't the only one who had a love hate relationship with it, but frightening that a classic novel, treasured by literary critics, would make its' readers feel this way. And then I drew the conclusion that completely changed the way I saw the novel. Emily Bronte is the literary Bob Dylan. Absurd? Possibly. Pretentious? Sure. However, I found a lot of parallels between the two. Most everyone can agree that the writing of both Dylan and Bronte is immaculate. The work is distinct, uncanny, and unique to the author. Take away the storyline or the vocals and you've got some solid writing. Now, when you begin to add the vocals and guitar in, when you begin to add the storyline in, this is where people start to deviate. Everyone wants to like Bob Dylan. It's Bob Dylan. He's classic - an immortal in the world of music whether you enjoy his style or not. In the same way, many want to like Bronte. Not only is she considered a classic, she's an immortal in the literary world. Although her absurd characters and hyperbolic storyline in Wuthering Heights can drive readers crazy, Bronte excels at creating emotion in her readers - something that musicians strive for when they play for audiences. It's easy to hate Catherine and Heathcliff because they resemble characters we're familiar with through Twilight, but that's not the point of their existence. Their existence makes the readers feel something while they follow their story. And that accomplishment is what sets Bronte apart from other authors. |