A rare first-edition copy of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, still in its publisher's original cloth binding, is set to go under the hammer at Christie's in London. The auction house notes that this is the first such copy to appear at auction since 1908, making it a significant event for collectors and literary historians alike.
Only around 250 copies of the first edition were printed in 1847, and the vast majority were later rebound for libraries or private collectors. According to Mark Wiltshire, Christie's specialist in books and manuscripts, “original cloth examples are now extremely scarce.” This particular volume has remained in a private library since shortly after publication.
The book is being sold alongside a copy of Anne Brontë's Agnes Grey, and the pair is expected to fetch between £400,000 and £600,000 (€462,000–€925,000).
A Text Riddled with Errors
The first edition of Wuthering Heights is notorious for its typographical errors, a consequence of the novel being rushed to print after the success of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. Wiltshire points out that even the word “heights” is occasionally misspelled within the text. These imperfections add to the volume's historical character and rarity.
When it first appeared, the novel shocked many critics. One review in 1848 condemned its “vulgar depravity and unnatural horrors.” Yet over time, the work has transcended its initial reception. Wiltshire observes that it has “moved beyond literature to become a cultural touchstone,” inspiring countless adaptations in art, music, and film.
Recent cinematic interpretations include Emerald Fennell's version starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. Our review of that film noted that “Fennell can't crank up the thirstiness, campery and strangeness” and described it as “a very boring new low” that “guts one of the most emotionally violent novels ever written for a surface-level flirtation with corset kink.”
The auction of this first edition underscores the enduring fascination with Brontë's work. As Wiltshire puts it, the novel “remains a work that artists return to again and again because of its emotional force, its atmosphere, and its psychological intensity.”
For those interested in rare literary artifacts, this sale offers a unique opportunity. The auction also echoes other notable sales of cultural heritage items, such as the Eiffel Tower staircase segment that fetched €450,160 in Paris and the Greek island Makri listed at €247,000.
