When I began reading Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte, I was under warning from several sources that it wasn't worth reading for a Christian. It's too dark, it glorifies evil, it doesn't have any redeeming factors, etc. On the other hand, the book is a classic, it has stood against , and is a renowned example of good writing. So I read it.
Wuthering Heights is the story of Heathcliff, an orphan gypsy boy brought into a comfortable life, and those whose lives he affects. Upon being adopted he becomes a favorite, to the resentment of his new brother, and sister to a lesser degree. He goes through life getting anything he wants, until the father dies. The the brother's cruelty is unleashed. Heathcliff appears to bear it, until he recieves dissappointment and leaves, bitter and resentful. The rest of the story is seemingly a twisted tale of revenge and vengeance.
In reality, what I read was a story full of grace, though it may not be easy to see. The problem arises when we expect our grace to come in comfortable packages. The idea of darkness and evil are relegated to the devil and his cohorts. We will take our grace with sugar and cream, let the sinners have the vinegar. We lose a lot if we think of pretty things all wrapped in pink bows when Paul admonishes us to meditate on those things which are pure and noble. But, by affirming a disconnect between God and that which we call evil, we deny His soveriegnty over all things.
The Bible is full of dark things that would give us heeby-geebies and nightmares if we tried to understand them, and they are example of God giving grace. The life of King David's family makes Wuthering Heights look like Leave It to Beaver. Job didn't exactly walk through a bed of roses. The crucifiction of Christ was the darkest, most evil event in human history, and the most unfathomable act of grace. If there had been no fall in the garden, there would be no redemption.
Wuthering Heights looks at the effects of both indulgence and vengeance. The characters are all flawed, but somehow that makes it real. It tends to sting because it tends to touch home. It doesn't end in a nice comfortable way. Some don't get redemption like hoped, and some get it where it was unexpected. The book has its flaws, and it may not be for all, but I gained a lot from reading it.
