Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Published by Little Brown and Company on December 17, 2013 (first published August 1938)
Source: Borrowed
Genres: Classic, Gothic
Pages: 449
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Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again . . .
The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives--presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave.
Rebecca was a re-read for me, but the last time I read it I was probably in high school. I had a basic idea of the storyline, but didn’t remember a lot of the details. I honestly expected to love it, but instead I felt like I was slogging through it.
The heroine is unnamed through the entire novel and it is told in the first person. I think part of the reason I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought was her. For the whole first half/two-thirds of the book, I wanted her to take charge of her life. Yes, she was in awe of Maxim, her new husband, and of her estate, but she was so timid and afraid and just rather annoying.
That being said, it is an intense book and Rebecca is an incredibly memorable character, especially for being someone we know only through others’ memories and impressions. The descriptions are detailed and atmospheric. I can appreciate the novel, but this time around I can’t say I enjoyed it.
About Daphne du Maurier
Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, DBE (13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English author and playwright.
Although she is classed as a romantic novelist, her stories have been described as “moody and resonant” with overtones of the paranormal. Her bestselling works were not at first taken seriously by critics, but have since earned an enduring reputation for narrative craft. Many have been successfully adapted into films, including the novels Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel, and Jamaica Inn, and the short stories “The Birds” and “Don’t Look Now/Not After Midnight”.
Du Maurier spent much of her life in Cornwall, where most of her works are set. As her fame increased, she became more reclusive.
Her parents were the actor/manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and stage actress Muriel Beaumont, and her grandfather was the cartoonist and writer George du Maurier.
This is a favorite book!!
I haven’t re-read it, but Mrs. Danvers is my FAVORITE villain.
Thanks for sharing.
She is a great character.
I always have trouble re-reading. I read this one as an adult, but everything seems to lose some of it’s shine when I go back to pick it up a second time. I wish I was a re-reader!
I don’t re-read books often, maybe this is part of the reason.
Sorry it wasn’t as good as you’d have liked.
Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for it? I don’t know.
If ever there was a classic this was it.
True enough. I thought for sure I’d love it.
This is a book I feel like I should read but figure I’d probably slog through it too.
Yeah, I would have thought it was a must-read but now I’m not so sure.
I admire rereaders…I am not one…there are too many new books out there!
There aren’t too many I re-read, and there needs to be a fair amount of time between readings,
That works..time between reading…I used to always reread A Tree Grows In Brooklyn and Margery Morningstar every summer.
I read it not that many years ago and didn’t care for it either.
That makes me feel a bit better. I thought I was the only one.