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jazzy_dave) wrote2021-03-07 07:02 pm
jazzy_dave) wrote2021-03-07 07:02 pm
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Book 21 - Daphne du Maurier "Rebecca"
Daphne du Maurier "Rebecca" (Mandarin Books)
This book is for someone who loves suspense, mystery, and a little bit of romance. Rebecca is for many the quintessential Gothic novel: a drafty old house, a damsel in distress, heroes and villains, and mysterious twists.
It is about a young woman who isn't quite sure of her place in the world. She gets married to Maxim de Winter. She knew that he had a previous wife- the mysterious Rebecca-, and recognizes that he dislikes talking about her. Their lives are put in jeopardy when a diver finds Rebecca's body at the bottom of the bay and the new Mrs. de Winter finds out Rebbeca's, and Maxim's horrible past. Will Rebecca win in the end?
Du Maurier knows well how to spin an enthralling mystery. She builds the suspense slowly and steadily and creates an atmosphere that for me is rarely found elsewhere. Rebecca and Manderley are both palpable characters even though neither of them is actually alive. The narrator is eminently sympathetic, and even though she is a bit wimpy, it’s easy to understand why and how. She&rsquo's out of her league for the most part, and she copes the best she can. Each character feels like they could exist, except perhaps Rebecca, but that could just be because she is so different from me - even the cruel Mrs. Danvers has two sides and her cruelty is to some extent understood and explained to the reader. They all have motives for their actions. Everything is tight and well done.
Also, the first-person narration is excellent - we really do see through the current Mrs de Winter's eyes and she acts as a filter for our understanding.
The dead Rebecca's presence is felt throughout the book, both when she is regarded as a flawless saint and later after her degradations are revealed (though the nature of her sins is coyly not properly described). Aside from the main plot and atmosphere of the house, one other attractive feature is the descriptions of food and the endless lavish meals that keep being served and (sometimes) eaten.
In my estimation, this is a very good read and I would heartily recommend it as it has all the tropes of the classic victorian Gothic novel without being a Victorian novel.
This book is for someone who loves suspense, mystery, and a little bit of romance. Rebecca is for many the quintessential Gothic novel: a drafty old house, a damsel in distress, heroes and villains, and mysterious twists.
It is about a young woman who isn't quite sure of her place in the world. She gets married to Maxim de Winter. She knew that he had a previous wife- the mysterious Rebecca-, and recognizes that he dislikes talking about her. Their lives are put in jeopardy when a diver finds Rebecca's body at the bottom of the bay and the new Mrs. de Winter finds out Rebbeca's, and Maxim's horrible past. Will Rebecca win in the end?
Du Maurier knows well how to spin an enthralling mystery. She builds the suspense slowly and steadily and creates an atmosphere that for me is rarely found elsewhere. Rebecca and Manderley are both palpable characters even though neither of them is actually alive. The narrator is eminently sympathetic, and even though she is a bit wimpy, it’s easy to understand why and how. She&rsquo's out of her league for the most part, and she copes the best she can. Each character feels like they could exist, except perhaps Rebecca, but that could just be because she is so different from me - even the cruel Mrs. Danvers has two sides and her cruelty is to some extent understood and explained to the reader. They all have motives for their actions. Everything is tight and well done.
Also, the first-person narration is excellent - we really do see through the current Mrs de Winter's eyes and she acts as a filter for our understanding.
The dead Rebecca's presence is felt throughout the book, both when she is regarded as a flawless saint and later after her degradations are revealed (though the nature of her sins is coyly not properly described). Aside from the main plot and atmosphere of the house, one other attractive feature is the descriptions of food and the endless lavish meals that keep being served and (sometimes) eaten.
In my estimation, this is a very good read and I would heartily recommend it as it has all the tropes of the classic victorian Gothic novel without being a Victorian novel.
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