Rebecca: Daphne Du Maurier (Virago Modern Classics)

‘’Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again’’ - probably the most famous opening line of any literary book.What a brilliant book! This classic masterpiece was written in 1938 but it is still so readable. It is a psychological thriller about a young woman who becomes obsessed with her husband's first wife.Here is what I loved the most:The author made a dead character the main character. She is non-existent but everyone either loves her or is obsessed with her.The nameless narrator - I liked that she was nameless, it added to the fact that she was living in her husband’s ex-wife’s shadow. She is also a naive and timid character. I do have my own theories about what her name is. 😉⭐️ I initially struggled with the first few chapters as it is heavily narrative based, but the start is very important for setting the atmosphere of Manderley. The author uses nature, the weather, plants and flowers to give the book a gothic and atmospheric feel.There are so many psychological themes explored and there is an emphasis on how Mrs De Winter is constantly compared to the first wife and discriminated against as she is much younger than her husband.I loved reading how Mr & Mrs De Winter’s relationship unfolded from marriage to moving into Manderley. The romantic scenes are always followed by dark truths!The secondary characters are strong personalities. Mrs Danvers and Beatrice (house staff & family member) carry the story well and are very important in shaping the main characters.I really enjoyed this, you will not see the plot twist coming. I have watched one but it does not compare to the book!

(This review contains mild spoilerish bits, so if you haven't yet read the book, do it now and then pop back... ;) )We first meet our unnamed narrator when she is in Monte Carlo, working as the paid companion to an elderly American lady, Mrs Van Hopper. Still more girl than woman, the narrator is shy and unsophisticated, not bothering much about the clothes she wears or the style of her hair. Mrs Van Hopper scrapes an acquaintance with Maxim de Winter, a rich and handsome Englishman staying in the hotel alone because, as Mrs Van Hopper informs the narrator, his wife recently died in a tragic sailing accident. Our girl is rather dazzled by this man of the world who so easily deals with all the little social problems she finds so difficult, and he in turn seems to like her quietness and unadorned simplicity. Within a few weeks, Maxim proposes and finally, thank goodness, our narrator has a name – the second Mrs de Winter.The book begins, of course, with one of the most famous opening lines in literature - “Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again.” The ensuing dream sequence acts as a prologue and warning of what is to follow, and straight away du Maurier builds up an atmosphere full of unease. As Mrs de W2 in imagination moves towards the house, she describes the lush vegetation taking back the once cultivated grounds and gardens, now growing out of control. There's an earthiness and sensuality to the descriptions, and a sense of growth and decay – a kind of raw, malignant vitality that seems to represent the first Mrs de Winter, Rebecca, while being a stark contrast to the rather sexless childlike personality of Mrs de W2. It's a magnificent start to the book, setting the mood superbly for what is to follow.The book is famously compared to Jane Eyre, but the dead Rebecca is much more vividly alive in Manderley than the madwoman in Mr Rochester's attic ever is. She infuses every room with the strength of her personality, as our narrator flits through the house like a ghost, or like the lowliest little maid, afraid to touch anything. Beautiful and vibrant, no-one who knew Rebecca remained untouched – it seems to Mrs de W2 that everyone adored her, some to the point of obsession. Even Mrs de W2's beloved dog Jasper was Rebecca's dog first. Gradually Mrs de W2 begins to think that Maxim made a mistake in marrying her – that he's still in love with Rebecca. And then one day, a storm leads to the discovery of Rebecca's lost boat, and suddenly everything Mrs de W2 thinks she knows about Rebecca and her husband is turned on its head.All three of the female characters in the book are brilliantly drawn; dead Rebecca, her glittering exterior hiding a more complex personality underneath, whom we only get to know through other people's memories of her; the housekeeper Mrs Danvers, whose grief for her first mistress makes her cold and cruel to the point of madness to the woman who has replaced her; and Mrs de W2 herself, a woman who seems to exist only to serve as an adjunct to people who need a doormat, moving from being the paid companion of a peevish and demanding elderly lady to becoming the unpaid companion of a peevish and bullying middle-aged man. I couldn't help but wonder if life with Mrs Van Hopper wouldn't have been more fun in the end.Oh, I do apologise to Maxim fans! The first time I read the book many years ago, I'm sure I fell a little in love with Maxim myself. This time round, I wanted to slap him with the proverbial wet fish. He treats Mrs de W2 as just slightly lower down the social pecking order than Jasper the dog for most of the book. Granted, she kinda asks for it but she's only young. Too young, Maxim – too, too young for a man of your age! Patting a woman on the head, physically or metaphorically, is never a good idea – if you behaved like that to Rebecca no wonder she turned out as she did! Couldn't you have reassured Mrs de W2 – told her you loved her, maybe even called her by her name occasionally? Why were your tender little feelings so much more important than hers? Your behaviour at the party was a piece of shameful bullying and a man of your age should have shown more understanding, and a bit of kindness. And, you know what? Last time I forgave you for what you did. But not this time! You behaved abominably and you should have paid a higher price! And don't think you can wheedle your way back into my affections just by looking like Laurence Olivier...Clearly my attitude to men who treat women like doormats has changed somewhat over the years! More seriously, though, the book gives a great picture of the relative positions of the genders at the time, especially how Rebecca's unconventional behaviour, which would have barely merited a raised eyebrow had she been a man, put her beyond the social pale as a woman. Du Maurier is just as incisive in her portrayal of the British class system in operation, with the squirearchy ready to build a defensive shield round one of their own regardless of his merits or otherwise.But as always with du Maurier it's the atmosphere of growing tension that gives the book its true greatness. Even though we more or less know how it ends within the first two chapters, du Maurier holds enough secrets in reserve to ensure the reader is kept in suspense all the way through. The descriptive writing is fantastic, creating strong visual images and making both the house and grounds of Manderley become living things, playing their own role in the unfolding drama. If there's anyone left out there who hasn't already read this masterpiece of psychological suspense, then I highly recommend you grab it as soon as you can!I part read/part listened to the book this time round, with the Audible audiobook narrated by Anna Massey. Her narration is very good – she has just the right kind of posh English accent for the subject matter, and every word is enunciated clearly. She does it as a straight reading; i.e., she doesn't “act” the parts, though she does differentiate the voices to some extent. I wasn't always totally thrilled by her “voices” - Maxim, for example, sounded a little gruffer than I would have gone for. But that's simply a matter of personal interpretation. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed her reading, and would look out for her as a narrator again.

Every one seems to have raved about this classic so thought it was about time I read it. I have to admit after the first few pages, I didn’t think it would be for me but thought it was unfair to judge it so early on and boy I couldn’t haven been more wrong!For some reason the author chooses not to reveal the name of the protagonist in the story but she is a young adult who seems to have led a sheltered life of sorts and not really into fashion or things young women of her age are usually into. She has a job as a companion which she finds rather tiresome for a woman she isn’t fond of, although getting to be in Monte Carlo definitely has to be a perk of the job. Whilst there she makes the acquaintance of Maxim de Winter, a recent widower.Whilst Maxim is a good deal older than her, the pair strike up a friendship of sorts and within weeks they are married. Throughout the story, Maxim’s home, Manderley, is very much a foreboding property. The descriptions of the house are wonderful with the pretty grounds and so close to the sea. It seems to hold some dark secrets though and the new Mrs de Winter finds herself living in the shadows of the former Mrs de Winter, Rebecca.To be honest I knew very little about the story before going in so I had no idea what to expect. The new mistress of the house is young and maybe somewhat foolish whilst lacking any real self confidence. Mrs Danvers the housekeeper, is a highly unlikeable character who I did try my best to have empathy for but found it floundered constantly. I had to admire her character though as she did send chills down my spine.We know very little about Rebecca which changes over the course of the story. Although dead, she casts a heavy mood throughout and I was keen to discover more. When we do, I don’t think I could have been anymore gripped than I already was and eager to see how it would all plan out. I had a lot of sympathy for the younger Mrs de Winter as she has some big boots to fill in her new role and you will find yourself routing for her and proving herself that she is more than good enough.Rebecca was an unexpectedly and wonderfully brooding read. It’s almost like one of those gothic tales. There is an air of suspense and the presence that Manderley house and Rebecca make in the story was almost hypnotic. It was so easy to lose yourself in to the brilliant descriptions of the place and all its grandeur. Admittedly I wasn’t keen on the rather abrupt ending but there is enough in the story that gives you sense of what comes after the big climax. Am so glad I finally got round to reading it and is certainly a classic in that readers in years to come will still appreciate this very well written novel.

“Rebecca”, is a classic gothic novel that was written in 1938 by Daphne du Maurier and it maintains a strong eerily theme throughout, it’s an exquisite psychological thriller, narrated by an unnamed woman who becomes the second wife of Maxim de Winter, the narrative is a flashback and story begins with her memories of how she and Maxim first met, in Monte Carlo. Du Maurier’s prose is elegant and descriptive in its artfulness, it evokes complex feelings and emotions as this unnamed heroine strives for personal identity and becomes the new mistress of the haunted Manderley. Rebecca still has power over the glamorous grounds even though she is dead, it is the strangest thing. It’s a gripping and gloomy tale.The narrator is younger, practically a schoolgirl, her hair is drab and she bites her fingers nails, not very ladylike given the time period. Moreover, she has this inability to talk to her own servants or run a house. Rebecca, on the other hand, was a finished lady, she was exquisite as the priceless china cupid her clumsy replacement breaks. It was Rebecca who created Manderley, turning the lovely old house into the grandeur estate people rave about and it was Mrs. Danver at Rebecca’s side to ensure its grandeur was maintained, even in her death. Danvers despised men, it’s ironic that for a woman she had many male tendencies, she was a true villain.Everyone was obsessed about Rebecca’s absence, it was tarred with jealousy on many levels, personally and intimately. When Rebecca’s body was found, the truth starts to rear its ugly head, it was sheer brilliance. It becomes a fairy tale gone wrong. The deeper you get into the book, the darker and more spooky it becomes as the mystery unfolds, a gothic core that is very compelling. The ending was ambiguous, open to interpretation of the reader, but one thing is certain, justice was not served and the reader may or may not be appalled by this.I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Una trepidante historia de suspenso que te mantendrá al borde del asiento con sus maravillosas descripciones y sus giros oscuros. 100% recomendada para los amantes del thriller.

die Tochter war sehr glücklich das Buch lesen zu können.

Arrived as described. Hard cover with special edition for 80th anniversary.

I love the cover of this book, especially the letters that shine in gold when light falls on them.