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Review
'In the same category as REBECCA, but an even more consummate piece of storytelling' GUARDIAN 'From the first page ... the reader is back in the moody, brooding atmosphere of Rebecca' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
Product Description
I threw the piece of paper on the fire. She saw it burn ...Orphaned at an early age, Philip Ashley is raised by his benevolent older cousin, Ambrose. Resolutely single, Ambrose delights in Philip as his heir, a man who will love his grand home as much as he does himself. But the cosy world the two construct is shattered when Ambrose sets off on a trip to Florence. There he falls in love and marries - and there he dies suddenly. In almost no time at all, the new widow - Philip's cousin Rachel - turns up in England. Despite himself, Philip is drawn to this beautiful, sophisticated, mysterious woman like a moth to the flame. And yet ...might she have had a hand in Ambrose's death?
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I read this book after Jamaica Inn and Rebecca and whilst it is not as good as Jamaica Inn is certainly an exciting page turner.
The book is told in the first person by the rather priggish (to start with anyway) Philip Ashley who has been brought up as a member of the Cornish gentry by his elder cousin Ambrose. His devotion to Ambrose and complete disinterest in women allows for a subtle gay undercurrent to run through the books earlier chapters.
However, Ambrose travels to Florence (for health reasons) and there he marries the mysterious Rachel. When he dies unexpextedly Philip blames this woman for his death.
As Ambrose never revised his will Philip is left everything and Rachel soon comes to Cornwall to visit him. Philip does not want to meet her but when he does finds himself warming to her. The reader can see that he is falling in love with her, but Philip does not realise this until he is completely under her spell. Rachel has her detractors but Philip will not listen to them.
With the two of them living alone under the same room their relationship is slow burning but intense. Through Philip we gradually learn more about Rachel but he is unwilling to question any of her actions.
To say anymore would be to ruin the surprise of whether or not she is a black widow or not - or even if it is that simple.
I won't ruin the story for you but you will find yourself reading this book over the cooker, in the bath and during Emmerdale in order to get to the last page.
39 of 41 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
After reading Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca" and "Frenchman's Creek" and enjoying them both immensely, I decided to read "My Cousin Rachel". Within its pages I found a tender and touching story that has given me a significant volume to think about. This novel follows Philip Ashley, a young upper-class man who was brought up by his older cousin Ambrose in (like in the majority of du Maurier's novels) a grand house in Cornwall. As ever, du Maurier's intricately chosen words perfectly let the reader in on Philip's jealousy as Ambrose travels to Florence and marries the woman honoured in the title, Rachel, and his further feelings of anguish and spite towards her when she arrives in Cornwall following the premature death of Ambrose, believing Rachel to be at fault for his cousin's death. However, Philip's instinct gradually ebbs away as he becomes ever more obsessed with Rachel, and du Maurier effectively manages to stir up emotions in the reader as he loses sight of how possessive he becomes. If I had to compare this steady rise in tension from the beginning of the novel with anything, it would probably be the play "A View From the Bridge" by Arthur Miller: although I did not realise this until I had finished the book, everything in the novel seems to build up to the shocking finale.
I would not class "My Cousin Rachel" as a romance, but ultimately it is a heart-wrenching tale of love, longing and tragedy which is intelligently structured and will remain in the reader's thoughts for some time upon completion of the novel.
49 of 52 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you're looking for a love story, I'm afraid you're not going to find it here. If, however, you're looking for a fast moving plot and plenty of suspense then this is the book for you.
The dark, mysterious atmosphere in My Cousin Rachel is very similar to that of Rebecca. The reader is held in anxious anticipation until the very last page and yet again du Maurier delivers a surprising twist that still leaves you wondering...
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a great page-turner.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Puzzled and Perplexed
This is a psychological thriller, which takes the reader on a roller-coaster.
It is told in the first-person by Philip Ashley, who has been brought up, happily, by his cousin... Read more
It is told in the first-person by Philip Ashley, who has been brought up, happily, by his cousin... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Donald Hughes
Great book
Excellent entertainment for bookworms! Loved this book as much as Rebecca, definitely worth reading to those who enjoy quality fiction.
Published 1 month ago by Anna S.
Underrated feminist novel that holds attention from first to last word
I of course read Rebecca in my teens and felt such kinship with the nameless girl adrift in an adult world of which she has little understanding. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Keeley Wickham
du Maurier at her best!
I have always been a fan of Daphne du Maurier - "Rebecca" being my favourite book of all. However, I had never read "My Cousin Rachel". Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mrs. B. D. Hollidge
Dark
It has been some years since I last read this, and I had forgot quite how dark this really is. The narrator, Philip Ashley is orphaned at an early age and is brought up by his... Read more
Published 4 months ago by M. Dowden
Another of Du Maurier's Best Novels, Brilliant
There are some books which you finish and feel a mixture of utter joy that you read something so wonderful, swiftly followed by that lurch in your chest when you realise that these... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Simon Savidge Reads
An excellent read
Book arrived quickly and in perfect condition. It has proven to be yet another un-put-downable read from Daphne Du Maurier. Read more
Published 6 months ago by EMcC
Another Classic Du Maurier
This is a brooding tale of obsession in very much the same vein as the wonderful "Rebecca" - which also takes place in a house like Manderley. Read more
Published 7 months ago by bookworm
Exactly what we want from du Maurier.
My Cousin Rachel follows protagonist Philip Ashley, a young gentlemen coming-of-age who was brought up by his older cousin Ambrose on his grand Cornwall estate (one of the features... Read more
Published 9 months ago by bethanchloe
Not QUITE Rebecca - but still brilliant!
This book has been sitting unread on my shelves for years - ever since I saw a theatre adaptation in my early teens - and I have no idea why. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Miss E. Potten
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