Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best books ever written, 22 Aug 2005
Daphne du Maurier's classic novel "Rebecca" is, in my opinion, the most touching and thought-provoking of all of her works of fiction, and possibly one of the best books ever written. The story follows a young woman who, after accepting the much older Maxim de Winter's sudden proposal of marriage merely days after they meet in Monte Carlo, must contend with Maxim's stunningly beautiful late first wife, Rebecca, as she takes her place at her new husband's equally beautiful home Manderley.This is a haunting tale, and as you would expect from du Maurier every aspect is conveyed fantastically through her rich, expressive writing style and vocabulary. No characters in a du Maurier novel are ever under-developed, and "Rebecca" boasts the most interesting set of characters I have ever seen in a novel. My favourites include the mysterious, somewhat frightening Mrs Danvers, who is undoubtedly the most stricken by Rebecca's death and remains obsessed with her a year after she was "drowned"; Maxim's sister Beatrice, who seems to be the only one who immediately takes to the new Mrs de Winter out of sympathy and sheer heart; and Frank Crawley, Maxim's agent, a quiet character who somehow reminds me of myself. Of course, there are then the marvellous creations of the two main characters, the most unlikely people ever to fall in love. Du Maurier injects me with a stab of pain every time she allows a character, paricularly Maxim, to refer to the new Mrs de Winter as a "child", and she emphasises her lowly status even more by not revealing her first name throughout the entire novel. Mrs de Winter, therefore, constantly finds herself under scrutiny and, like everyone around her at Manderley, becomes increasingly haunted by Rebecca. But this wonderful woman was not all she appears to have been... As ever, du Maurier provides her reader with many twists and turns, none of which are escalated out of proportion to make the plot mindblowingly exciting and unbelievable, instead assisting in establishing "Rebecca" as a work of genius from one of the greatest authors ever to have lived. I cannot urge you more strongly to read this novel.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great gothic tale, 28 Feb 2007
Daphne Du Maurier's 'Rebecca' is a timeless story, one which appeals to readers across generations, of all ages, with varied literary interests. I first came across this book on a university course and it worked really well as a book which opened up wide areas of discussion, but this book also works just as well as one which can be read purely for escapism and enjoyment.
'Rebecca' tells the story of a young wife, taken to her husband's estate, Manderley, where she is haunted by the memory of his dead, first wife Rebecca. Maxim de Winter's new wife is taunted by the housekeeper Mrs Danvers who refuses to accept the new Mrs De Winter into the house.
Overall this book has all the ingredients of a great gothic tale, it is mysterious, intriguing and has great plot twists which will keep you guessing to the end. A book to be enjoyed by everyone.
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24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A brilliant novel, 14 Mar 2003
When I began this novel, I was struck by how boring and confusing the first chapter was. I had no idea how much the opening line, "Last night I drempt I went to Manderly again" would haunt me. Slowly, gradually, the book crept up in my esteem until I found myself gasping, screaming and sobbing by turns. I know this reaction may seem a little bit drastic, but the book gradually pulls the reader into a spellbinding web of mystery, intrigue and romance that keeps twisting the readers expectations. Once it reaches its climax, this novel amazingly manages to keep it up until the very end of the book.Rebecca is the story of the young, innocent, and naive 2nd Mrs. DeWinter. The 1st Mrs. DeWinter was Rebecca, perfect, beloved, and well-remembered by all who knew her. Although Rebecca is dead the entire book, her ghost (figuratively, not literally) haunts our heroine as she tries to define the role of Mrs. DeWinter for herself. Everything she does is wrong because it is not the way Rebecca would have done it; she lives in a house where she is constantly compared to the beautiful, skilled, artistic, intelligent, and sociable Rebecca whose faults seem all to have been forgotten in death. The 2nd Mrs. DeWinter is shy, pretty, clumsy, and painfully naive in her behavior. She is not the picture perfect heroine, and she seems always to be measured against absolute perfection... I really can't say much more without giving anything away. Trust me that what sounds like a simple and depressing story of a failure of a wife is actually romantic and quite thrilling. I hightly recommend this book to anyone who can appreciate suspense. Please, take this book home and give it a try-- and don't be discouraged by the slow start. It gets better-- I promise you.
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