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 I don't understand the appeal of this novel-the writing was good but I just didn't get the plot. Does this make me stupid? October 25, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
"Rebecca" has been on my to read list for years-literally. There was always something to get to first but recently I was in need of something absorbing and after I had read the first few pages it was apparent the lulling/draw you in writing style of Daphne Du Maurier fit the bill.
To be honest I have no clue how to review a classic novel that has been reviewer countless times before my people much more qualified than I. So I'll be brief and base this on personal tastes only. I did enjoy this book but I have to say that all the hype about the incredible suspense of the novel seems a little unwarranted. To tell the truth I feel like I read another book altogether then what everyone else described. Especially when the ending of the novel is factored in.
I loved the writing style, the language the author used and the descriptions. But I just didn't get the plot and to be honest I feel a little stupid about it. Does anyone want to explain it to me?
Three stars. But because I did like the over all writing maybe I'll try another of Du Maurier's books.
 Last Night I Dreamt I went to Manderley again... October 15, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Rebecca is a book narrated by a girl just barely out of her teenage years. In spite of that, it's a book for adults, too. The poor Mrs. De Winter is thrown into a whirlwind of society and class with which she's completely unfamiliar. She's suddenly expected to be beautiful, classy, and clever right off the bat. Du Maurier excellently portrayed Mrs. De Winter's thoughts throughout the novel. Even though they never mentioned her first name, Du Maurier still was able to sculpt the heroine into a lovely character.
I never once had to force myself to read this book. The suspense to see what would happen next had me reading whenever I could pick up the book. Just when I thought things were settling down, some new twist would have me reading with my nose practically touching the paper. I couldn't set it down!
The characters were anything but black and white. They were more detailed then any non-biography books I've read. Sometimes, I'd be turned around and be irritated with the protagonists and sympathizing with the villains. The villains were well developed as well, not just the normal brute force `I kill you now', but they're sly and deceitful, and you can never see their next blow until it was too late.
Now that I've praised the characters completely, I actually do have one critical thing to say about Mrs. De Winter. It annoyed me that she was so groveling. She just allowed everyone to walk all over her, and she didn't say a word about it. It would've been nice for her to have been able to stand up to someone at least once before the climax.
But that didn't detract severely from Rebecca. There were more than enough things to make up for it, and it was a good read anyway. I recommend this book to teenagers and adults alike.
 Details, details, details October 10, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
It's been called a mystery, a romance, a Gothic novel, been labeled the best novel of the century, criticized as intensely boring and slow, praised as a real page turner. To some degree it all seems correct, all of those elements being presented by Dame du Maurier in her famous novel.
But I say that the only thing that kept me going through the first half of Rebecca was that famous opening line: Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. Simply wondering why she was no longer at Manderley, what drove and kept her away, was enough motivation to get through some very, very slow and tedious narrative.
I'm all for good descriptions of settings and character development, and in this book the estate Manderley is both of those, the setting and a crucial character. But in literature there's a spectrum of development, from inadequate to just the right amount and on to excessive - development overkill, if you will. Rebecca suffered, I think, some level of development overkill, and the details, excessive as they were, almost killed the story for me. I thought I was in trouble by page 10 when I could barely concentrate enough through the very detailed descriptions of the Manderley countryside and such things. Descriptions of the plants and the grounds and the woods and the animals, etc., etc. And those same descriptions had a very frequent (and unneeded) reoccurence. In short, many portions seemed overwritten and too detailed to the point of distracting from the story.
But I read on. By page 50 I was wondering when something would happen, a break in the story to motivate the reader with some intrigue. Nothing. Page 100, still nothing to grip me. Fifty more pages, nada. On to page 200, and by now I've been slowly, very slowly, plodding my way through this story for a month. There was still nothing to compel me to turn pages; thus the book sat unread for many days at a time. There was a conversation around page 130 that I thought might lead to some excitement, but then nothing. Though one success by this point in the story, it's been made painfully clear to the reader that the unnamed Mrs. de Winter the Second is diffident, shy and weak, and that she lives in the shadow of and is haunted by the memory of the dead Rebecca. In fact, I think the diffidence of the young Mrs. de Winter is one area where Dame Du Maurier succeeded in her excessive character development; the young wife easily brings disrespect on herself by the reader because of her lack of self-worth and confidence.
Finally, at about page 220, finally the story broke open. Finally I had reached a point that compelled me to keep reading. Finally, a story that moved quickly and was really a very, very good and well written climax. It became a five-star story from that point on, having elevated itself from a tedious, boring two stars.
I also really liked the epilogue, the addition made by Dame Du Maurier later. Thought it brought the story around to a good conclusion for the reader. So in the end, while I think the overall writing was too detailed and to some degree overwritten, I did find entertainment in the story's culmination.
Great suspense novel October 8, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Warning: spoiler
A fantastic novel, that deserves a place next to "Wuthering Hights", "Great Expectations" or "Jane Eyre". Daphne Dumaurier's beautiful and rich writing style and amazing storytelling skills make this novel great fun to read. She handles the character development wonderfully well, in particular the overly sensitive and devoted heroine, the sinister housekeeper Mrs. Danvers, the despicable playboy Favell, and the gloomy and jaded Max de Winter.
The novel works on many levels. There are some elements of the old fairy-tales Cinderella (servant-girl marries nobleman) and Bluebeard (forbidden room, murderous husband), but with a different, surprising twist. It's also a story of growing-up, as the nameless heroine matures from a timid girl into a strong-willed woman during her various trials. The author brilliantly disguises the characters' motivations, so that the true causes of things remain a mystery until about two-thirds into the novel when the main crisis unfolds. We then realise that the heroine, who sees things through the lens of her own feelings of inferiority completely misses the truth, which is to her a shock and relief at the same time.
Not least, the lush, rich descriptions of the house and the surrounding Cornwell country-side, and linking of the natural elements with the mood of the story makes this novel a truly satisfying reading experience. You may not want to read another novel for a long time.
Also of interest to readers would be Alfred Hitchcock's film Rebecca, which faithfully recreates the novel, with an outstanding cast.
Psychologically spooky October 5, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Here we are, romance and psychological terror at its best, all under the guise of a peaceful British manor.
At first appearance it is a classic Cinderella story: a poor girl meets a handsome, rich, and mysterious man during vacation. After their brief courtship, he marries her and takes her away to the idealistic world of Manderly.
But all is not well between the lovebirds. There may be no ghosts, but the house is haunted by the memory of the first wife, Rebecca, and the loyalty of her servants.
The mystery is grisley and intriguing, and the sweet romance keeps this going. Excellent, powerful description and a voice as insecure as they come. A great blend for a mystery that will stay with you after you have closed the book.
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