Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again…

This famous line is of the book Rebecca- a beautifully spun romantic suspense that makes you dive right into the lovely, yet haunting, world of Manderley and its dead inhabitant- Rebecca.

This book starts of with a dream that the narrator has about Manderley- her husband’s previous estate. Du Maurier describes Manderley in great detail- so much so that it feels real.

This story is about a nameless young woman- our narrator- who marries Maxim de Winter, and subsequently becomes the mistress of Manderley. However, our narrator is young and is tortured by shyness and insecurity that is born of her own mind.  

I found that this book focuses a lot on the first Mrs. de Winter- Rebecca- who haunts our narrator from the grave. Everywhere the second Mrs. de Winter looks, she finds the remnants of Rebecca. Our heroine paints an unrealistic image of Rebecca in her head- who was the perfect, beautiful wife and mistress of Manderley.

"Rebecca, always Rebecca. Wherever I walked in Manderley, wherever I sat, even in my thought and in my dreams, I met Rebecca. I knew her figure now, the long slim legs, the small and narrow feet. Her shoulders broader than mine, the capable clever hands. Hands that could steer a boat, could hold a horse. Hands that arranged flowers, made the models of ships, and wrote ‘Max from Rebecca’ on the fly-leaf of a book. I knew her face too, small and oval, the clear white skin, the cloud of dark hair. I knew the scent she wore, I could guess her laughter and her smile. If I heard it, even among a thousand others, I should recognise her voice. Rebecca, always Rebecca. I should never be rid of Rebecca.”

The book was superbly written- the lovely descriptions and the way our narrator feels. I suppose many may be reluctant to pick up a book that has a nameless heroine (I know that I was) but the writing never lets you feel the absence of a name. It sucks the reader into the plot. The book is slow-paced, however. If you prefer fast-paced novels, this is so not for you. But if you think you can handle a couple of chapters where literally nothing happens (except the heroine feeling increasing insecure about herself with each chapter) you can most definitely pick up the book. A stunning novel that does not really require any more of my praises. Yes, it has a slow narrative, but it also has a twist that will change your entire perspective of the first and “beloved” Mrs. de Winters.

Manderley is a classic Cornish estate that was inspired from du Maurier’s house- Menabilly. I think that is partly the reason why Manderley felt alive when I read the book. In fact, it felt more alive than our narrator- who was more of a secondary character to Rebecca throughout the book.

“Rebecca” is a thriller that plays tricks with your mind until the very end- when the truth is revealed. It is worth picking up the book both for the writing and the feelings it evokes while reading that writing.

My edition of the book contained an afterword by Sally Beauman. It was quite interesting to read her afterword. She examined du Maurier’s mindset when she wrote the book, her own fears of her novel not being popular because of its “gloominess” and how she described it (a sinister tale about a woman who marries a widower…Psychological and rather macabre). Reading the afterword made a lasting impression on me and I was rather surprised at how the novel was closely connected to du Maurier’s own feelings. I know that authors often express their feelings through writings and artists through their art, but at the end of the day- it's just fiction. Not real. However, Rebecca was a tale that was close to du Maurier's heart not only for her efforts and her emotions but because the two wives of Maxim were none other than du Maurier's own clashing personalities. 

It was a great read- one that you will never forget.

Buy Rebecca here.

Comment on your experience reading the novel- and your thoughts and opinions on it. I don't know about you guys, but I loved it!