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Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
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Member recommendations

  1. kraaivrouw recommends Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt
  2. ladybug74 recommends Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
  3. fannyprice recommends Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, "These two books reminded me a lot of each other but Rebecca was more modern and somewhat less preachy."
  4. chilirlw recommends The Great Impersonation by E. Phillips Oppenheim
  5. chrisharpe recommends Bliss and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield
  6. chrisharpe recommends Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, "There are some similarities between these two books: a young woman marries an older widower and moves to his mansion, where the marriage is challenged (see more) by the unearthly presence of the first wife."
  7. citygirl recommends The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
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English (129)  French (2)  German (1)  All languages (132)
Showing 1-5 of 129 (next | show all)
DAPHNE DU MAURIER: Rebecca

Read in 1984 and revisited many times.
An adroit, compelling and haunting romance that touches the heart.

The young and innocent girl who marries Maxim de Winter in Monte Carlo to become the second Mrs De Winter is not to be compared to his first wife, Rebecca. Rebecca has been drowned and Maxim proposes to this young woman merely days after they meet in Monte Carlo and brings her home to his estate Manderley.

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again….” the opening line leads to a story of haunting where the second Mrs De Winter, often called “child” by her husband, is dogged by the legacy of the dazzling and accomplished Rebecca, who seems the perfect wife.

The girl, whose first name is never revealed in the novel, fears she is a poor second to Rebecca but a twist in the plot reveals her to be a woman of real value whom Maxim truly loves.

Classic Fiction Novel 1938 ( )
1 vote cscovil | Nov 23, 2009 |
The ultimate gothic tale. Haunting, lyrical, suspenseful. I love the book, the movie, and now Anna Massey's audio reading. ( )
  RachelWeaver | Nov 20, 2009 |
So this is my, what? Thirtieth time reading Rebecca? It NEVER gets old. Oh gosh, Rebecca . Yes, five stars. I would give ten if that were an option, because Rebecca is brilliant. DuMaurier is a fine author anyway, but Rebecca is her magnum opus, her swan song, her...I don't know. Her descriptions are amazing: she uses thousands of words and never wastes one. Every single line adds a shade, a nuance, to that strangely lovely yet dreamlike/creepy atmosphere she weaves, until the non-entity narrator sinks into oblivion and dead Rebecca becomes more vividly alive than any other character. I always marvel, as I finish the book, how clearly I can SEE Rebecca; I know I would recognize her (and her handwriting!) if I ever saw her.

(BTW, my daughter just mentioned to me that she always reads Rebecca when she is coming down from Jane Eyre. I can hardly believe this, but I never noticed the similarities until she said that. But anyway: in terms of sheer literary art, Rebecca is the better book. But I still love Mr. Rochester infinitely more than chilly Max de Winter.) ( )
1 vote 2chances | Nov 1, 2009 |
An enjoyable romance that is filled with mystery and suspense. It will keep you reading and wanting to read into the wee hours of the morning. Full of twists and turns, it was a bit predictable, but had a few surprises along the way. I enjoyed it so much, I passed on the book to my daughter. ( )
  tweezle | Oct 22, 2009 |
Brief Review: An unforgettable read - truly unforgettable. It's wonderfully written, keeps you on the edge constantly, beautiful Gothic setting and plot, and the characters are so mysterious that you can't help but what to know more about them.

Great mystery, suspense, Gothic, horror, and romance literature. If you're interested in any or a combination of those then I would greatly recommend "Rebecca."
  s.kaosar | Oct 15, 2009 |
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Wikipedia in English (2)

Rebecca (novel)

World's Best Reading

Book description
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again" is the book's opening line, and from here its unnamed narrator recollects her past, recalling the story of her transition into womanhood. While working as the companion to a rich American woman vacationing on the French Riviera, she becomes involved with a wealthy Englishman, Maximilian (Maxim) de Winter. After a fortnight of courtship, she agrees to marry him, and after the marriage, accompanies him to his mansion, the beautiful West Country estate, Manderley.

Only upon their arrival at Manderley does the new bride realize how difficult it will be to lay to rest the memory of her husband's first wife, Rebecca. Rebecca is understood to have drowned in a sailing accident off the coast next to the mansion a year before, but her memory has a strong hold on the estate and all of its inhabitants and visitors, especially its domineering housekeeper, Mrs Danvers, one of literature's most infamous female villains.

Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0380778556, Mass Market Paperback)

"Last Night I Dreamt
I Went To Manderley Again."

So the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter remembered the chilling events that led her down the turning drive past ther beeches, white and naked, to the isolated gray stone manse on the windswept Cornish coast. With a husband she barely knew, the young bride arrived at this immense estate, only to be inexorably drawn into the life of the first Mrs. de Winter, the beautiful Rebecca, dead but never forgotten...her suite of rooms never touched, her clothes ready to be worn, her servant -- the sinister Mrs. Danvers -- still loyal. And as an eerie presentiment of evil tightened around her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter began her search for the real fate of Rebecca...for the secrets of Manderley.

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:56 -0400)

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