Review: Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier
by Jenners • 10/28/2010 • 4 Stars, Classics, D Authors, Fiction, Gothic/Horror, Mystery/Thriller, R Titles • 65 Comments
Rebecca
Daphne DuMaurier
Doubleday Books, 1938
380 pages
Genre: Fiction
My Rating: 4 Stars (Add to Your TBR List)
This was the sixth book I read for the RIP V Challenge. Because I don’t want to get too far behind in writing these reviews, I decided to review all my RIP books by answering the 5Ws―Who, What, When, Where, Why. (This book also counts for the 100 Best Books part of the Take Another Chance Challenge.)
Scare-O-Meter Rating: 5 screams out of 10
WHAT is this book about?
Although I doubt I need to recount the plot as I’m probably one of the few people who hadn’t read this book before 2010, I’ll write it like an equation, with appropriately creepy black and white photos from the Hitchcock movie.
A big house
+ plus
A young new wife
+ plus
A rich but distant husband
÷ divided by
A dead wife
X multiplied by
A sinister housekeeper
= equals
A wonderfully creepy story of misunderstandings, secrets and murrrrddddeeeer.
WHO do we meet?
- The second Mrs. DeWinter is a naive, innocent young woman who is working as a companion for an insufferably snobby woman when she meets ….
- Maximilian DeWinter, a wealthy older man who is vacationing in Monte Carlo. He seems tortured by something, and the rumors are that he’s never been able to get over the death of his first wife…
- Rebecca, a gorgeous, spirited free-spirit who seemed to charm everyone around her. However, her life was cut short after she drowned tragically in the sea that borders …
- Manderley, the huge country estate owned by Max DeWinter. This is where the second Mrs. DeWinter and Max live after their quickie wedding and honeymoon. But poor Mrs. DeWinter! She is so young and has no experience running a big household like Manderley. Good thing she has the help of…
- Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper who seems abnormally devoted to the first Mrs. DeWinter.
WHEN and WHERE does the book take place?
The story takes place primarily at Manderley. I believe the time frame is the late 1930s when DuMaurier wrote the book.
WHY should you read this book?
Well, I suspect you already have! I’m the latecomer to this party. When I posted my list of RIP books, almost everyone commented about how much they loved Rebecca. I loved it too! It is one of the few “classics” that really lived up to the hype. DuMaurier does a fantastic job of slowly building up the dread and suspense. You get inside the second Mrs. DeWinter’s mind and you just squirm and feel this sense of impending doom. Everywhere she goes, it is Rebecca, Rebecca, Rebecca. And she is so innocent and trusting that she bumbles along getting herself deeper and deeper enmeshed in the secrets of Manderley. I read somewhere when I was Googling around for the images used above, that Rebecca is really more of a psychological haunting than a physical haunting, and I thought that was a fantastic description. If, like me, you bypassed this book for all these years, be sure to rectify this. You’ll be glad you did! (And I’m so going to check out the Hitchcock movie version!)
What are other book bloggers saying about this book? Find out at the Book Blogs Search Engine.
I havent read this one myself, but it sounds really good. I love your review!
OMG, this is like one of the best movies EVER! I loved the book but I love the movie so much that it will never be surpassed. Laurence Olivier is wonderful in it and Joan Fontaine’s narration is perfect. And don’t even get me started on the perfect creepiness of Mrs. Danvers! Okay. I’m trying to catch up on blog reading right now but instead I am going to go have lunch and watch Rebecca.
I’m contributing to your corruption. Now I’m even more excited to see Rebecca.
I read Rebecca for the first time during this RIP, too! Now I just have to see the movie. Rebecca was definitely my favorite of the books I read during this year’s RIP.
Wasn’t it so good? It made me want to see the movie too.
I love this book and reread it every couple of years. Even though I know the plot twists I find new things to interest and intrigue me each time I read it.
I do think the book would reveal new aspects to it upon rereading.
It was well worth the time. I’m usually not a big fan of “classics,” but this one really worked for me.
loved the book but I’ve never seen the movie.
I love the way you did this one! lol I think I’ve seen a movie like that.
It was a fun way to write a book review.
I finally read this for the first time last year, also as part of a challenge and was sorry I had waited so long!
I know!! I’d had a very different understanding of what it was going to be like.
I didn’t realize this novel was creepy-ish! Which probably makes it obvious that I haven’t read it yet. I, too, have heard lots of good things about Rebecca, so I should probably get over my scary story aversion and read it.
It is creepyish but not really SCARY … more psychologically freaky than “jump out of your seat” and scream scary.
I’m so excited you read this and enjoyed it. It stands out as one of my favorite reads of the last few years. I love your equation by the way!
Doing that equation got me all excited to see the movie.
I’ve had this book on my tbr list for a while now, I really need to get to it!
And this review is awesome =)
Thanks for your kind comment. It was fun putting it together … the movie stills just made it!
Ohhh, I really need to read this again! I read it my senior year of high school and loved it at the time. That’s been sooo long ago though that I have forgotten most of the details. I don’t think I ever saw the movie either.
I’m not a big rereader but a book read in high school would probably seem brand-new to me.
I haven’t read it either! I feel ashamed now!
Shame! Shame!
um, you totally and completely ROCK book reviews, you know that right? i absolutely love this format. and will (perhaps quietly?) admit to not having read this book yet! so thanks, as always, for an addition to my beloved “to read” list!
I thought perhaps I was the last person to have read this … but apparently not! Quite a few people are confessing to not having read it.
safety in numbers friend. safety in numbers!
Love the equation! And I loved the book and the movie.
I’ve owned this book for years, but I haven’t read it yet. I probably should change that.
You should! Get cracking!
Geez…. you almost make me want to read it again! (It’s been many years since the first reading).
The opening line has always been one of my very favorites! And yeah, those sinister housekeepers are always pretty creepy, aren’t they!?
Glad you enjoyed it!!
I tell you, if I ever hire a housekeeper (and it is my dream to somehow be able to do that one day), I will NOT get a Mrs. Danvers type!
Both the book and the film are masterpieces!
I haven’t read this one yet either, but it’s on the shelf waiting (like so many other books that are sure to be fabulous).
And here I thought I was one of the few who HADN’T read it!
I STILL have not read this one, but do have a copy on my shelf. I have heard nothing but great things about it though, and really want to make some time for it. It would have been perfect for a Halloween read. I also am always surprised at how much I end up enjoying the classics when I finally get around to reading them. For some reason, I always put them off and think they will be too stuffy, but I am always pleased after I am done. I am glad you enjoyed this one!
Actually, I often find the classics stuffy … but not this one.
ohhh my! Well you will not be disappointed with the Hitchock movie!!!!! After I read Rebecca last year I saw how well he kept to the book.. and the acting is fantastic.
Just seeing the movie stills made it seem like he got it so right.
This just went on the list officially. I love a psychological thriller.
So you have an official and unofficial list, eh? : )
I’m glad you enjoyed it. I read it with a book club several years back and was blown away by it. I have My Cousin Rachel by Du Maurier on my nightstand. I might just have to pick it up next so I can read it before Halloween.
I think I’ll read more Du Maurier books too.
One of my favorites! Also some great PBS adaptations. And a bit like Jane Eyre, another of my favorites.
I reread Rebecca last fall after Amanda raved about it and was struck by how good the writing was — not just great plot.
The writing was good! I was so pleasantly surprised. So many times, the classics disappoint me and feel stilted and inaccessible. Not with this one.
I haven’t read the book or seen the movie. It does sound like a good one, though.
I’m so excited to see the movie … putting those images in the post got me all excited about it.
I love how you did this review! The equation was too much! Believe it or not I am late to the party also….I so need to read Rebecca!
OK … I’m glad I wasn’t the absolute last person to read it!
You’ll love the HItchcock version once you get a chance to watch. And, if you’re really adventurous, you could follow it with the more modern version with Dame Diana Rigg as Mrs. Danvers. She puts a slightly different spin on the character. Both versions are good…but Hitchcock is a master at this sort of thing.
Thanks for the info. I didn’t know there was another version of the movie.
Ahem..
I’m an English teacher…and I haven’t read this…I’m so ashamed!
It is on my desk in my little study…does that count???
You get 1/16th credit. Read it .. you’ll love it!
Ah Rebecca – a real gem. I agree, a lot of classics do not appeal to me but this and others of Du Maurier are fabulous. Jane Eyre is another and The Woman In Black also. Just wonderful.
Well, Jane Eyre left me a bit cold, but I’ve been hearing good things about The Woman In Black.
I didn’t read this book until last year, but Jason made me watch the movie back in 2000. I was so glad I didn’t remember anything from it when I went to read it last year! It took me a decade to work myself up to it. For some reason I thought I’d hate it! But I adored it, and I really should watch the movie again.
I can’t wait to see the movie. Just seeing the stills made me think they go it right.
Who knew you’re so good at math too?! I love the equation. I really want to read this book.
This is the kind of math I can do. Anything else and I’m stumped.
Yes, Rebecca definitely does live up to the hype. Glad you liked it too!
So few “classics” seem worth reading to me (cough — Brothers Karamazov — cough) but Rebecca was a pleasure to read.
I haven’t read this boo, but I have seen the movie. I’m STILL working on Musashi. no time for other adventures.
I hear you … Musashi is taking all my spare time!! Which reminds me, I’m a bit behind so I better go read some more!
Oh yeah, I’m in.
So you hadn’t read it either? Whew! Glad I’m not the last one!