Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

74 reviews

poirot's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death, Grief, Murder, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcohol and Alcoholism

Minor: Body shaming, Death of parent, Infertility, Terminal illness, and Cancer

brynhayes's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Death, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Gun violence

m4rtt4's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

So so good! It's best to go into the book knowing as little as possible, that'll help with the mysterious and thrilling feelings. In the British aristocracy everything is fine on the surface level, but if you keep peeling the onion, sooner or later it may even make you shed a tear or two. The psychological aspects of the late wife's shadow, Mrs. fucking Danvers and borderline grooming really made me feel on edge.

I KNEW THAT MANDERLEY WAS GOING TO BURN AT SOME POINT (hope mrs danvers went with the house) 

i'd also like to know why it is so hard not to bang your cousin

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Classism, Murder, Grief, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, and Violence

Minor: Cultural appropriation, Cancer, Suicide, and Incest

exlibrissum's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Death

Moderate: Suicide, Incest, Cancer, and Terminal illness

bluelizzz's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Чудова книга.
 
Повільна на початку, але сюжет стрімко розвивається у другій половині та до кінця тримає в напрузі. Не настільки банальна, як може здатися - в історії достатньо моментів, що можуть здивувати.

Перші дві глави плутають нового читача - без вступу починаються описи природи та якогось будинку, що мариться героїні уві сні; в читача кидають іменами ще невідомих персонажів, секундними спогадами про загадкові події, які нас ще чекають, але ніби вже відбулися; словом, все вимазано у товстий шар ностальгії, чужої неприємної ностальгії, коли відчуваєш себе незручно чужим у теплих спогадах незнайомця.

Цей літературний прийом працює на відмінно, бо чепляє своєю дивністю, та "безшовно" поєднує кінець і початок історії (серйозно, після закінчення книжки поверніться на початок і прочитайте перші дві глави знову - ефект вражаючий).

Герої до болю реалістичні, зі своїми тривогами, страхами, недоліками, протягом всієї історії викликають то підозри і антипатію, роздратування до скрипу зубів, то розуміння і співчуття, в чомусь навіть і симпатію.

Авторка так поступово і майстерно розкручує розповідь, що відчуваючи ті чи інші емоції читач навіть не здогадується, що вони цілком навмисно викликані геніальною пані Дафною дю Мор'є. Тільки закривши книгу на останньому рядку пазл складається в повну картину і талант письменниці не викликає питань.

Навіть описи природи, так ненависні мною, мають свій сенс в контексті розвитку історії та відображення внутрішніх переживань головної героїні (безіменної героїні, що теж як виявилось було важливо для поринення в події книги).

Рекомендую до прочитання всім з великим терпінням (вас буде за це винагороджено) та імунітетом до описів природи (рододендрони не те, чим здаються), хто не проти опинитись в голові 20-річної невротички, щоб пережити глибоку сімейну драму та споглядати її внутрішній розвиток (насправді краще, ніж звучить).

Перечитувати не планую, одного разу цілком достатньо; також я не фанатка циклитись на психології та думках гг всю книгу, тому для мене книга тверда 4.0 з 5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Murder, Cancer, Death, and Blood

Minor: Stalking, Animal death, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Alcohol, Misogyny, and Terminal illness

redheadorganist's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Blood, Death, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Murder

Moderate: Cancer, Suicide, and Infidelity

Minor: Medical content and Animal cruelty

pkc's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This book was a legato across the continent and into the English countryside, wrapped in intrigue and mystery. The eponymous Rebecca looms large

without ever making an appearance in physical form

as the second Mrs de Winter navigates her life with the aloof Maxim de Winter of Manderley following a brief romance in the hills and beaches of Monte Carlo. This book has an incredibly layered cast of characters, including the narrator, Maxim, the truly DEVILISH Mrs Danvers, among many others. The plot has twists, turns and more psycho drama than you can imagine. I literally deducted half a star because of pace towards the end, but other than that, it was twisty turny perfection!

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Incest, Infidelity, Infertility, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Fire/Fire injury

poisonenvy's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

While I read this book back in December, I withheld my review in support of the HarperCollins Union strike, which lasted for over two months. In light of their recently ratifying their contract, I'll post my review now: 

 

Our main character, who's known only as Mrs. de Winters (the second Mrs. de Winters, as it is) meets her much-older husband, Maxim, while on vacation, and married him after only a few weeks of knowing him. Maxim is recently widowed, and when the narrator goes back to his estate, Mandersley, she finds that it's not quite what she expected, especially once she finds that she can't escape the shadow cast by his late wife, the charming, beautiful, and beloved Rebecca. 

If there's one thing that Daphne Du Maurier does well, it's that she's masterful at setting atmospheric tension. This book is slow, but it's told in such a way that it keeps you at the edge of your seat. There was an entire chapter where nothing much happened, but that I could barely bring myself to read it because of how much second-hand embarrassment/cringing I was feeling. 

Overall, this book is crafted beautifully. The narrator has a vivid imagination, one of the most vivid I've read in fiction and which I related far too much to as anxiety daydreams. I thought the choice to exclude her "beautiful and unique" name from the narrative was brilliantly done -- she's only Mrs. de Winters, unable to be separated from her husband, unable to stand on her own two feet. 

I read this with my bookclub, and had a great time with them trying to navigate through the twist and the turns of the story. This was honestly excellent. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Murder, Ableism, and Incest

Minor: Infertility

sennaje's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Grief, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, and Murder

clairew97's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Classism, Gaslighting, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Incest, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Bullying, Infidelity, Infertility, Cancer, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Misogyny, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Terminal illness