Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Rebecca

The first thing to know about getting into du Maurier's Rebecca is that the tension she creates is unlike anything I've ever experienced before. You really feel like you're living out the events of the book with the characters in real time.

The characters are all so messed up and maladnusted that you just don't know exactly what they're going to say or do. No one can truly be trusted; not even our dear, misbegotten narrator, whom we follow throughout.

The build up to each plot twist is harrowing. The anxiety in the characters and in the setting is palpable. The reason that u marked the book as a slow-paced read is because I often found myself slowing down or rereading passages to make sure I wasn't missing something potentially important. The action happens in fits and starts, keeping the reader on their toes. It is truly delightful and engaging read!

Additionally, Hitchcock's 1940 adaptation is incredibly faithful to the book, and I highly recommend it as well!

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sunfishcakes's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

sickos yes...ha ha ha....yes! dot jpeg

In all seriousness, if you liked Phantom Thread and/or Gone Girl, read this book.

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mina_m's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

The cover? Gorgeous. The writing? Just exquisite. The plot? Delightfully twisty. The characters? Lovably unlikeable.

I suspected already thirty pages in that this would be a five star-read. Even if the plot wasn't so strong and layered as it turned out to be, the writing alone would be good enough to make me thoroughly enjoy the reading experience. I must admit that I initially presumed this would be a predictable gothic mystery that would be so well-written that the predictability wouldn't matter. In other words, masterclass in writing engaging mysteries without shocking plot twists coming out of nowhere (the perfect opposite of what seems to be the norm for most TV shows these days…Please read Rebecca and take notes, people). The "main reveal" was rather obvious, however, there were plenty of twists and turns in addition to this. The main reveal was only the beginning. Oh, what a ride this story was!

Our main character is a fascinating one. She is nameless (to the reader) and apparently plain and docile. She doesn’t have all that many interests and keeps her opinions, if she has any, to herself. She lives to please others and for praise from her husband. To begin with she is hardly referred to at all and after she (hurriedly) marries Maximilian de Winter she is known exclusively as "Mrs. de Winter". She stands in stark contrast to her husband's first wife, the charismatic Rebecca whom the story revolves around - despite her being dead. I found it very interesting and clever that the book is named after Rebecca while the protagonist remains unnamed. Rebecca is the one left on your mind as you turn the last page.

(I will not elaborate further on the book at this point in time. I might write a more thorough review later, but in the meantime: Go read it!)

I have a feeling Rebecca is a book I will reread more than once.

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yolanda_h's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book was so much more than I expected it to be. The writing is in turns melancholic, reflective, fast paced and then so descriptive that I could see the flowers and trees surrounding Manderley. I could hear the sea and I could taste the scones and angel cakes. I could feel the tension and the dark shadows inside Manderley, lurking in corners and nooks, and the shadows inside its inhabitants. Manderley will have a special place in my heart for some time, as will this book as a whole.

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reebeee's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

this was stressful read for me tbh, but the tension is appropriate for the genre, and du maurier uses it expertly

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sheryl_reads's review against another edition

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dark sad slow-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

1.5

I really wanted to enjoy this story. But it’s awful.

I’ve given it 1.5 stars because I did finish it. But it’s so longwinded and ponderous I barely made it to the end. Luckily, the story picked up in the last 100 pages, but getting there was a chore.

The main character is so frustrating and annoying. I spent most of the book wishing that she’d stand up for herself. What is written as shyness is taken to an extreme of social awkwardness, to the point where I wondered how she ever managed to survive to adulthood. The situation she finds herself in is awkward, however hiding from servants in her own house and having trouble just functioning (and when I say function, this is posh English people functioning - so having tea and scones and finding ways to amuse yourself all day cos you don’t actually work) seemed too extreme.

Mr De Winter is horrible - his treatment of the main character (we don’t get to know her name) is psychological abuse. I’m avoiding spoilers in this review, but the end comes as no surprise.

The first 300 pages read like a really boring episode of Downton Abbey. There’s lots of lengthy descriptions of how our narrator fills her days - mainly being debilitatingly shy and self conscious. The last 100 pages or so are an improvement, but all the description are just soooooo long and unnecessary. I thought the shipwreck section would never end!

I had high hopes for this, since it’s a classic and a lot of people love it. But I couldn’t wait to escape Manderley. And I’d be there with Mrs Danvers at the end!

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