Reviews with content warning for Murder - Rebecca

Rebecca is considered a Gothic classic for good reason; it's focused on fear and malevolence and takes place on a sweeping estate. The most striking thing about this novel is the way it is structured around absence; Rebecca is never alive during the book's events and yet she is everything. After all, the title itself is Rebecca and our newlywed narrator remains unnamed for the entire novel. Furthermore, Mrs. Danvers is a perfect villain. Her loyalty to Rebecca, even in death, causes her to be spite personified.

Overall, Rebecca was a very enjoyable read and I am glad I (finally) read it. I can see the influence that du Maurier has had on modern Gothic literature, and I fully understand the love for this novel.

For those of you who've read it, I have one question: do you also kind of hate Maxim? I see him as a snobby misogynist who never really improved.

Content Warnings

sarah_hutchins's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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mone1313's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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default's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

A beautifully written book with vivid descriptions throughout. Though some of the plot twists are somewhat predictable by today's standards, there's a reason the book is considered a classic. Most, or all, of the characters are deeply flawed in some sense, which, while sometimes making them unlikeable, helps ground the story and immerse the reader. The pace is relatively slow, but the prose more than makes up for it, perfectly building suspense as you progress through the plot. Overall, perfect book to curl up with on a rainy day <3

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vaughanreads's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

🌹 Engagement = 3.5
Overall, my engagement with Rebecca was middle of the road. I was noticeably more immersed in the second half of the book.
In the first half, my interest lulled with all the descriptions of Manderly and its surroundings. Whereas the investigative nature of the second half really pulled me in!

🌻 Language = 3
Daphne du Maurier definitely utilised suitable for her time. Personally, reading it today, and having no background in English Academia, it took a few sittings to get into that gear. HOWEVER, once that initial barrier was negotiated, I had a pretty easy time of it. 😁

🏵 Plot = 4
I loved the plot points of this story. It's dark, mysterious, inquisitive, quite offensive at times 😂 (see characters), and had a fantastic final act that completely hooked me! If you're a fan of the murder mystery genre, this is totally for you!

🥀 Characters = 5
Maxim de Winter is a monolith of a character within this story! Revered by the bourgeois in Monte Carlo but adored by his latest fiancé, Max can seemingly do no wrong. The first few scenes show him as perfect to "Mrs de Winter's" eyes. This is then challenged by certain acts - the main being his proposal. Throughout the middle of the story, he just seemed like an asshole with a sprinkle of misogyny. The end portion really put Max in a new light and I grew to appreciate him a lot more!
The new Mrs de Winter, for she actually has no given name, is another fantastic character. She realises early on that the idyllic husband didn't exist in Max and her life in Manderly was made rather uncomfortable by his efforts. I'm glad that she hardened in these conditions and blossomed into a proper lady of her own estate.

🌺 Re-Read = 4
I would happily re-read this book again. Certain issues upon the first read would likely be ironed out much quicker on second viewing.

Content Warnings

loudes's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

Content Warnings

majestictrilobite's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious 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? No

4.75

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