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amzthebookdevourer's review against another edition
challenging
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? Yes
3.25
I found the first half of the book to be excruciatingly slow at points, with excessive detail. However, I'm so glad I stuck with it as the second half was phenomenal! Secrets were revealed, tension was masterfully built, and the twists and turns were so unexpected.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cancer and Gun violence
Minor: Ableism, Incest, Suicide, Dementia, Cultural appropriation, and Infertility
gvstyris's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I wondered how many people there were in the world who suffered, and continued to suffer, because they could not break out from their own web of shyness and reserve, and in their blindness and folly built up a great distorted wall in front of them that hid the truth.
Very unsure about how to rate this book. Rebecca has been on my mental TBR for years, primarily because of its enduring influence on other media I love (Gone Girl, even various Taylor Swift songs hahah), so my expectations were probably unfairly high.
And, in many ways, they were met. I loved the Gothic setting and eerie tone, as well as the slow build of tension -- although I totally get where it'll bug other readers, given how long it takes to reach any action. Manderley is almost a character in-and-of-itself, which was super compelling, and du Maurier's prose really is gorgeous. I also really admired the shift in the narrator's voice throughout the novel as she lost her youthful naivety and grew into her role of 'Mrs de Winter.'
Docking my rating over a couple things. I'm pretty unobservant and honestly really bad at guessing plot twists, but even I didn't find the main reveals in this novel particularly shocking or compelling. That's probably in part because Rebecca helped pioneer specific thriller tropes, and has influenced many more creative thrillers, but it still made for an underwhelming conclusion. I'm also not sure how I feel about the social commentary of the main reveals... Maxim comes across a bit too favourably in the end, and Rebecca a bit cartoonish. It definitely reminded me a bit of my misogynistic undertone qualms with Gone Girl.
I am glad it cannot happen twice, the fever of first love. For it is a fever, and a burden, too, whatever the poets may say.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Incest and Classism
Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, Infertility, and Suicide
milanaradic's review against another edition
dark
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Murder
emily_ford16's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Murder
Moderate: Cancer
stories's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Very capital R Romantic, filled with symbolism and literary allusion.
Would be fascinating to study, and even fascinating to reread: the abrupt ending certainly had me jumping immediately back to the opening.
Plenty of ambiguity, as well as foreshadowing, and endless musing on hypothetical scenarios. Gorgeous descriptive language. Lots of mystery, and drawn out reveals of information. Written for the journey of coming to understand, not just arrival at the destination.
Would be fascinating to study, and even fascinating to reread: the abrupt ending certainly had me jumping immediately back to the opening.
Plenty of ambiguity, as well as foreshadowing, and endless musing on hypothetical scenarios. Gorgeous descriptive language. Lots of mystery, and drawn out reveals of information. Written for the journey of coming to understand, not just arrival at the destination.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Death, Suicide, and Grief
Minor: Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Incest, and Infidelity
theangelssing's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Suicide
jayjayjers's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, and Grief
Minor: Terminal illness and Incest
chellareads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is an underrated novel that is framed as a Gothic romance, probably due to it being written by a woman. It is deeply Gothic but it's not a romance by any stretch. It's a psychological thriller.
Du Maurier's writing is superb. The narrative structure and pacing is also impeccable. And why isn't the last line as famous as the first line of this novel? What an ending.
Her writing is so vivid and at times cinematic. I could see every glance and gesture. And she's very good a page turner chapter endings. A delight to read.
This novel is doing so much. It has elements of Bluebeard and Red Riding Hood, but also intentionally mirrors Jane Eyre.
It has lots of dreams and dreamy sequences, but most of it is social realism. Her dialogue captures to social nuances of the English upper-class. Their snobbery and social rules, which both protect and trap them.
Manderley is the embodiment of the social structures they are trapped in. It puts demands on their lives, as they pass endless days there under rigid routine.
The book also examines the lives of women within this structure. How two women choose to navigate marriage and society and neither really win. But nobody wins in this gloomy tale. Rebecca comes closest, as the anti-heroine from beyond the grave.
A gripping read. I will have to read this again because there is so much to glean.
Highly recommend.
Du Maurier's writing is superb. The narrative structure and pacing is also impeccable. And why isn't the last line as famous as the first line of this novel? What an ending.
Her writing is so vivid and at times cinematic. I could see every glance and gesture. And she's very good a page turner chapter endings. A delight to read.
This novel is doing so much. It has elements of Bluebeard and Red Riding Hood, but also intentionally mirrors Jane Eyre.
It has lots of dreams and dreamy sequences, but most of it is social realism. Her dialogue captures to social nuances of the English upper-class. Their snobbery and social rules, which both protect and trap them.
Manderley is the embodiment of the social structures they are trapped in. It puts demands on their lives, as they pass endless days there under rigid routine.
The book also examines the lives of women within this structure. How two women choose to navigate marriage and society and neither really win. But nobody wins in this gloomy tale. Rebecca comes closest, as the anti-heroine from beyond the grave.
A gripping read. I will have to read this again because there is so much to glean.
Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
readingduckling's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A very hard read. The reason I read it was that this book was apparently the inspiration for Taylor Swifts "Tolerate it".
I will definitely read it again, maybe the rating will be better then, but for now I think 4 stars are fitting.
I will definitely read it again, maybe the rating will be better then, but for now I think 4 stars are fitting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Infertility, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
vhispas's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder and Suicide