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adeeba_ahmed's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
keirr_a's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
4.25
emilymknight's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Rebecca. My first encounter with Daphne du Maurier and I can confidently say, it probably won't be my last. From start to finish, du Maurier's prose was not only engaging, but so immersive - I feel as though I have smelt the rose garden, taken lunch under the chestnut tree, wandered with Jasper down the path and through the woods to the sea and explored the abandoned cottage.
I know there are a few film adaptations of Rebecca, but I have not seen any. All I knew of the plot going into this was that a girl marries a man, but that man had a previous wife who died. This was great because the whole way through, just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, it all changed.I went from loathing Max and feeling sympathy for Rebecca and our protagonist, to then feeling even more sympathy for Rebecca because she was murdered, and being worried for our protagonist having married a murderer, but then I realised it was Rebecca who was the cruel one. Max was driven to madness and killed her, but in the end, we find out that Rebecca, while not exactly planning it to happen, also did not care due to her recent diagnosis of cancer.
Though the prose was led by the protagonist, it did not feel overly dramatic and long. And I could see this was a conscious choice by the author - to keep the protagonist somewhat normal and just real in the way she encountered all these situations, "We were ordinary people. These things did not happen." Each chapter was interesting and the plot moved on at a good pace which helped the overall experience.
Lastly, I must bring attention to that fact that no fictional house or location has ever touched me as much as Manderley has. It was beautiful and alive but also dark and secretive. Over the past few weeks I have been reading Rebecca, I really have come to love the place. Oh Manderley, Manderley, Manderley. I think I will also dream of Manderley.
I know there are a few film adaptations of Rebecca, but I have not seen any. All I knew of the plot going into this was that a girl marries a man, but that man had a previous wife who died. This was great because the whole way through, just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, it all changed.
Though the prose was led by the protagonist, it did not feel overly dramatic and long. And I could see this was a conscious choice by the author - to keep the protagonist somewhat normal and just real in the way she encountered all these situations, "We were ordinary people. These things did not happen." Each chapter was interesting and the plot moved on at a good pace which helped the overall experience.
Lastly, I must bring attention to that fact that no fictional house or location has ever touched me as much as Manderley has. It was beautiful and alive but also dark and secretive. Over the past few weeks I have been reading Rebecca, I really have come to love the place. Oh Manderley, Manderley, Manderley. I think I will also dream of Manderley.
"I suppose sooner or later in the life of everyone comes a moment of trial. We all of us have our particular devil who rides us and torments us, and we must give battle in the end."
"Time and Tide wait for no man."
jackohdee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
What a ride. Starts as a catharsis of class anxiety, but starts shifting gears into thriller territory pretty quickly.
I completely love Rebecca, she was really living. Maybe the best unseen character in fiction? It's her or Bob Sacamano. I'll miss Frank Crawley and the moments of kindness he offers that are the only relief amongst the utter hostility of Manderly. It does sound like a lovely home, though. Shame about the vibes.
Can't wait to watch the Hitchcock movie. He's exactly the right kind of freak to take this one on.
I completely love Rebecca, she was really living. Maybe the best unseen character in fiction? It's her or Bob Sacamano. I'll miss Frank Crawley and the moments of kindness he offers that are the only relief amongst the utter hostility of Manderly. It does sound like a lovely home, though. Shame about the vibes.
Can't wait to watch the Hitchcock movie. He's exactly the right kind of freak to take this one on.
uwujaaver's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mhull510's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
loslibrosdecarangi'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
5.0
thexwalrus's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
5.0
the story in this is fantastic - but what i really wanna praise is the writing itself.
somehow, du maurier manages to wrap me up in the idle daydreaming of the protagonist. i get lost in it, and how dreamy it all is, and even in spite of that, i'm noticing things that are just a bit... off. i'm picking up on things and making mental notes of them for later, but i'm also losing track of time while picturing the idyllic future the protagonist wants to have at manderley.
manderley itself is an imposing - and at times frightening - character. i love when location becomes character, and in this book, it's done expertly. through our unnamed protagonist's eyes, we learn so much about the house and the grounds, and it becomes someplace i could see in my mind. to do all that without prose feeling clunky is a skill that i envy.
and the genius of having an unnamed protagonist, and then rebecca? rebecca, who haunts each page, each moment, who drowns out mrs. de winter even after her death? brilliant. showstopping. i will never forget this book.
this is gonna be one of those novels i never shut up about and i'm not even sorry about it.
somehow, du maurier manages to wrap me up in the idle daydreaming of the protagonist. i get lost in it, and how dreamy it all is, and even in spite of that, i'm noticing things that are just a bit... off. i'm picking up on things and making mental notes of them for later, but i'm also losing track of time while picturing the idyllic future the protagonist wants to have at manderley.
manderley itself is an imposing - and at times frightening - character. i love when location becomes character, and in this book, it's done expertly. through our unnamed protagonist's eyes, we learn so much about the house and the grounds, and it becomes someplace i could see in my mind. to do all that without prose feeling clunky is a skill that i envy.
and the genius of having an unnamed protagonist, and then rebecca? rebecca, who haunts each page, each moment, who drowns out mrs. de winter even after her death? brilliant. showstopping. i will never forget this book.
this is gonna be one of those novels i never shut up about and i'm not even sorry about it.