Reviews

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Only show reviews with written explanations

tiahines31's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark slow-paced

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

2.75

ohthatkimberley's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

This is one of the few classics I managed to finish, as the descriptions were not too drawn out and served to set the scene for the eery nature of the book. A gripping mystery for people who don't like to go full Stephen King!

livres_de_bloss's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

4.5

While a tad slow to start, once it picked up, I read over 300 pages in one day! There was so much more to the story that I originally had thought. I had my hunches as the story progressed but I was still surprised by where it went and how it ultimately concluded.

rjbila22's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious 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

5.0

lucyblack's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

A young and unnamed narrator is working as a ladies companion in Monte Carlo. She is middle class with a tragic past, daddy issues and bad self esteem. She meets Maxim De Winter and is swept in to his brooding, smokey orbit. They hurriedly marry and he takes her to his oppressive and impressive south England estate, Manderley. Unfortunately, Maxim and Manderley are still under the dark and overwhelming power of Maxim's first wife Rebecca and aided by the nasty wretch housekeeper Danvers, the narrator also falls into Rebecca's spell.

This gothic, sea sprayed and spooky story caught me up this winter and I listened to the audiobook enthralled as I walked the hills near my house. I gasped out loud at some of the revelations and felt deeply sad and angry on the narrators behalf. Like most of us, I have been an unsure and awkward outsider and the traps that the poor girl walks into are heartbreaking. The descriptions of the beach cottage and the estate, the cars and the meals all made me wish these were real places I could visit. I want to meet Daphne du Maurier! I want to walk in the woods with her and admire her slacks and her dog, we could talk about our shared love of rocky beaches and Katherine Mansfield.