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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
I found this book to be incredibly slow for the first 3/4. And what was with that ending!
dark
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
A classic. It was fun but nothing extraordinary.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rebecca is the most acclaimed work of Daphne du Maurier’s writing life, and for reasons that are well known. It is a tale which on the surface simply shows our protagonist living in the shade of her husband’s previous partner. It looks at how she battles with her identity and what she truly wants as someone from normality thrust into a life of extravagance and expectation. She fights away the shadow that Rebecca has cast and the stains she has left on everything and everyone who inhabits Manderley.
And whilst this theme is central throughout, mystery and horror begin to creep in as the story progresses. What has previously been stated as fact begins to become blurred and hazy. The intentions, motivations, and beliefs of the characters we meet come into question. Our unnamed narrator is one whose words should be taken with a grain of salt, as her view of those she interacts with is tainted by her love for the man she finds herself connected to. This deep-rooted delusion has a tendency to persuade the reader into taking sides in personal conflicts that have no right and wrong parties. Breaking through this and understanding the characters as they are, we begin to see the mess of complex individuals littered throughout the novel, each possessing their own strengths and flaws.
Yet through all the chaos which unfolds in this classical piece of fiction, the identity of the protagonist and her desire for acceptance remains at the focus of her journey. Every event which occurs is seen as a shortcoming or progression towards achieving her ultimate goal, so much so that the implications and the severity of certain events often goes overlooked.
What makes Rebecca such as standout piece of fiction, one that holds up so well today and truly cements itself as a classical work, is the simplicity of the plot on the surface, and how the battle for identity and the mysteries of Manderley are meticulously weaved together to provide the layers that make this narrative so compelling. Not only this, but du Maurier has prose like no other, rich and evocative in the imagery it creates and the emotions it draws out. It is for these reasons that I feel myself required to give this novel such a high rating, as it is a work both as masterful as it is influential.
5/5.
And whilst this theme is central throughout, mystery and horror begin to creep in as the story progresses. What has previously been stated as fact begins to become blurred and hazy. The intentions, motivations, and beliefs of the characters we meet come into question. Our unnamed narrator is one whose words should be taken with a grain of salt, as her view of those she interacts with is tainted by her love for the man she finds herself connected to. This deep-rooted delusion has a tendency to persuade the reader into taking sides in personal conflicts that have no right and wrong parties. Breaking through this and understanding the characters as they are, we begin to see the mess of complex individuals littered throughout the novel, each possessing their own strengths and flaws.
Yet through all the chaos which unfolds in this classical piece of fiction, the identity of the protagonist and her desire for acceptance remains at the focus of her journey. Every event which occurs is seen as a shortcoming or progression towards achieving her ultimate goal, so much so that the implications and the severity of certain events often goes overlooked.
What makes Rebecca such as standout piece of fiction, one that holds up so well today and truly cements itself as a classical work, is the simplicity of the plot on the surface, and how the battle for identity and the mysteries of Manderley are meticulously weaved together to provide the layers that make this narrative so compelling. Not only this, but du Maurier has prose like no other, rich and evocative in the imagery it creates and the emotions it draws out. It is for these reasons that I feel myself required to give this novel such a high rating, as it is a work both as masterful as it is influential.
5/5.
dark
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great read! It was romantic, mysterious, a bit tense but nothing too much. The style was beautifully descriptive but not too long or hard to follow.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
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