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atelopxobia's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Gun violence, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Cancer, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Violence, Incest, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Ableism, and Gaslighting
rozydozy's review against another edition
- 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? No
5.0
Moderate: Ableism and Violence
Minor: Cultural appropriation
quabbityash's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Ableism, Colonisation, Xenophobia, and Racism
Minor: Murder, Domestic abuse, and Death
denlia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Classism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Ableism, Racism, and Toxic friendship
e_r_q's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
"I feel her everywhere. You do too, don't you?"
Rebecca is a captivating, mysterious and dark gothic romance. In many ways, it is also a highly unconventional ghost story. Despite being a slow-burn, it is undeniably an incredibly engrossing novel; I just can't get it out of my head.
It is consistently unpredictable, and the various twists and turns it took genuinely managed to shock me. Everything builds to an unforgettably tense climax.
I absolutely loved Daphne du Maurier's masterful characterisation. The unamed protagonist is probably one of my favourite narrators of all time; I really liked her uncertainty and insecurity, and I loved how she constantly drifted into elaborate day-dreams. I also really liked how every character, to an extent, is extremely unreliable, lending a degree of ambiguity to the events of the novel.
I am also in love with du Maurier's gorgeously gothic and strikingly atmospheric writing; she manages to make the setting of Manderley feel like a character in itself.
Unfortunately, it is very much a product of its time, with some dated and abhorrent racist and abelist moments.
But overall, Rebecca is an iconic tale of obsession, love, gender, trust, power and the haunting force of the past. There's a reason it's a classic.
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Racism and Misogyny
rhi_reading's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Frequently undersold as a ‘gothic romance’, du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca’ is a masterclass in character work, suspense, and atmosphere. The titular character never appears or speaks a word throughout the novel but is so incredibly well written through the accounts of all the supporting characters that she stands out more than any of them.
The contrast of the headstrong and fiery Rebecca with the diminutive and awkward nameless narrator is one of the highlights of the book and a sharp take on the classic Madonna-Whore complex. Du Maurier manipulates her readers until the very end in to sympathising and hating the characters she wants us to despite their actions and motives, and asking us to consider what these feelings say about our own morality - after all, the truth doesn’t mean anything against a well crafted story.
Graphic: Ableism, Murder, Death, Suicide, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Murder
Minor: Cultural appropriation and Racism
cgibson25's review against another edition
1.5
Graphic: Blood, Ableism, and Violence
mishasbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Cancer, Eating disorder, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Death, Death of parent, Violence, War, Gun violence, Incest, Suicide attempt, Chronic illness, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
maeverose's review against another edition
3.75
‘ “Yes,” I said. ’s
I hate Maxim. Of course this book isn’t a romance novel, and it was written over 80 years ago so the misogyny is not at all unexpected, but being as they remain a couple by the end it’s irritating to me. He’s so patronizing and misogynistic towards Narrator from the beginning and it only gets worse later on. Frank had much better chemistry with Narrator, I didn’t feel like Maxim actually liked her at all, we hardly even saw them together. And the fact that he was so much older than her but also liked that she was young and innocent grossed me out.
On a less critical note (though still negative because it’s depressing), I was surprised how much I related to Narrator with her social difficulties. I think the intention was that she was young and wasn’t used to all the social obligations of being a more well known person, but to me it read very similar to social anxiety or maybe even autism/adhd. She also had pretty intense insecurities and didn’t think very highly of herself (rejection sensitivity?), which honestly made me a bit sad while reading because I related to so much of it.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Ableism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Dementia, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder
Moderate: Cancer, Pedophilia, Racism, Animal cruelty, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Fire/Fire injury, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Sexual content
Ageism. Minor spoilers related to the pedophilia and suicidal thoughts:exlibrissum's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Murder, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Death
Moderate: Suicide, Incest, Cancer, and Terminal illness