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ravenpuff's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Classism, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Bullying
Minor: Racism, Suicide, Cancer, Gun violence, and Infidelity
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
3.0
"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."
WARNING: unpopular opinion ahead!!
I've been meaning to read Rebecca for years now, and after I saw one of my favorite books of 2023 The Hacienda being compared to this classic I decided to not wait any longer and finally pick it up. I had high hopes for this story, as I do love a good gothic thriller... But in the end I guess it wasn't ment to be. I know that the fact that I've been struggling with a reading slump might have been part of the problem, but I can't look past the fact that it took me eleven! days to finish reading a book that would usually only take me a day or two. I was warned of the slow start, and I definitely agree with that warning. I'm not sure if I would have continued reading if it hadn't known about the slow start, because the beginning is rather dull and tedious. Things do improve when the couple arrives at Manderley, and there are some clever twists and developments along the way. Sadly, I found the second Mrs. de Winter to be such a frustrating character to deal with though; having to spend so much time inside her head only made it more difficult to fight that slump and pick up my copy of Rebecca. The fact that she is basically a human doormat and lets everybody walk all over her became SO annoying, and she never fully redeemed herself for me. I did appreciate the descriptions of Manderley and the general gothic feel of the plot, but it wasn't enough to properly enjoy this story. I still might try a reread at some point to see just how big of a role the reading slump played when it comes to my reaction to this classic...
Graphic: Murder, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Animal death, Violence, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
daniellarae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I was a bit disappointed at the lack of ghostly presence and atmosphere that I was expecting. I thought it would be creepier. The twist was also quite predictable.
A classic nonetheless.
(My content warning tags may contain some minor spoilers)
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Incest, Terminal illness, Murder, Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, and Suicide
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
sadiaa's review against another edition
4.75
Minor: Dementia, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Terminal illness, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Death
poirot's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Classism, Death, Grief, Murder, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Suicide
Moderate: Alcohol and Alcoholism
Minor: Body shaming, Death of parent, Infertility, Terminal illness, and Cancer
m4rtt4'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? Yes
4.75
i'd also like to know why it is so hard not to bang your cousin
Graphic: Death, Classism, Murder, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Minor: Cultural appropriation, Cancer, Suicide, and Incest
readerorwateva's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Sexism, Infidelity, and Murder
Moderate: Violence, Suicide, Incest, and Misogyny
Minor: Terminal illness and Toxic relationship
bluelizzz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Повільна на початку, але сюжет стрімко розвивається у другій половині та до кінця тримає в напрузі. Не настільки банальна, як може здатися - в історії достатньо моментів, що можуть здивувати.
Перші дві глави плутають нового читача - без вступу починаються описи природи та якогось будинку, що мариться героїні уві сні; в читача кидають іменами ще невідомих персонажів, секундними спогадами про загадкові події, які нас ще чекають, але ніби вже відбулися; словом, все вимазано у товстий шар ностальгії, чужої неприємної ностальгії, коли відчуваєш себе незручно чужим у теплих спогадах незнайомця.
Цей літературний прийом працює на відмінно, бо чепляє своєю дивністю, та "безшовно" поєднує кінець і початок історії (серйозно, після закінчення книжки поверніться на початок і прочитайте перші дві глави знову - ефект вражаючий).
Герої до болю реалістичні, зі своїми тривогами, страхами, недоліками, протягом всієї історії викликають то підозри і антипатію, роздратування до скрипу зубів, то розуміння і співчуття, в чомусь навіть і симпатію.
Авторка так поступово і майстерно розкручує розповідь, що відчуваючи ті чи інші емоції читач навіть не здогадується, що вони цілком навмисно викликані геніальною пані Дафною дю Мор'є. Тільки закривши книгу на останньому рядку пазл складається в повну картину і талант письменниці не викликає питань.
Навіть описи природи, так ненависні мною, мають свій сенс в контексті розвитку історії та відображення внутрішніх переживань головної героїні (безіменної героїні, що теж як виявилось було важливо для поринення в події книги).
Рекомендую до прочитання всім з великим терпінням (вас буде за це винагороджено) та імунітетом до описів природи (рододендрони не те, чим здаються), хто не проти опинитись в голові 20-річної невротички, щоб пережити глибоку сімейну драму та споглядати її внутрішній розвиток (насправді краще, ніж звучить).
Перечитувати не планую, одного разу цілком достатньо; також я не фанатка циклитись на психології та думках гг всю книгу, тому для мене книга тверда 4.0 з 5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Murder, Cancer, Death, and Blood
Minor: Stalking, Animal death, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Alcohol, Misogyny, and Terminal illness
aurora_linnea's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Misogyny