Reviews with content warning for Infertility - Rebecca

Reviews tagging 'Infertility'

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

40 reviews

amzthebookdevourer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.25

I found the first half of the book to be excruciatingly slow at points, with excessive detail. However, I'm so glad I stuck with it as the second half was phenomenal! Secrets were revealed, tension was masterfully built, and the twists and turns were so unexpected.

Content Warnings

gvstyris's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

I wondered how many people there were in the world who suffered, and continued to suffer, because they could not break out from their own web of shyness and reserve, and in their blindness and folly built up a great distorted wall in front of them that hid the truth.

Very unsure about how to rate this book. Rebecca has been on my mental TBR for years, primarily because of its enduring influence on other media I love (Gone Girl, even various Taylor Swift songs hahah), so my expectations were probably unfairly high.

And, in many ways, they were met. I loved the Gothic setting and eerie tone, as well as the slow build of tension -- although I totally get where it'll bug other readers, given how long it takes to reach any action. Manderley is almost a character in-and-of-itself, which was super compelling, and du Maurier's prose really is gorgeous. I also really admired the shift in the narrator's voice throughout the novel as she lost her youthful naivety and grew into her role of 'Mrs de Winter.'

Docking my rating over a couple things. I'm pretty unobservant and honestly really bad at guessing plot twists, but even I didn't find the main reveals in this novel particularly shocking or compelling. That's probably in part because Rebecca helped pioneer specific thriller tropes, and has influenced many more creative thrillers, but it still made for an underwhelming conclusion. I'm also not sure how I feel about the social commentary of the main reveals...

Maxim comes across a bit too favourably in the end, and Rebecca a bit cartoonish.

It definitely reminded me a bit of my misogynistic undertone qualms with Gone Girl.

I am glad it cannot happen twice, the fever of first love. For it is a fever, and a burden, too, whatever the poets may say.

Content Warnings

graceheartsbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.5

Rebecca is one of my mom’s favorite books and I finally got persuaded to read it. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to love it as it started out slow but as I kept going, I started to really enjoy it. At first it appears as a story about a woman being haunted by the shadow of her husband’s previous wife but underneath the surface this book is much more than that. It’s a book about abuse, power dynamics, gender roles, obsession and (in my opinion) how we speak about the dead. Also Daphne Du Maurier’s prose are beautiful and really makes you feel the tension and isolation of a scene/during the novel.

Content Warnings

readingduckling's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A very hard read. The reason I read it was that this book was apparently the inspiration for Taylor Swifts "Tolerate it".
I will definitely read it again, maybe the rating will be better then, but for now I think 4 stars are fitting.

Content Warnings

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

exclipse's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Rewrote my brain chemistry. I thought all of the characters were lovable and relatable in their own way but that's probably a sign of mental illness!!! 10/10 because it's the only book to contain my queen Beatrice Lacy.

Content Warnings