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djinnduffy's review against another edition
5.0
This may be long, so bear with me.
I first read Rebecca in middle school, 6th or 7th grade. Reading it then was like making a new friend, connecting with someone so much like yourself with all your fears and hopes and dreams shared. The young nameless lead was like holding up a mirror, and her love for the handsome, brooding Maxim tapped so profoundly into my own daddy issues, I still see the impact today.
I know I read the book more than once between high school and college, but I’m not sure of how many times, and beyond those years I don’t think I’d picked it up again. If I felt in the mood for Manderley, I would watch the lovely Hitchcock version and feel the itch satisfied. I’ve seen the Hitchcock version countless times at this point, and the less satisfying BBC miniseries twice. But I honestly couldn’t say when I last read the source material, so this August I made a decision to read this formative book again.
Reading Rebecca at 30 has been an absolute experience. I won’t speak too much to specific feelings, as they’re personal and don’t necessarily reflect on the story. But what I will say is that reading this book grown up has allowed me to set aside some of those dramatic romantic yearnings that dominated my experience as a young adult and appreciate Du Maurier’s actual craft. Let me tell you: it’s very good.
Her descriptions are lush and clear. The overwhelmingly beautiful Happy Valley. The ominous beach and the ever-present sound of the ocean’s waves. The unnaturally red rhododendrons. The gothic element of the environment came through much more clearly for me this time, I’m happy to report. She also does so well with her characters, showing their qualities through their words and actions, rather than simply telling me what they are like. Mrs. Van Hopper is crass and thoughtless. Frank is kind, if shallow. Beatrice is tactless but sincere. And sometimes, of course, our assumptions are wrong. But that’s the joy of this book: seeing early actions in a new light once new information is made available.
Then, of course, there is the 2nd Mrs. de Winter herself, who I must speak at least a little self-indulgently about. Du Maurier has done such an excellent job with this woman. She’s not particularly brave or heroic. I don’t know if I would even like her all that much if I met her at a party. But it can’t be said enough how successful Du Maurier is at giving us a character that speaks so strongly to the inner romantic in all of us. No wonder this book resonated with so many of us as teens.
I was absolutely shocked and enamored while reading with how many times the 2nd Mrs. de Winter literally disappears into her head to fantasize years or decades into the future about her life in both fortunate and unfortunate ways. For example, when Maxim asks her to marry him, she just retreats into a daydream of how romantic and lovely it would be to be mistress of Manderley, and she never even accepts his proposal! It's hilarious and charming and sad and painfully relatable to most teenage girls just looking to be something grander than they are. As a teen, all I wanted was to be her. To have Maxim offhandedly propose marriage to me, and then laugh about how badly the proposal was staged. As a kid, she was living out my fantasy. As an adult, I can only laugh and shake my head at her naïveté.
The anxieties of youth are also laid bare. There is a painful conflict for our young lead when it comes her dreaming herself into these elegant mature future versions (and my god, is she obsessed with being older) only to be faced with the reality of her own timidity. And that’s relatable too. She sees herself as mistress of Manderley so happily until she gets there, when she even notes for herself that now she has to deal with the reality that she's young and anxious and inexperienced--the fantasy has been made real, with all its responsibility attached. We want so much when we’re teenagers—and even as adults—yet there’s often such a terror when we get it. We expect our lives will change, but then don't know how to contend with the fact that, though our circumstances have changed, we ourselves have not. We’re still the same, warts and all. How do we reconcile that?
I didn’t want to make this review so personal, but obviously that was easier said than done. And I think it’s because those deeply personal reactions are what make this book so lasting. When I first read it, I had no idea why I connected with it so much. Reading it now, almost 20 years later, it makes so much more sense.
There’s plenty more that could be said about this book. About marriage, love, gender roles, patriarchy, the homoeroticism, the brief brown-face, an ending I think is a bit anti-climactic. This is a complicated book with plenty of opportunities for criticism, but I’ll leave my review here. At the end of the day, this is still my favorite novel.
I first read Rebecca in middle school, 6th or 7th grade. Reading it then was like making a new friend, connecting with someone so much like yourself with all your fears and hopes and dreams shared. The young nameless lead was like holding up a mirror, and her love for the handsome, brooding Maxim tapped so profoundly into my own daddy issues, I still see the impact today.
I know I read the book more than once between high school and college, but I’m not sure of how many times, and beyond those years I don’t think I’d picked it up again. If I felt in the mood for Manderley, I would watch the lovely Hitchcock version and feel the itch satisfied. I’ve seen the Hitchcock version countless times at this point, and the less satisfying BBC miniseries twice. But I honestly couldn’t say when I last read the source material, so this August I made a decision to read this formative book again.
Reading Rebecca at 30 has been an absolute experience. I won’t speak too much to specific feelings, as they’re personal and don’t necessarily reflect on the story. But what I will say is that reading this book grown up has allowed me to set aside some of those dramatic romantic yearnings that dominated my experience as a young adult and appreciate Du Maurier’s actual craft. Let me tell you: it’s very good.
Her descriptions are lush and clear. The overwhelmingly beautiful Happy Valley. The ominous beach and the ever-present sound of the ocean’s waves. The unnaturally red rhododendrons. The gothic element of the environment came through much more clearly for me this time, I’m happy to report. She also does so well with her characters, showing their qualities through their words and actions, rather than simply telling me what they are like. Mrs. Van Hopper is crass and thoughtless. Frank is kind, if shallow. Beatrice is tactless but sincere. And sometimes, of course, our assumptions are wrong. But that’s the joy of this book: seeing early actions in a new light once new information is made available.
Then, of course, there is the 2nd Mrs. de Winter herself, who I must speak at least a little self-indulgently about. Du Maurier has done such an excellent job with this woman. She’s not particularly brave or heroic. I don’t know if I would even like her all that much if I met her at a party. But it can’t be said enough how successful Du Maurier is at giving us a character that speaks so strongly to the inner romantic in all of us. No wonder this book resonated with so many of us as teens.
I was absolutely shocked and enamored while reading with how many times the 2nd Mrs. de Winter literally disappears into her head to fantasize years or decades into the future about her life in both fortunate and unfortunate ways. For example, when Maxim asks her to marry him, she just retreats into a daydream of how romantic and lovely it would be to be mistress of Manderley, and she never even accepts his proposal! It's hilarious and charming and sad and painfully relatable to most teenage girls just looking to be something grander than they are. As a teen, all I wanted was to be her. To have Maxim offhandedly propose marriage to me, and then laugh about how badly the proposal was staged. As a kid, she was living out my fantasy. As an adult, I can only laugh and shake my head at her naïveté.
The anxieties of youth are also laid bare. There is a painful conflict for our young lead when it comes her dreaming herself into these elegant mature future versions (and my god, is she obsessed with being older) only to be faced with the reality of her own timidity. And that’s relatable too. She sees herself as mistress of Manderley so happily until she gets there, when she even notes for herself that now she has to deal with the reality that she's young and anxious and inexperienced--the fantasy has been made real, with all its responsibility attached. We want so much when we’re teenagers—and even as adults—yet there’s often such a terror when we get it. We expect our lives will change, but then don't know how to contend with the fact that, though our circumstances have changed, we ourselves have not. We’re still the same, warts and all. How do we reconcile that?
I didn’t want to make this review so personal, but obviously that was easier said than done. And I think it’s because those deeply personal reactions are what make this book so lasting. When I first read it, I had no idea why I connected with it so much. Reading it now, almost 20 years later, it makes so much more sense.
There’s plenty more that could be said about this book. About marriage, love, gender roles, patriarchy, the homoeroticism, the brief brown-face, an ending I think is a bit anti-climactic. This is a complicated book with plenty of opportunities for criticism, but I’ll leave my review here. At the end of the day, this is still my favorite novel.
priptonm96's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sheilareads_'s review against another edition
I loved Du Maurier’s prose in this book. The way she describes the landscapes, flowers, etc. I’m not usually into that kind of descriptive/figurative writing style personally, because I often think it’s “flowery” (no pun intended haha), but the style really made Manderley come alive. I also enjoyed seeing the unnamed protagonist grow. She’s re-telling the story and also reflecting on how she was in the past. It was a really refreshing insight into the psyche of the character. She really grows. At the end of the book the two become almost co-conspirators lmao. I look forward to reading more of Du Maurier’s work!
folklorian13's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
Taylor Swift made me pick it up — Rebecca made me keep on reading.
The novel centers around two women: dominant Rebecca, who is dead but somehow reincarnated in the shades of Manderley, always present in some form. And the shy protagonist, a mere fleeting thought, a (fascinatingly) nameless bride who‘s primary wish is to please. They fall victim to the age-old curse of being pitted against each other. Rebecca became too much of a woman of her own mind and had to die for it. The protagonist dies a slow death by the hand of the same man; she chooses her fate deliberately though, her longing for approval and love making her a willingly obedient subject. (and still people call this a romance)
„I wait by the door like I‘m just a kid
use my best colours for your portrait
lay the table with the fancy sh*t
and watch you tolerate it“
I liked that the story forces you to make up your own mind about what is happening and how you perceive and judge certain characters. Is the love interest really a hero or the suppressor? Should we pity or loathe hateful Mrs. Danvers?
The writing style is full of suspense and beauty as well as it incorporates gothic elements. Reading this book never got boring.
I also read that „Rebecca“ mirrors Jane Eyre — and I can‘t quite get the thought out of my head. The unbalanced age and power dynamics, Rebecca as the „madwoman in the attic“ (another Taylor Swift reference) who literally sets the place on fire, the haunted vibes and depiction of nature‘s force.
The moral of the story: don‘t sleep with your cousin, wear hats that are equivalent in sizing to your head (or you‘re gonna be judged by a female novel protagonist without personality) and don‘t trust men (period).
laurenpat's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of those books I treasure and guard fiercely. I read it in high school - and I haven’t read it since because I’m afraid it won’t have the same spark the second time or that I’ll somehow taint my first unexpectedly surprising first reads. This is the epitome of gothic romance, thrown in with a naive first person narrator for some incredibly awkward second hand embarrassment. Each plot twist had a plot twist and all you could do was hang on and hope the narrator could navigate you through the story in the most painlessly way possible. I loved it. The first chapter has a slow start, but then suddenly you find yourself in a place where you can’t put it down and have to keep reading until the end. Also the new Netflix adaption of this was pretty good, but gave the couple a lot more chemistry than I had initially imagined.
caitlinm248's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? No
4.5
alexgreenough's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
crabbyabbe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
My reactions to reading this in my teens and early 20s: what Gothic romance, oh, Byronic Maxim! Ah, love! I loathe Rebecca! #theylivedhappilyeverafter
My reactions as someone in her late 50s: The unreliable masochistic narrator is desperate for a father-like husband with the last name de WINTER (sterility, coldness) and a first name of Maxim (a rule of conduct) to be completely submissive to. But did I still love it? YES. #agirlcanstilldream
My reactions as someone in her late 50s: The unreliable masochistic narrator is desperate for a father-like husband with the last name de WINTER (sterility, coldness) and a first name of Maxim (a rule of conduct) to be completely submissive to. But did I still love it? YES. #agirlcanstilldream
f4rhana's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75