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alyssaarch's review against another edition
4.0
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Goodreads FirstReads in exchange for an honest review.*
I didn’t know a ton about Daphne du Maurier, but I absolutely love Rebecca and have been planning to read more of her works for a while now. I was thrilled when I won a copy of her biography on Goodreads, because I love learning more about authors’ lives and getting a sense of how their books were created. Manderley Forever does not disappoint. It’s clear that Tatiana de Rosnay loves du Maurier, and she treats this biography with a large amount of respect, very much making this biography a sort of homage to Daphne du Maurier.
Before each section of the biography, Tatiana de Rosnay follows in Daphne’s footsteps and brings us back to the present, describing the places where Daphne used to live as we can now see them today, and then she moves right along to Daphne’s story. This is one of my favorite parts of this biography; I love that de Rosnay took the time to visit France and Cornwall and describes how they look now to us. I felt like I was right there with her, viewing the places where Daphne used to live, nostalgically wondering how she must have seen and viewed them. It’s not a typical thing to include in a biography, but it’s an absolutely wonderful addition.
The biography itself is told from Daphne’s perspective in present tense, which lends a sense of immediacy and intimacy to the narrative. Rather than being told dry facts and dates, de Rosnay tells a story, borrowing heavily from Daphne’s journal to recreate thoughts and conversations, and allows the reader to be right there with Daphne as she hides from the crowd of people at her parents’ parties and travels to France for the first time. It was exciting to learn more about this author, how she thought, and who she considered to be friends. I had no idea she was so well connected in the literary and social world, though I should have suspected, given that women at this time had limited means to become prolific novelists.
Overall, this is an enchanting biography that includes all of the fun, exciting parts about meeting and getting to know a person better. Tatiana de Rosnay’s melding of research and story is masterful; I didn’t feel as though I were reading a biography, but rather as though I were meeting a new friend. I highly recommend this book to all fans of biographies, and most especially for those who want to learn more about the author of Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
I didn’t know a ton about Daphne du Maurier, but I absolutely love Rebecca and have been planning to read more of her works for a while now. I was thrilled when I won a copy of her biography on Goodreads, because I love learning more about authors’ lives and getting a sense of how their books were created. Manderley Forever does not disappoint. It’s clear that Tatiana de Rosnay loves du Maurier, and she treats this biography with a large amount of respect, very much making this biography a sort of homage to Daphne du Maurier.
Before each section of the biography, Tatiana de Rosnay follows in Daphne’s footsteps and brings us back to the present, describing the places where Daphne used to live as we can now see them today, and then she moves right along to Daphne’s story. This is one of my favorite parts of this biography; I love that de Rosnay took the time to visit France and Cornwall and describes how they look now to us. I felt like I was right there with her, viewing the places where Daphne used to live, nostalgically wondering how she must have seen and viewed them. It’s not a typical thing to include in a biography, but it’s an absolutely wonderful addition.
The biography itself is told from Daphne’s perspective in present tense, which lends a sense of immediacy and intimacy to the narrative. Rather than being told dry facts and dates, de Rosnay tells a story, borrowing heavily from Daphne’s journal to recreate thoughts and conversations, and allows the reader to be right there with Daphne as she hides from the crowd of people at her parents’ parties and travels to France for the first time. It was exciting to learn more about this author, how she thought, and who she considered to be friends. I had no idea she was so well connected in the literary and social world, though I should have suspected, given that women at this time had limited means to become prolific novelists.
Overall, this is an enchanting biography that includes all of the fun, exciting parts about meeting and getting to know a person better. Tatiana de Rosnay’s melding of research and story is masterful; I didn’t feel as though I were reading a biography, but rather as though I were meeting a new friend. I highly recommend this book to all fans of biographies, and most especially for those who want to learn more about the author of Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
stephisbranded's review against another edition
4.0
As someone who doesn't read nonfiction, I have to say that this was wonderful. It was like reading a story! I literally have never read an adult biography before- only kids biographies or adult memoirs- so for me I was proud that I even finished it. Luckily, it was so entertaining that I couldn't stop reading! I have always loved Daphne du Maurier, but to read her bio and to learn why she wrote what she wrote and to learn about her mind was incredible. She was the niece of the man who wrote Peter Pan, had affairs with other women, was accused of plagiarism for Rebecca- and that's just naming a few things! Pick it up. It's great.
marziesreads's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Daphne du Maurier was the author of Rebecca, Jamaica Inn and, though many don't realize it, the short story The Birds, which was the inspiration for the Hitchcock film of the same name. Du Maurier had a rich artistic heritage. Her grandfather George du Maurier was the author of the famous Punch, and the antisemitic bohemian milieu novel Trilby, in which the iconic character Svengali, a rogue Jewish hypnotist, hypnotizes an innocent, tone-deaf, half-Irish Trilby into a singing diva. (That ends badly, of course.) Her father was the actor Gerald du Maurier, her mother was the actress Muriel Beaumont, niece of author Wm. Comyns Beaumont. To say that this was a storied family and that Daphne led a colorful life would be an understatement. De Rosnay gives us a sense of du Maurier's life, her loves, her literary work, and her children. She captures some of the wit and emotion that fueled du Maurier's work, especially some of her early work with its gothic literary tone. De Rosnay also manages to describe some of the questions about du Maurier's sexuality without making the assumptions that have been controversial in the 1993 Margaret Forster biography of du Maurier, which suggested that she was secretly a lesbian. De Rosnay's includes of some of du Maurier's writing that had been directed toward Ellen Doubleday, who was the object, at a minimum, of infatuation for her. Some of the passages quoted made me wonder if, rather than simply lesbian tendencies, she felt a strong sense of gender complexity. Du Maurier overtly referenced what can be seen through a present-day perspective as a mixed-gender identity which was largely kept secret from others. I appreciate the fact that de Rosnay lets us draw our own conclusions about du Maurier's sense of identity without applying labels that aren't ours to assign.
It is a shame that such a fascinating life and legacy is given a peculiar narrative treatment in biographical form. While I understand that de Rosnay wanted to immerse readers of this biography in du Maurier's life, the manner in which she has done it, writing in the present tense and with the voice of an omniscient narrator living the events with du Maurier, from her birth to her death, is disconcerting (perhaps, as it was meant to be?). It made for a jarring read, especially with the book opening with de Rosnay's journey to the du Maurier family home in Westminster, in 2013. Although source material is reported and the book is extensively footnoted, unfortunately, it reads like a novelization of du Maurier's life rather than a credible biography. In this respect, de Rosnay has done herself a disservice. I am unsure how much may have been lost in translation from the original French but the underlying structure of the biographical narrative leaves a discerning reader with questions about veracity and fictional elaboration.
Daphne du Maurier was the author of Rebecca, Jamaica Inn and, though many don't realize it, the short story The Birds, which was the inspiration for the Hitchcock film of the same name. Du Maurier had a rich artistic heritage. Her grandfather George du Maurier was the author of the famous Punch, and the antisemitic bohemian milieu novel Trilby, in which the iconic character Svengali, a rogue Jewish hypnotist, hypnotizes an innocent, tone-deaf, half-Irish Trilby into a singing diva. (That ends badly, of course.) Her father was the actor Gerald du Maurier, her mother was the actress Muriel Beaumont, niece of author Wm. Comyns Beaumont. To say that this was a storied family and that Daphne led a colorful life would be an understatement. De Rosnay gives us a sense of du Maurier's life, her loves, her literary work, and her children. She captures some of the wit and emotion that fueled du Maurier's work, especially some of her early work with its gothic literary tone. De Rosnay also manages to describe some of the questions about du Maurier's sexuality without making the assumptions that have been controversial in the 1993 Margaret Forster biography of du Maurier, which suggested that she was secretly a lesbian. De Rosnay's includes of some of du Maurier's writing that had been directed toward Ellen Doubleday, who was the object, at a minimum, of infatuation for her. Some of the passages quoted made me wonder if, rather than simply lesbian tendencies, she felt a strong sense of gender complexity. Du Maurier overtly referenced what can be seen through a present-day perspective as a mixed-gender identity which was largely kept secret from others. I appreciate the fact that de Rosnay lets us draw our own conclusions about du Maurier's sense of identity without applying labels that aren't ours to assign.
It is a shame that such a fascinating life and legacy is given a peculiar narrative treatment in biographical form. While I understand that de Rosnay wanted to immerse readers of this biography in du Maurier's life, the manner in which she has done it, writing in the present tense and with the voice of an omniscient narrator living the events with du Maurier, from her birth to her death, is disconcerting (perhaps, as it was meant to be?). It made for a jarring read, especially with the book opening with de Rosnay's journey to the du Maurier family home in Westminster, in 2013. Although source material is reported and the book is extensively footnoted, unfortunately, it reads like a novelization of du Maurier's life rather than a credible biography. In this respect, de Rosnay has done herself a disservice. I am unsure how much may have been lost in translation from the original French but the underlying structure of the biographical narrative leaves a discerning reader with questions about veracity and fictional elaboration.
izabrekilien's review against another edition
4.0
Je cherchais une biographie sur Daphné du Maurier, une auteure que j'ai lu pour la première fois quand j'étais ado et dont certains livres sont restés gravés dans ma mémoire, particulièrement La maison sur le rivage. Je n'avais que cette biographie romancée à portée de main, dont le nom de l'auteure et le titre assez gnan-gnan m'ont tenue à l'écart pendant un temps certain !
Eh bien, j'ai fait pas mal de découvertes, mea culpa. J'avais une idée assez générale de la vie de D. du Maurier, je suis donc très contente d'en savoir beaucoup plus que je n'imaginais de cette femme moderne - même si je préfère toujours une bonne vieille biographie pas romancée.
En ce moment, j'ai en tête de relire la littérature britannique - surtout anglaise - écrite par les femmes et j'ai eu envie de replonger dans les livres de 2 auteures que j'aimais beaucoup quand j'étais ado, Daphné du Maurier et Agatha Christie. Il m'a semblé logique de lire leurs biographies avant de m'attaquer à leurs ouvrages.
Un documentaire diffusé sur Arte a fait écho à ce livre, "Sur les traces de Rebecca" - il est encore disponible sur internet.
Et maintenant, je rêve de retourner dans les Cornouailles britanniques et d'aller voir ses maisons de plus près :)
Eh bien, j'ai fait pas mal de découvertes, mea culpa. J'avais une idée assez générale de la vie de D. du Maurier, je suis donc très contente d'en savoir beaucoup plus que je n'imaginais de cette femme moderne - même si je préfère toujours une bonne vieille biographie pas romancée.
En ce moment, j'ai en tête de relire la littérature britannique - surtout anglaise - écrite par les femmes et j'ai eu envie de replonger dans les livres de 2 auteures que j'aimais beaucoup quand j'étais ado, Daphné du Maurier et Agatha Christie. Il m'a semblé logique de lire leurs biographies avant de m'attaquer à leurs ouvrages.
Un documentaire diffusé sur Arte a fait écho à ce livre, "Sur les traces de Rebecca" - il est encore disponible sur internet.
Et maintenant, je rêve de retourner dans les Cornouailles britanniques et d'aller voir ses maisons de plus près :)
balancinghistorybooks's review against another edition
4.0
I love du Maurier, and she is easily one of my favourite authors. I have also really enjoyed de Rosnay's work to date, and when I found out about the French publication of Manderley Forever, I willed it to be translated into English as soon as was possible.
I love the way in which Manderley Forever is written. I found the first section particularly incredibly spellbinding. There was almost a magical quality to its prose, as well as the story it relayed. Whilst the rest of the book was undoubtedly fascinating, I do feel as though it unfortunately lost a little of its sparkle. Perhaps this is because I knew relatively little about Daphne as a child, but was well versed in her life and writing from adolescence onward. The childhood section was refreshing, I suppose, in that it held some surprises for me.
There is an undoubted admiration on de Rosnay's behalf, and the whole has been written and researched lovingly. I really liked the way in which de Rosnay drew a parallel story alongside du Maurier's biography, by going on a personal 'pilgrimage' to all of the places in which du Maurier lived and visited. De Rosnay is thorough, and presents her subject in such detail.
The section which included du Maurier's obituaries was a really nice touch, particularly with regard to the legacy which she left behind. It also drew a very fitting conclusion to the biography. The translation, too, was flawless. One can certainly tell that de Rosnay is first and foremost a novelist. I can only hope that she writes more such fantastic portraits as this in future.
I love the way in which Manderley Forever is written. I found the first section particularly incredibly spellbinding. There was almost a magical quality to its prose, as well as the story it relayed. Whilst the rest of the book was undoubtedly fascinating, I do feel as though it unfortunately lost a little of its sparkle. Perhaps this is because I knew relatively little about Daphne as a child, but was well versed in her life and writing from adolescence onward. The childhood section was refreshing, I suppose, in that it held some surprises for me.
There is an undoubted admiration on de Rosnay's behalf, and the whole has been written and researched lovingly. I really liked the way in which de Rosnay drew a parallel story alongside du Maurier's biography, by going on a personal 'pilgrimage' to all of the places in which du Maurier lived and visited. De Rosnay is thorough, and presents her subject in such detail.
The section which included du Maurier's obituaries was a really nice touch, particularly with regard to the legacy which she left behind. It also drew a very fitting conclusion to the biography. The translation, too, was flawless. One can certainly tell that de Rosnay is first and foremost a novelist. I can only hope that she writes more such fantastic portraits as this in future.
book_beat's review
2.0
Tatiana de Rosnay writes the biography as though the book is a fictional story, assuming Daphne’s thoughts throughout her life. Often, I had to question whether Daphne’s thoughts, hates, passions, etc. were assumed or discovered in her personal journals. I disliked the feeling of having to constantly question facts vs. fiction while reading a biography.
I was excited at the premise: a possibly lighter read! A closer glimpse at an author I enjoy; maybe a more emotional connection with this style of writing. But the whole thing read “clunky” to me with its crazy nicknames for characters (trying to keep them all straight), Daphne’s silly made up language, and the somewhat poor French translation. And Daphne didn’t feel very accessible to me.
Things I did enjoy: learning more about her writing process and inspiration. I loved the different places and countries and finding out about her family’s history in the arts. I didn’t enjoy the details about her love/lust life.
All in all ambitious effort, and I am grateful to have learned more about the lady who wrote Rebecca... even if she tired of those who claimed it to be their favorite work.
I was excited at the premise: a possibly lighter read! A closer glimpse at an author I enjoy; maybe a more emotional connection with this style of writing. But the whole thing read “clunky” to me with its crazy nicknames for characters (trying to keep them all straight), Daphne’s silly made up language, and the somewhat poor French translation. And Daphne didn’t feel very accessible to me.
Things I did enjoy: learning more about her writing process and inspiration. I loved the different places and countries and finding out about her family’s history in the arts. I didn’t enjoy the details about her love/lust life.
All in all ambitious effort, and I am grateful to have learned more about the lady who wrote Rebecca... even if she tired of those who claimed it to be their favorite work.