Book review

Rebecca

By Daphne du Maurier

Genre : suspense, mystery, gothic

After rewatching Downton Abbey, I needed to fill a void- with castles, butlers, lady's maids and the British life. Finding no such other TV series, I turned to books. I have come across ' Rebecca' several times, but somehow never got to reading it. I now wonder why?! How did I ever miss this masterpiece for so long?

Rebecca is a well crafted piece of art. Set in 1938, this beautifully written fiction is your typical edge of the seat thriller. No, it isn't a murder mystery. No, it isn't a horror story either. But it has the feel of both.

The narrator is an unnamed young woman with no special features of her own, who meets a rich landlord Mr de Winter on one of her boring visits to Monte Carlo as a companion of an elderly rich American snob. Recently widowed, dignified but mysterious, Mr de Winter asks her to marry him rather too quickly for her own good. The newly married Mrs de Winter accompanies her husband to his vast, famous estate named Manderly.

If you ask me,Manderly is a character on its own. A gothic, mysterious mansion which seems to hold secrets within its walls and rooms. Here we are introduced to several interesting characters, most of who are a part of the staff. The mean housekeeper,Mrs Danvers who never leaves an opportunity to make the new Mrs de Winter feel miserable, seems to be obsessed with her predecessor- Rebecca. Rebecca, Rebecca, Rebecca. Though we never meet her alive- Rebecca, the previous Mrs de Winter, who died a mysterious and sudden death seems to be the main character of the novel. We learn so much about her through the narrator(though she has never actually met this person). The author intentionally does not even mention the name of the narrator, not once- perhaps to stress the fact that though not alive any more, Rebecca is the central character of the novel. The estate agent- Frank Crawley, the butler, the footman, Mr de Winter's sister and her husband form the rest of the characters in the book.

This is probably the first book I have read, where I found none of the characters  likeable. Not one.Mr de Winter seems too cold, distant and selfish. The narrator is such a week kneed, spineless creature that you do not feel any pity towards her, despite the unjust experiences she goes through. She becomes very irritating and behaves irrationally several times,I going myself feeling that she deserved what she was facing.Mrs Danvers is meant to be hated. Rebecca is supposed to be this awe inspiring, charming, talented character who leaves an unspoken trail of mystery behind her. 

The hero of this book- the story. Haunting, suspenseful and thrilling, I enjoyed reading every page of this book. Well written, thoroughly enjoyable and unpredictable, this book should not be missed by any book lover.

👍 Interesting story, plot twist, intriguing characters, beautiful setting, adequate length- makes for a quick and easy read

👎- I could guess some of the twists, but that just means I'm very smart isn't it ?!