Author: Daphne du Maurier
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Gothic, Romance, Classic
Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again . . .
I loved this book more than I expected and to be honest, the only reason I picked this was that it was featured in Goodreads’ Best Crime & Mystery Books and that too at freaking number 4! I am entirely new to the Gothic romance genre, and I am still not sure what it is. However, this beautiful combination of “Gothic romance,” drama and suspense was a hell of a read.
The setting of the book is Manderley. Beautiful, haunting, and dull Manderley. At the center of the story is our unnamed protagonist. She marries an older gentleman named Maxim de Winter. The death of his wife Rebecca haunts Maxim. After arriving in Manderley, she finds though dead the spirit of Rebecca still haunts the very walls of Manderley, no, not literally :D. From the servants to acquaintances, everyone adored her; Rebecca is still the real Mrs de Winter!
Daphne beautifully captures the anguish and insecurity of the protagonist (or let’s call her Mrs. De Winter). We read the story from her point of view. So, we learn how she responds to the sudden change of her world, given she doesn’t belong to Maxim’s world. In her own words, “she wasn’t well-bread”. Above all, she had to live under the shadow of the beloved Rebecca. Rebecca, whom his husband loved before her, and maybe he still does. Maxim is aloof and always seems brooding. She yearns for his love and the respect of the people around her. The insecurity inbred in her makes it more difficult for her to compete with Rebecca, who according to her, better than her in every aspect. At times it is very frustrating to read the sheer amount of emotions she goes through. The claustrophobia is very daunting. At the same time you can’t help but sympathize with her.
Moreover, to top all this, she has an adversary who despises her, Mrs. Danvers, the head housekeeper, who adored Rebecca. The friction between Mrs. De Winter and Mrs. Danver is one of the big highlights of the book. The scene when Mrs. Danver confronts her in Rebecca’s room is written so well; I had goosebumps while reading it. It is splendid.
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.
One other aspect which makes the book so great is, how Daphene uses Manderley not just as the setting but as a character in her story. Manderley is the embodiment of Rebecca. It is what drives the characters in this narrative. It is what makes Maxim tense and irate. It is what makes Mrs. de Winter so vulnerable. It is what makes Mrs. Danver so toxic.
–Minor spoilers ahead–
Around this drama is the death of Rebecca, which adds to the suspense of the story. Rebecca, even though dead drives the whole narrative. Though, her death itself doesn’t become the main plot until later in the book. Once that part of the story starts unfolding, the pace picks up, and the thrill begins. Last few chapters are a real page-turner. The climax is very satisfying and perfect.
The road to Manderley lay ahead. There was no moon. The sky above our heads was inky black. But the sky on the horizon was not dark at all. It was shot with crimson, like a splash of blood. And the ashes blew towards us with the salt wind from the sea.
For me, Daphne achieved what she would have expected from this book. Her writing almost pulls you inside the mind of Mrs de Winter and what she is experiencing. The writing is poetic and justifies the timelessness of Rebecca.
I listened to most of the book on audible, and the narration by Anna Massey is terrific. She’s very talented, and she elevated the whole book to another level. The voice overs were outstanding. It felt like, Anna, along with the listener, lived the inner turmoil of Mrs de Winter.
Rebecca is a classic and every respect. I can’t recommend this book more. If possible listen to the audio book and increase the narration speed 😉
My Rating: 
wordsofbookradiant 