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Rebecca (平装)
by Daphne Du Maurier
| Category:
Teens, Fiction, Classic, Mystery, Gothic |
| Market price: ¥ 108.00
MSL price:
¥ 98.00
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Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
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| MSL Pointer Review:
A true classic of suspense, most famous and well-loved gothic novel of the 20th century. Du Maurier created an unforgettable atmosphere of decaying beauty, frightening spirits and horror mixed with love and death. |
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AllReviews |
1 2   | Total 2 pages 13 items |
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Kona (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-28 00:00>
This riveting tale of fear, suspicion, and love opens as the unnamed narrator reminisces about her former home, the grand English estate, Manderley. She had been young and shy, a lady's companion, when she met the wealthy recent widow, Maxim de Winter, fell in love with him, and married him in a matter of weeks. They returned to his home, where she was immediately overwhelmed with the responsibilities of running the house and dealing with her forbidding housekeeper as well as the memory of Maxim's first wife, Rebecca. She had been beautiful, sophisticated, and supremely confident, and the narrator felt lost and helpless in comparison. Her new husband was strangely distant to her, until a horrible secret was revealed that would change their lives and the very existence of Manderley.
Daphne Du Maurier has crafted a wonderfully spooky story with remarkably little action, but a great deal of atmosphere and a steadily mounting feeling of impending doom. The ravishing Rebecca is never seen, and yet she is the main character, dominating the story with her passions and cruelty. Another main "character" is the great house itself, which is described in such fascinating detail that I felt as if I had walked its long hallways, descended its grand stairs, and had tea in the library. The narrator is purposely kept anonymous to contrast her with the larger-than-life Rebecca, and Maxim is a seriously flawed but lovable man.
Anna Massey does not just read the story, she performs it, delighting the listener with her upper-class British accent, giving a different voice to each character. I happily recommend this audio cassette version of Rebecca to those who enjoy exciting tales of suspense, psychological dramas, and mysteries.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-28 00:00>
This book is one of the all-time greatest works of fiction, combining suspense, romance, and character development, all wrapped up in a mystery that is literally not resolved until the last page.
Modern readers should treat this story as a period piece of sorts; American readers in particular should bear in mind the differences between British and American cultures, and also the historical differences (Rebecca was published in 1938), otherwise they are apt to find the story "slow" or "dull."
Like any great mystery writer, du Maurier throws out subtle clues in the first third of the story; about halfway through, she begins to resolve these clues, and from then on, the story races at full steam. "Don't let" the seemingly slow introduction stop you from finishing the book; patient readers will be well- rewarded when they see how brilliantly du Maurier sets up her surprises.
The story revolves around the unusual marriage of the young, unworldly narrator (whose first name is never revealed, one of the book's charming idiosyncrasies)to the brooding "landed gentleman," Maxim de Winter. When she arrives at his grand country manor, Manderly (the house is perhaps the book's most potent character), she is immediately confronted by the other characters' feelings about Rebecca, Maxim de Winter's flamboyant late wife.
Perhaps du Maurier's greatest accomplishment, character-wise, is the way she develops Rebecca, who is already dead when the main action of the story begins, and never really appears "on-screen," so to speak. Rebecca is very much alive in the memories of Maxim, the house servants, friends and family members, but most crucially, of her personal maid, Mrs. Danvers (and also of Rebecca's sleazy cousin, Jack Favel). It is Mrs. Danvers who becomes the greatest nemesis of the narrator, and who makes the frightened young woman feel utterly unwanted and unloved in her new home. If Rebecca truly does haunt Manderly, Mrs. Danvers is her conduit to the world of the living.
After a treacherous episode that almost brings the narrator to the breaking point, a string of coincidences alters everything; the narrator learns the truth about what turns out to be a lot of mistaken assumptions. In the process, she herself grows into a far more confident person. The last quarter of the story is an absolute masterpiece, as the action takes one turn, then another, then another. And even when it seems that all the clues have been resolved, du Maurier saves one last whammy for the final page.
I first read this book twenty years ago, and it made more of an impression on me than just about anything else I've read since. I re-read it from time to time, and gain a new insight with every perusal.
In short, Rebecca is a wonderful, wonderful novel, and not to be missed. I can't recommend it highly enough - read it, linger over it, enjoy it, and read it again. It's a true literary achievement.
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Joanna Daneman (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-28 00:00>
A young, naive woman who is the paid companion of an obnoxious rich woman is taken along to Monte Carlo. While she smarts under the rudeness and gauche behavior of her employer, she meets the dark, handsome widower Max de Winter.
What follows is a love story and a ghost story of a woman haunted by the powerful presence of the former mistress of Manderley. We never learn the name of the heroine as she marries Max, moves into the rigid but elegant life at Manderley and tangles with Mrs. Danvers, Manderley's fearsome housekeeper. What unfolds is not only a mystery but a story of obsessions and evil. The end is a shock.
Du Maurier created an unforgettable atmosphere of decaying beauty, frightening spirits and horror mixed with love and death. If you haven't read this, I am envious. You get to experience it for the first time.
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Bill (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-28 00:00>
I picked this book up when I was in high school on a visit to my uncle's... and I couldn't put it down. I was captivated as I followed the uncertain steps of a young girl swept off her feet by a rich older man, then thrust into the overwhelming position of lady of the manor, a position previously held by a beautiful, confident woman that everyone seemed to adore. Everything was not as it first appeared, however, and the new bride had many shocking and horrifying surprises in store for her. Rebecca was a gripping tale that fascinated Alfred Hitchcock, and he chose this story to bring to the big screen. But even the Master of Suspense, in my opinion, could not do justice to this epic romance/mystery/thriller as written by Du Maurier. One of the most memorable books I have ever read.
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Morse (MSL quote) , USA
<2007-02-28 00:00>
This book was recommended to me several times before I broke down and read it. I am a lover of classic films, yet this is one that I had never seen, for some unknown reason. A good friend suggested that I read the book to truly enjoy the story to its fullest. And boy, was she right.
Although not my usual genre of choice, this is a true classic. The main character, the "second Mrs. Dewinter" is a simple girl, swept up in a romance with a rich widower while she is on vacation as companion to a pushy, well to do woman. She leaves her employer to marry Max DeWinter, not anticipating all this union entails for her.
She is drawn into the shadow of Rebecca, the first Mrs. DeWinter, and fights to measure up, and to retain her sanity in Max and Rebecca's home, Manderley.
Not helping matters at all is Mrs. Danvers, a maid of sorts, who was utterly devoted to Rebecca, and bitterly resents the appearance of this plain, uneducated, unrefined girl trying desperately to fill the void left in the house when Rebecca died suddenly, under mysterious circumstances.
The second Mrs. DeWinter, never referred to by name, finds herself fighting to find her own place at Manderley, and in Max's heart, as well as seeking the approval of Mrs. Danvers and the other household servants, and Rebecca's friends and relatives, as she slowly comes to the realization that not all was as it seemed with Max and Rebecca, and the grounds of Manderley are the burial place of many secrets, perhaps better left undisturbed.
This is a wonderful story, full of colorful and engaging characters, and one of the best of the more "modern" classics in 1900's literature.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-28 00:00>
To be blunt, Rebecca is a romance and a murder mystery rolled into one. Just to make sure, I must tell you that I never read romances. I did however make an exception for this book due to its unique qualities.
Rebecca isn't a very romantic book at first. Our young, gauche heroine (whose name is never actually given) is suddenly proposed marriage by the brooding owner of the beautiful estate of Manderley, Maximilian de Winter. Her mind is abuzz - what does this dark brooding man find in her - a young, maladroit nobody - but cautiously accepts his offer and moves to his enourmous estate.
At this point the book gains something akin to momentum: the entire body of the great palace is permeated by the influence of Maximilian's late wife - Rebecca, and our heroine lives in her shadow, far too afraid to confide in her distanced husband. She feels that everyone is scrutinizing her - relatives, servants; in her mind she constantly compares herself to Rebecca - a brilliant, charismatic woman everyone loved to death - but was that all there was to her?
If this book is beginning to sound interesting to you - take caution. I can't say that it's not a masterpiece - but the plot moves very slowly and the pages are peppered with vivid descriptions and confusing sentence structures. Also, several others who read the book expressed concerns that several of the characters aren't fully developed (something I never noticed), and that the relationships between the major characters aren't as realistic as they would like (a claim that is at least partly true).
If you want to read a quality romance that isn't cliche and has appeal to fans of other genres, you might wish to give Rebecca a chance.
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Julie Saffrin (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-28 00:00>
And you thought you had problems. Our never-named narrator marries a millionaire twice her age, and moves back to her husband's estate, Manderley, on the coast of Cornwall, England. Soon her husband's now dead first wife, Rebecca, whose body was never discovered, begins to invisibly invade the newlyweds. If that's not enough, add Mrs. Danvers, the all-seeing housekeeper who yearns to have the original first lady of the house back in charge, and a mysterious man who surprises our narrator at every turn and you've got what you paid for: A terrific page-turning mystery. Rebecca is du Maurier at her very best, which is why, 60 years after its first publication, Rebecca continues to deliver mystery and intrigue to her readers and why annually thousands visit Cornwall, in search of Manderley. You'll read this book more than once and each time you do, you'll appreciate the evocative and intriguing way du Maurier lures you into Manderley's mysterious world.
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Diane Schirf (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-28 00:00>
Rebecca is a mystery novel in which nearly every character makes false assumptions that lead to false conclusions. From the catty and gauche widow Mrs. Van Hopper to the suave widower Maxim de Winter, nearly everyone in Rebecca is wrong about something. For the nameless narrator, her incorrect assumptions are founded on Mrs. Van Hopper's gossip and build on each other until they have constructed a person and a past that never existed and a future in which every action and utterance have two meanings-the one that the narrator perceives and the real meaning.
For example, Maxim's sister Beatrice tells the narrator that she is nothing like his first wife, the late Rebecca de Winter, who died in a tragic boating accident. The narrator accepts this statement and remembers it as she learns more about Rebecca. She feels herself to be plain, uninteresting, shy, and unsophisticated. By contrast, and by all accounts that the narrator hears, Rebecca was beautiful, fascinating, charismatic, and witty. Even Maxim's carefully diplomatic estate manager, Frank Crawley, tells the narrator, "... I suppose she was the most beautiful creature I ever saw in my life." Not surprisingly, the more she learns, the more the narrator needs to know about Rebecca-a first wife whom she cannot have replaced in the brooding, moody Maxim's affections.
The narrator falsely interprets other people and what they say and do. The intimidating housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, gives her several hints that Rebecca was exacting and demanding in her management of the household and staff. The second Mrs. de Winter is also told how much Mrs. Danvers loved and admired Rebecca. The implication is clear; the narrator's only hope of coming to terms with the formidable housekeeper is to take charge. Instead, she decides that the best way to mollify Mrs. Danvers is to make herself unobtrusive and to let her have full rein over the household's management. Her na?vet? and self-effacing behavior give Mrs. Danvers a reason to despise as well as dislike her.
Many, if not most, readers are probably misled as well. Rebecca's appearance and charms are described by several people in several places, and her name or initials appear on nearly everything she owned. On the other hand, the narrator is never described or named. Even when Mrs. Danvers calls her "Mrs. de Winter" over the house telephone the first time, the narrator responds with a denial of her new identity but without reference to her former one. "I'm afraid you have made a mistake. Mrs. de Winter has been dead for over a year." Surrounded by Rebecca's belongings, Rebecca's servants, and Rebecca's friends and husband, the narrator sinks further into anonymity.
There are few clues to the narrator's looks, other than that she has "lank hair" (compared to Rebecca's "clouds" of black hair) and that she is "plain," according to herself. Yet Rebecca's cousin, Jack Favell, flirts with her and repeatedly hints that she is a fresh, attractive younger wife of the sort that affluent older men like Maxim often choose. The reader should also ask why Maxim does marry someone who apparently is so different from the first wife he adored.
In Rebecca, passion seems as repressed as open communication, but sexuality is not far beneath the surface. The relationship between Rebecca and Mrs. Danvers is full of sexual overtones. While Maxim may be willing to replace Rebecca in his affections and his bed, Mrs. Danvers clearly is not. As a comfort, she clings to Rebecca's old bedroom suite and to her apparent contempt for men. Mrs. Danvers says of Rebecca, "She had all the courage and spirit of a boy, had my Mrs. de Winter. She ought to have been a boy, I often told her that." Even Maxim says, "She [Rebecca] looked like a boy in her sailing kit, a boy with a face like a Botticelli angel."
The narrator also refers to herself as being like a "schoolboy" or "boy." The incident at the costume ball and Mrs. Danvers' ensuing description of Rebecca begin the narrator's transformation into Rebecca, or at least a woman more like Rebecca-confident, assertive, and, later, sexualized. She tells Maxim, "I've grown up, Maxim, in twenty-four hours. I'll never be a child again." With her new knowledge of Rebecca, she makes an offer to Maxim: "I'll be your friend and companion, a sort of boy." It is this offer and admission that finally elicits the truth-a truth that was under all the cascading false assumptions, misinterpretations, and lack of communication.
Rebecca is an outstanding mystery and character study that captures a world on the cusp of irrevocable change. Maxim's marriage to Rebecca seems to have been made in the old tradition; as his grandmother says, "She's got the three things that matter in a wife . . . breeding, brains, and beauty." Their marriage is a contract in which each plays a role. In contrast, Maxim's second marriage is modern; it is based on impulse and emotion, and thrives away from the constraints of society and tradition. When Maxim and the narrator come to Manderley, they are bound by the past-Rebecca's past, as well as a past world in which they are surrounded by servants and constrained by a decorum that requires the suppression of communication and feelings.
The world around them is changing, however. When a ship wrecks off the coast and a crowd gathers to watch the rescue and salvage operation, a tourist points out to the narrator how Manderley, and all it represents, has become an anachronism. "Those are nice-looking woods over there, I suppose they're private... My husband says all these big estates will be chopped up in time and bungalows built . . . I wouldn't mind a nice bungalow up here facing the sea."
From the memorable opening, "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again," to the well-paced unravelling of every false assumption and conclusion, Rebecca is an engaging, evocative, thoughtful novel that acknowledges the past before moving toward the future. The next time the night is deep and you can imagine both the silence of the woods and the roar of the sea, read Rebecca.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-28 00:00>
I read Rebecca about a year ago in 8th grade, and I loved it so much. I started it around 7:00 at night and stayed up until 4:30 in the morning reading it, even though I had school the next day. I simply could not put it down. The ending was so suprising, very Gone With the Wind-ish. The only problem is that it starts a little slow, so you have to stick it out, but it is so good, you forget that in the end. But, just as a warning, the sequel is not near as good!
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Celeste Harmer (MSL quote) , USA
<2007-02-28 00:00>
I had to read this book as required reading in high school. I didn't think it would interest me, but happily, it did!! Everything about it was fascinating, from the characters to Manderley to Ms. DuMaurier's graceful (if somewhat rambling) prose. Naturally, I read the sequel MRS. de Winter immediately after it was published. I am in the process of reading the third book in the series, Rebecca's Tale.
REBECCA is narrated my the nameless Mrs. de Winter. A traveling companion and servant to a snobbish socialite, Mrs. de Winter is swept off her feet by Maxim de Winter, a wealthy and sophisticated widower, while on vacation in Monte Carlo with her employer. After a whirlwind courtship and quick, quiet wedding, Maxim whisks her away to Manderley, his ancestral home on the Cornish coast in England. She's not there long before she realizes that her predecessor, the ineffably beautiful and accomplished Rebecca, is everywhere yet nowhere, dead yet still alive, gone yet not forgotten. And no one underscores these sentiments more strongly than Mrs. Danvers, Manderley's housekeeper who had been Rebecca's loyal serving woman. Constantly haunted by Rebecca's memory and forced to do battle with Maxim's odd mood swings, Mrs. de Winter fights to hold her own in her new milieu. The turning point in the story comes with the discovery of Rebecca's sunken sailboat at the bottom of the bay, and with it horrifying new revelations that she may not have drowned but had been murdered instead. A series of suspenseful events follows that will keep you on the edge of your seat as the de Winters fight for their love and their lives, and the story concludes with a shocking ending.
The movie, made in 1940 by Alfred Hitchcock, is also excellent and stays pretty true to the novel.
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1 2 | Total 2 pages 13 items |
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