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Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier


Angury

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I couldn't find a topic on this fantastic novel, so I thought I'd create one.

 

This book was recommended to me by a friend after I told him I enjoyed "dark books, a bit like Wuthering Heights." And he certainly seemed to know me well; this novel has entered my favourites-list. I think it's the mixture of the writing style and storyline that got me. The idea of the protagonist being an insecure young girl looking up to this perfection named Rebecca really touched me. The twists were done well, and the mystery really did take me by surprise. 

 

I have also finished reading The Breaking Point by du Maurier, and again it was a collection that had me hooked. It is a collection of short stories that du Maurier wrote while she was on the brink of a "nervous breakdown" (I hate those words), and her writing illustrates beautifully the line between reality and illusion. 

 

I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on Rebecca, and if they have read any books that are similar.

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To be honest, I checked this book out from the library because the title was my name  :giggle2:

 

However, I really enjoyed this book with the mystery and suspense. It was dark, but a really good read. 

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I don't know if I'm breaking any rules with this, but the film "Rebecca" by Alfred Hitchcock is based on this book and is absolutely marvellous, for me one of his finest. The protagonists are Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier, two iconic actors. The main downside is that the film is in black and white and from the forties, so not for everyone. Also, it must be different from the book, because in literature one explores the characters thoughts and introversions and in cinema you can only guess what they're thinking while remaining focused in the next scene. As a fan of both the film and "Wuthering Heights", I'm now intrigued with this book.

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I don't know if I'm breaking any rules with this, but the film "Rebecca" by Alfred Hitchcock is based on this book and is absolutely marvellous, for me one of his finest. The protagonists are Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier, two iconic actors. The main downside is that the film is in black and white and from the forties, so not for everyone. Also, it must be different from the book, because in literature one explores the characters thoughts and introversions and in cinema you can only guess what they're thinking while remaining focused in the next scene. As a fan of both the film and "Wuthering Heights", I'm now intrigued with this book.

As far as I know, nothing wrong with talking about the film based on the book or even comparing the two :). If you do give the book a try some time, please feel free to post your thoughts on it :).

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As someone else mentions above, Jamaica Inn - although the writing in Rebecca is much more sophisticated, JI works as an escapist yarn, with a twist near the end.

 

I also like House on the Strand - time travel, and My Cousin Rachel, which is another psychological thriller with a bit of a kick at the end.

 

Frenchman's Creek is OK, I'd call it a sunny, escapist romp but not much depth to it.

 

I haven't read any of the others yet.

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I read this a few years ago for a challenge on Goodreads and enjoyed it. I was a bit skeptical at first but when I realized that it was a wanna be victorian gothic novel it was at ease. The writing was good and so was the pacing (two things that are really hard to do imo) and I loved how the author never mentioned the main character's name. Side characters were forgettable but all in all it is a good book.  

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I love this book beyond words. Which other books by this author would anybody recommend?

I would definitely read The Breaking Point - it is a collection of short stories by Daphne du Maurier, and the stories are just as mesmerising as Rebecca.

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thank you, Madeleine. I'll have a look out for them. She is an author I have wanted to read more of for a long time but unfortunatly

I don't ever seem to see her novels.

 They should be fairly widely available online, especially the more popular ones which have been made into films or TV series. good luck!

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On 28/12/2014 at 6:06 AM, BSchultz19 said:

To be honest, I checked this book out from the library because the title was my name  :giggle2:

 

However, I really enjoyed this book with the mystery and suspense. It was dark, but a really good read. 

 

I love this book so much, I CHANGED my legal name to Rebecca :)

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