Angury Posted December 23, 2014 Posted December 23, 2014 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. Quote
Athena Posted December 23, 2014 Posted December 23, 2014 I have this book on my wishlist, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. I'm pretty sure several people on here have read it and / or other books by Daphne Du Maurier, though I don't remember exactly who. Quote
BSchultz19 Posted December 28, 2014 Posted December 28, 2014 To be honest, I checked this book out from the library because the title was my name However, I really enjoyed this book with the mystery and suspense. It was dark, but a really good read. Quote
Athena Posted December 28, 2014 Posted December 28, 2014 To be honest, I checked this book out from the library because the title was my name Rebecca is a really nice name, in my opinion . Quote
BSchultz19 Posted December 28, 2014 Posted December 28, 2014 Rebecca is a really nice name, in my opinion . Thank you. Im not a huge fan though. Quote
Lumo Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 I read this book a few years ago and also thought it was fantastic. Excellent charter portrayals and, yes, an intriguing plot. It would probably be on my list of top 10 favourite books (if I actually had a list). Quote
woolf woolf Posted January 28, 2015 Posted January 28, 2015 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. Quote
Athena Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 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 . Quote
thatdifficultfirstnovel Posted June 27, 2015 Posted June 27, 2015 I bought this the other day due Simon on The Readers podcast being a big fan of it. It'll sit in my TBR pile for a little bit - looking forward to eventually checking it out. Quote
Kylie Posted June 28, 2015 Posted June 28, 2015 I hope you enjoy it! I read Rebecca earlier this year and was sorry I hadn't read it sooner. It was excellent! It has made my list of favourite books. Quote
shirley Posted July 7, 2015 Posted July 7, 2015 I really must put Rebecca back on my list to read. I have recently read Jamaica Inn which I found to be gripping. Quote
Lilywhite Posted July 8, 2015 Posted July 8, 2015 This has been my favourite book for many years. Nothing I've read has come close in my opinion. Quote
Lau_Lou Posted July 6, 2016 Posted July 6, 2016 I love this book beyond words. Which other books by this author would anybody recommend? Quote
Madeleine Posted July 6, 2016 Posted July 6, 2016 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. Quote
MrCat Posted July 6, 2016 Posted July 6, 2016 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. Quote
Angury Posted July 6, 2016 Author Posted July 6, 2016 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. Quote
Lau_Lou Posted July 6, 2016 Posted July 6, 2016 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. Quote
Lau_Lou Posted July 6, 2016 Posted July 6, 2016 Sorry Angury, I hadn't seen your post before I sent mine. thank you very much shall look out for that too Quote
Madeleine Posted July 7, 2016 Posted July 7, 2016 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! Quote
timebug Posted July 11, 2016 Posted July 11, 2016 One I keep meaning to get around to reading. I have read 'Jamaica Inn' and,so far as I know 'The Birds' by this writer and never ventured any further, I will make up for this soon! Quote
KEV67 Posted April 11, 2017 Posted April 11, 2017 I read it a couple of years ago. It was good, but I found I often did not want to pick it up because of the unbearable sense of foreboding. Quote
RebeccaM Posted April 16, 2018 Posted April 16, 2018 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 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 Quote
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