Daphne du Maurier's major Wordcandy contribution is her gothic suspense novel
Rebecca.
Rebecca has never been a particular favorite of mine--I've always regarded it as an inferior version of
Jane Eyre--but it's highly readable and has been an enduring success since its publication in 1938.
Note: Critics have suggested that much of
Rebecca (which Du Maurier described as a "study in jealousy") was autobiographical. Du Maurier was married to a man who had once been engaged to a remarkably beautiful and confident woman. Although the engagement was called off, Daphne was very aware of her predecessor's charms, and may have modeled her nameless, mousy heroine after herself.
Aftertaste:Eh, I'd skip the Hitchcock movie. It's one thing to read about a girl worshipfully buttering her husband a slice of toast while staring at him adoringly, but it's whole 'nother thing to have to actually
watch her do it.
Availability:Everywhere.
Other Recommendations:Jane Eyre, by
Charlotte BronteCousin Kate, by
Georgette HeyerNine Coaches Waiting, by
Mary StewartThe Wolves of Willoughby Chase, by
Joan AikenWebsite:http://www.dumaurier.org/ -
Comments
lori
I suffered through both Rebecca and Jamaica Inn before I decided Daphne du Maurier was not for me. My mom really enjoys her books, however, so much so that I was interested enough to give them a try. (Any time anyone mentions the book Rebecca, she will quote the first sentence of the book. She does that with Gone with the Wind, too.) I found them depressing and strange, and I was extremely glad when I reached the end. The maggoty dinner in Jamaica Inn still makes me cringe.