book data
259 ratings,
3.85
average rating, 35 reviews
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published
October 21st 2008
(first published 1973)
by NYRB Classics
binding
Paperback, 368 pages
isbn
1590172884
(isbn13: 9781590172889)
description
An NYRB Original
A dead child appears in the alleyways of Venice; routine eye surgery reveals the beast within to a meek housewife; nature in rev...more
A dead child appears in the alleyways of Venice; routine eye surgery reveals the beast within to a meek housewife; nature in rev...more
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Queereaders: What is all this RP going on in the groups? | 33 | 35 | 04/19/2009 09:06AM | |
| More reprints of du Maurier books! | 1 | 4 | 11/30/2008 06:17PM |
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avg 3.85
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
I read Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca for the first time last month, and found it so intriguing that I finished it in just 2 days. I then of course became curious about her other works, and thought I'd give her short stories a try.
I admit I had no idea that Hitchcock based his movie The Birds on Du Maurier's short story by the same title (not to mention his film of Rebecca). It's not surprising, though, that Hitchcock was drawn to Du Maurier's story telling. As noted on the back cover o...more
I admit I had no idea that Hitchcock based his movie The Birds on Du Maurier's short story by the same title (not to mention his film of Rebecca). It's not surprising, though, that Hitchcock was drawn to Du Maurier's story telling. As noted on the back cover o...more
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Read in April, 2008
A spontaneous purchase. Will this be as good as the film...?
Now finished...
Don't Look Now
A short story, set in Venice, about a recently bereaved couple in a city terrorised by a murderer. Du Maurier portrays the wife (and bereaved mother) as one desperately vulnerable; the father trying to move on, motivated by the terrifying fear that if he doesn't his wife will disintegrate into utter hopelessness and despair. This is a very short story, and the film offers further exploration of the char...more
Now finished...
Don't Look Now
A short story, set in Venice, about a recently bereaved couple in a city terrorised by a murderer. Du Maurier portrays the wife (and bereaved mother) as one desperately vulnerable; the father trying to move on, motivated by the terrifying fear that if he doesn't his wife will disintegrate into utter hopelessness and despair. This is a very short story, and the film offers further exploration of the char...more
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Read in November, 2008
A collection of Daphne du Maurier's short stories, Don't Look Now reminds readers that du Maurier should be remembered for more than just gothic romances or adapted films. Including gems such as "The Blue Lenses" that tells the story of a woman whose eye surgery leaves her with better sight than she ever could have desired and "Monte Verita" that is a mix of love story, truth quest, and obsession, this collection offers a little bit for everyone. Any collection of du Maurier...more
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Read in March, 2009
This collection contains nine short stories of varying length, including the one that inspired Hitchcock's The Birds. All nine stories are strong, which isn't something I often find in short story collections. When I was disappointed by the Richard Matheson collection Button, Button Uncanny Stories, I think I was expecting something like this.
As with any classic, ignore the introduction until you're finished unless you want everything spoiled for you.
As with any classic, ignore the introduction until you're finished unless you want everything spoiled for you.
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Read in June, 2009
I had no idea that Daphne Du Maurier had, in addition to authoring Rebecca had also written the source material for another great Hitchcock film 'The Birds.' If it is possible, the short story may be scarier. Du maurier is a master of the gothic story - the one that scares you out of your pants and keeps you up at night without resorting to violence or gore.
I liked this collection. 'The Birds' is definitely the best work here, but 'Monte Verita' and 'Split Second' were close. The...more
I liked this collection. 'The Birds' is definitely the best work here, but 'Monte Verita' and 'Split Second' were close. The...more
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Read in June, 2009
DuMaurier's short stories, the source for so many films, including The Birds, are gems. She is a gifted writer at building suspense and creating an eerie or disconcerting atmosphere.
Yet she also seems to tap into deeper human fears and her novels and short stories far surpass other writers of thrillers.
The Birds in particular is strikingly different than the film. Set in a remote British coastal town not long after the end of World War II the fears the bird evokes in the...more
Yet she also seems to tap into deeper human fears and her novels and short stories far surpass other writers of thrillers.
The Birds in particular is strikingly different than the film. Set in a remote British coastal town not long after the end of World War II the fears the bird evokes in the...more
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Read in June, 2009
Well-written, well constructed, patient stories that nearly all veer into the supernatural. Sometimes they border on gimicks and a few of them are twilight zone material (one, "Blue Lenses," actually was a Twilight Zone episode, I think). At least one equisite little tale "La Sainte-Vierge" comes to perfect closure and then tacks on a superfluous "explanation" of something that is otherwise fully explained by the story itself. Such sporadic moments of questionable t...more
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Read in January, 2009
Du Maurier writes tight economical stories that are propulsive and creepy. Her writing style is tense and terse, but her subject matter is eerie, violent, sexy and supernatural. When reading this, it's pretty easy to see why Hitchcock and Nicholas Roeg turned her short stories into movies.
Really great stories: "The Birds" is even better then the movie and also focuses on one sea-bound family against nature. "Split Second" is a great Twilight Zone style story. "...more
Really great stories: "The Birds" is even better then the movie and also focuses on one sea-bound family against nature. "Split Second" is a great Twilight Zone style story. "...more
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Read in January, 2009
Fantastic collection of creepy stories. Favorites are "Blue Lenses" and the title story which was successfully transformed into a movie with Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie. A less successful movie translation was that of "The Birds" which is one of the stories included here, as well. Both the story and the film are fantastic, but I would argue that the film is not a very faithful adaptation, and I've read that Du Maurier was never pleased with it (though she loved Hit...more
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Read in August, 2007
Don't Look Now: The book starts of strongly with a perfect mixture of humor, horror and irony. I can see why Hitchcock liked to use du Maurier's works for his movies. A husband and wife recovering from the recent death of their daughter have gone on a well needed holiday to Italy while their remaining child is away at school. A brief joking encounter with a pair of elderly sisters leads the couple into a nightmarish finish to their trip.
One of the sisters claims to be psychic. She sa...more
One of the sisters claims to be psychic. She sa...more
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Read in February, 2009
The stories in this collection showcase Du Maurier's skill, highlighting her exquisite plotting and her impressive range. Although her more Gothic tendencies are often evident, she creates many varied atmospheric worlds from the cold damp alleys of Venice to the salt air of Cornwall. Creepy, dark and utterly compelling, these stories stayed with me for days.
Can I just say that I will read anything that New York Review of Books reissues? Anything. I have yet to be let down.
Can I just say that I will read anything that New York Review of Books reissues? Anything. I have yet to be let down.
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Read in June, 2009
I'm not a short story collection hater by any means but they're not the first thing I reach for at the bookstore. That might all be changing now.
Daphne du Maurier just rocked my world.
The mood here is chilling. Every story has that edge that creeps up your spine and keeps you gripped. The original version of "The Birds" is here and that alone is worth the price of admission.
Daphne du Maurier just rocked my world.
The mood here is chilling. Every story has that edge that creeps up your spine and keeps you gripped. The original version of "The Birds" is here and that alone is worth the price of admission.
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Read in November, 2008
This book was my first meeting with Daphne du Maurier. I think it is good: there are four stories about ordinary things and people with interwoven elements of mystery. As I've been reading them I had the feeling that something very unusual was going to happen and in a way it does.
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Read in June, 2009
I usually hate books of short stories.
Now that I've alienated all the fiction people, I'll say that these short stories are very high quality; they are suspense, with some tinge of the supernatural, which is to be expected from DuMaurier. If you want to read the actual story "The Birds," here it is.
Now that I've alienated all the fiction people, I'll say that these short stories are very high quality; they are suspense, with some tinge of the supernatural, which is to be expected from DuMaurier. If you want to read the actual story "The Birds," here it is.
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I didn't actually read the other novellas in this book. I was mostly just interested in Don't Look Now. It was a neat little story, although I'm surprised I'm saying this: the movie was creepier. I'll probably go ahead and finish the other stories some time because I like the author.
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Read in May, 2009
I adore this writer and expected more from her. But this is a decent selection that's highly enjoyable and consists of five short stories, but I wish I hadn't been able to predict some of the endings.
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fantastic, gothic, creepy. she wrote "The Birds", and was apparantly quite disappointed w/ Hitchcock's film. Read this and be psyched.
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Read in May, 2009
Don't Look Now is really good. The Birds is excellent- worlds better than Hitchcock's movie. The other stories are a little monotonous.
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Read in May, 2009
I can't decide which was worse: the book or the movie. The book at least made sense of the psychic ability, but the movie had more holding it together, symbolically (the daughter's death, the red coat, etc...)
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Read in June, 2009
SO much fun! I loved her stories when I was a kid, and rereading them now they still have all the exciting suspense, mystery, and tension as I remember.
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