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8th out of 16 books
—
78 voters
The Birds & Other Stories
How long he fought with them in the darkness he could not tell, but at last the beating of the wings about him lessened and then withdrew...
A classic of alienation and horror, 'The Birds' was immortalised by Hitchcock in his celebrated film. The five other chilling stories in this collection echo a sense of dislocation and mock man's sense of dominance over the natural wor...more
A classic of alienation and horror, 'The Birds' was immortalised by Hitchcock in his celebrated film. The five other chilling stories in this collection echo a sense of dislocation and mock man's sense of dominance over the natural wor...more
Paperback, 242 pages
Published
May 6th 2004
by Virago
(first published 1952)
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There's a chilling quality to the tranquility of Daphne du Maurier's words, and this is clearly evident in short stories "The Birds". Hitchcock based his horror "The Birds" on du Maurier's short story, although the short story is set in the English coast. It starts innocently enough, with a flock of birds suddenly flocking to the ocean. There is no explanation given as to why these birds suddenly behave that way, only that they do. In a way that adds to the heavy chilling silence that brings abo...more
A creepy Halloween read for October.
Gothic horror, how I love thee, and Ms. du Maurier is your ultimate practitioner!
1 novella broken into two (Monte Verita & Victor), and 5 short stories: The Birds (yes, the one turned into the Hitchcock movie), The Apple Tree, The Little Photographer, Kiss Me Again Stranger, and The Old Man.
The first 3 (novella, The Birds and The Apple Tree) were 5-star reads, the others were 3 or 4 stars, but still fun.
I love the subtle creepiness that slowly builds.
Gothic horror, how I love thee, and Ms. du Maurier is your ultimate practitioner!
1 novella broken into two (Monte Verita & Victor), and 5 short stories: The Birds (yes, the one turned into the Hitchcock movie), The Apple Tree, The Little Photographer, Kiss Me Again Stranger, and The Old Man.
The first 3 (novella, The Birds and The Apple Tree) were 5-star reads, the others were 3 or 4 stars, but still fun.
I love the subtle creepiness that slowly builds.
view all 4 comments
Film critic David Thomson observes in an intro that Hitchcock only used DdMs basic idea for "The Birds." He's often a dandy writer, but his remarks here pivot on the obvious. Hitch, who had his scripter concoct a romantic story about love birds and a jealous Mum-bird, opted for a Freudian disaster. DdM, it has been suggested, was thinking of Cold War politics as a farmer and his family expect to be pecked to death in Cornwall. It's a horrific tale of Judgment Day.
A writer of best-selling novels,...more
A writer of best-selling novels,...more
I just read "The Birds" for book club. HOLY SMOKES! It was was truly unnerving: sharp, scary, and super economical. A great piece of fiction, and one that feels surprisingly refreshing in light of the nature-run-bloody-amok trope that we're getting used to seeing in books and media. Loved it!
Aug 06, 2011
Marc Maitland
added it
Write a review...Like most people, I have seen the famous Alfred Hitchcock film, but apart from the general theme, the story bears little resemblance to Dame Daphne duMaurier’s original novel. I won’t spoil the surprise for readers, but I have to say that the original tale is every bit as gripping as the Hitchcock movie!
This book includes four other short stories by Dame Daphne, (or Lady Browning, to use her other formal name), which are described as sharing a gothic theme. I was much taken by...more
This book includes four other short stories by Dame Daphne, (or Lady Browning, to use her other formal name), which are described as sharing a gothic theme. I was much taken by...more
What if the birds all got together, I mean all of them, got organized, and decided to take over at the top of the food chain? This means they decided that we would make for good eating.
Here’s the plot in brief. Farm laborer notices that the birds are acting strange. (Sorry guys, no gratuitious blond in this plot that was all Hitchcock.) Farm laborer and children are attacked in their home that same night by swallows. Wife thinks he’s exaggerating the whole thing. (Why do wives always think that?...more
Here’s the plot in brief. Farm laborer notices that the birds are acting strange. (Sorry guys, no gratuitious blond in this plot that was all Hitchcock.) Farm laborer and children are attacked in their home that same night by swallows. Wife thinks he’s exaggerating the whole thing. (Why do wives always think that?...more
Like all of Daphne du Maurier's post-W.W.I.I. English characters, none of them have (entirely) forgotten The Blitz -- and the one who "prevails" in this story (or, at least, manages to "hang in there" until the tantalizing & scarily-unresolved unending) is the one who learned the most from it.
On the other hand, there's:
(1.) The newsguy (coming in over the "wireless") who weighs in with a condescendingly-cheerful "here's a story in from those wacky provincials" in the a.m., which turns into a...more
On the other hand, there's:
(1.) The newsguy (coming in over the "wireless") who weighs in with a condescendingly-cheerful "here's a story in from those wacky provincials" in the a.m., which turns into a...more
I was totally, completely, head-over-heels in love with Rebecca. I also am totally, completely, head-over-heels in love with The Birds as done by Alfred Hitchcock (that man is genius - it says something that his movies are still creepy, even today, but manage to be so artful and complex, as well). When I found out that one of my favorite horror movies was based on the author of one of my favorite books, I was thrilled.
But this book... was a bit of a let-down. First off, let me say that I have is...more
But this book... was a bit of a let-down. First off, let me say that I have is...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I'm a big fan of Hitchcock's film 'The Birds', which I've seen more times than I can remember, and I'm also a fan of Daphne du Maurier's novels, but this is the first time I'd read the story on which Hitchcock's film is based. Apparently du Maurier disliked the film, particularly the change of locale from Cornwall to America. The short story is much more low-key than the film, very much starker, the bleak landscape providing the perfect backdrop to the horror of birds suddenly becoming hostile a...more
After loving Don't Look Now & Other Stories, I felt compelled to move straight on to another compilation of Daphne du Maurier short stories. I enjoyed this collection almost as much as Don't Look Now: while they aren't all up to exactly the same standard, each story is intriguing, unsettling and atmospheric, and many of them have an incredible twist which either slowly unfolds throughout the narrative or is suddenly revealed at the very end - sometimes both.
Monte Verità
Told in first person b...more
Monte Verità
Told in first person b...more
'The Birds' is one of the best modern horror short stories I've read in a while. It is extremely gripping and I was hungry for more when it ended. Although the threat seems ridiculous, du Maurier made it seem all-too credible and in a Day of the Triffids-esque way demonstrated how society could quickly unravel when faced with an unexpected and truly weird threat. Aside from that, telling the story through the medium of an everyman family, with their worries firstly not being taken seriously, wer...more
Although I had previously read several stories in this book, my Japanese ESL student and I have agreed to read it as our next project. She is extremely enthusiastic about it, in part because she remembers Alfred Hitchcock's film, The Birds. I always look forward to reading DuMaurier!
Es un poco engañoso este libro, tiene muy buenos momentos, valla, digamos, te llega a entretener pero tambien peca de jugar demas con los escenarios.
Las descripciones son dichas, retomadas, aumentadas, vueltas a retomar y exageradas. Con esto digo que hay inmensas lagunas narrativas que llegan al tedio.
Las historias al parecer van en una misma linea, son predecibles; y por que no decirlo, buenas.
Tiene un toque de enganche que me hizo seguir los ultimos cuentos, sino, no lo termino.
Mejores cuento...more
Las descripciones son dichas, retomadas, aumentadas, vueltas a retomar y exageradas. Con esto digo que hay inmensas lagunas narrativas que llegan al tedio.
Las historias al parecer van en una misma linea, son predecibles; y por que no decirlo, buenas.
Tiene un toque de enganche que me hizo seguir los ultimos cuentos, sino, no lo termino.
Mejores cuento...more
Good short stories by a great writer.
An author whose stories have seeped into mine and others consciousness. The master of cinema Alfred Hitchcock certainly appreciated her imagination and made a trio of films from her books, Jamaica Inn (1939) Rebecca (1940) and The Birds (1963). They all have one thing in common, threat and peril.
When this collection of six stories was first published The Birds was not the original story headlined but a quieter but equally spooky tale The Apple Tree. Virago no doubt thought the more familiar sto...more
When this collection of six stories was first published The Birds was not the original story headlined but a quieter but equally spooky tale The Apple Tree. Virago no doubt thought the more familiar sto...more
У Дю Морье я читала только книгу "Ребекка", которая мне безумно понравилась! На этот раз я взялась за сборник рассказов. Как я поняла, у каждого издательства своя компоновка рассказов. У меня книга издательства "Амфора", и она включала в себя следующие рассказы: "Птицы", "Ганимед", "Доля секунды", "Монте Верита", "Не оглядывайся", "Синие линзы" и "Крестный путь". Все эти рассказы объединяет то, что они написаны в жанре психологического триллера.
"ПТИЦЫ". Фантастически атмосферный рассказ – мрачны...more
"ПТИЦЫ". Фантастически атмосферный рассказ – мрачны...more
It never really occurred to me that Daphne du Maurier would have written anything of particular interest to me but then I heard about this collection of "chilling" stories, I thought I should give it a go. And I'm very glad I did.
It is a long time since I saw Hitchcock's "The Birds" but, judging by the introduction, that's probably just as well. Anyhow, I really enjoyed this story, it had a great apocalyptic feel to it and a sense of hopelessness and despair for humanity, despite the father's de...more
It is a long time since I saw Hitchcock's "The Birds" but, judging by the introduction, that's probably just as well. Anyhow, I really enjoyed this story, it had a great apocalyptic feel to it and a sense of hopelessness and despair for humanity, despite the father's de...more
The Birds - Birds begin to flock in a Cornish village.
Monte Verita - A love triangle in the Alps...
The Apple Tree - A very wealthy and recently widowed man is reminded of
his late wife by the very existence of the apple tree and
orders it removed. Apple trees remains seem to beckon him.
The Little Photographer - Is very busy obsessing on his subjects.
Kiss Me Again - A mechanic falls in love with the usherette at the local
movie theatre. He accompanies her home one night and learns that a
servic...more
Monte Verita - A love triangle in the Alps...
The Apple Tree - A very wealthy and recently widowed man is reminded of
his late wife by the very existence of the apple tree and
orders it removed. Apple trees remains seem to beckon him.
The Little Photographer - Is very busy obsessing on his subjects.
Kiss Me Again - A mechanic falls in love with the usherette at the local
movie theatre. He accompanies her home one night and learns that a
servic...more
If only everyone had half Daphne du Maurier's flair with narrators, I wouldn't be wary of first person narratives at all. I love the way she writes: it feels dated, of course, but that just seems part of the flavour of her stories for me. And her skill with twists -- I don't know why her short stories aren't used more in creative writing classes, because they really demonstrate the power of the sting in the tail of a story.
Anyway, I'm not sure which was my favourite story from this book. All of...more
Anyway, I'm not sure which was my favourite story from this book. All of...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The most famous story in this collection is the one adapted into the classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller. Of course, it reads nothing like the film, and is set in the Cornish countryside rather than the USA, but the chilling, sudden violence of the birds and the growing desperation of the protagonist lend themselves very well to cinema. The other five tales all contain disturbing psychology, sharp tension, and surprise endings: the literary signature of Ms du Maurier. It was a short, entertaining...more
I've owned a copy of Rebecca for years, but never got into it, despite seeing many excellent reviews, and even watching the movie. However, since I've heard so much praise for du Maurier's work, I really wanted to try her again. Then, I found this book on one of my Goodwill searches, and after much debating, I realized that a collection of short stories might be just the thing to try. I'm so glad that I did, because I was blown out of the water by this collection! From the first few words in "Th...more
"Nat si avvolse nella coperta, si avvicinò alla schiena della moglie che dormiva e stette sveglio, vigile, in apprensione senza un vero motivo.
Poi udì picchiare alla finestra. Sui muri della casa non c'erano rampicanti che potessero staccarsi e sbattere contro il vetro. Si mise in ascolto: il rumore continuava e Nat, irritato, scese dal letto e si avvicinò alla finestra. La aprì e subito qualcosa gli sfiorò una mano, colpendogli le nocche e graffiandogli la pelle. Quindi vide uno svolazzare d'al...more
Poi udì picchiare alla finestra. Sui muri della casa non c'erano rampicanti che potessero staccarsi e sbattere contro il vetro. Si mise in ascolto: il rumore continuava e Nat, irritato, scese dal letto e si avvicinò alla finestra. La aprì e subito qualcosa gli sfiorò una mano, colpendogli le nocche e graffiandogli la pelle. Quindi vide uno svolazzare d'al...more
May 25, 2012
Eustachio
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
britannici,
racconti
Qui le cose sono due: o non l'ho letto nel giusto periodo (che cosa odiosa da dire) o questa raccolta non ha brillato come Non voltarti (o A Venezia... un dicembre rosso shocking – nel mio caso il secondo titolo, purtroppo).
Rimane una scrittura buona, la costruzione dell'atmosfera e i personaggi sempre ben tratteggiati anche quando fanno da narratori (quattro racconti sono scritti in prima persona, ogni voce è diversa dalle altre – non è roba da tutti), ma non ho trovato il genio che mi aspettav...more
Rimane una scrittura buona, la costruzione dell'atmosfera e i personaggi sempre ben tratteggiati anche quando fanno da narratori (quattro racconti sono scritti in prima persona, ogni voce è diversa dalle altre – non è roba da tutti), ma non ho trovato il genio che mi aspettav...more
Nov 27, 2010
Elizabeth (Miss Eliza)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
hitchcock,
2010_challenge_thriller_and_suspens
On December the 3rd life changed forever for Nat Hocken and his family. The day before was like any other, he worked at the farm and ate his lunch on the cliffs overlooking the channel. But the birds seemed agitated. That night, the wind came in from the East and turned fall into winter in Cornwall. While he slept soundly next to his wife, he heard a tapping on the glass. Upon opening the window a bird attacked him and flew off. This happened once more, though his wife insisted in her groggy sta...more
I have long touted Rebecca as one of my favorite novels. It is steeped in mystery and unease, and the unseen namesake haunts the reader’s mind as easily as she takes hold of the protagonist’s.
Du Maurier’s talents for the eerie and chilling are once again laid bare in this collection of short stories. Each tale holds a thread of the forbidden, of the wondrous, of the inexplicable, and leaves the reader ill at ease. At the same time, du Maurier’s stories speak of quietude and pleasure — a juxtapo...more
Du Maurier’s talents for the eerie and chilling are once again laid bare in this collection of short stories. Each tale holds a thread of the forbidden, of the wondrous, of the inexplicable, and leaves the reader ill at ease. At the same time, du Maurier’s stories speak of quietude and pleasure — a juxtapo...more
Nov 29, 2010
Shannon (Giraffe Days)
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2010,
short-stories
Ah how I love du Maurier! Her mind must have been a weird and wonderful place, and I love the window her stories give into it. The stories in this collection are:
"The Birds" (pp. 7-43)
"Monte Verita" (pp. 44-113)
"The Apple Tree" (pp. 114-157)
"The Little Photographer" (pp. 158-201)
"Kiss Me Again, Stranger" (pp. 202-226)
"The Old Man" (pp. 227-237)
I'll go through each of these separately, because they deserve it.
I have never seen Hitchcock's The Birds, but I've seen the famous beach scene and Big Tr...more
"The Birds" (pp. 7-43)
"Monte Verita" (pp. 44-113)
"The Apple Tree" (pp. 114-157)
"The Little Photographer" (pp. 158-201)
"Kiss Me Again, Stranger" (pp. 202-226)
"The Old Man" (pp. 227-237)
I'll go through each of these separately, because they deserve it.
I have never seen Hitchcock's The Birds, but I've seen the famous beach scene and Big Tr...more
An amazing storyteller. The Birds had me on the edge of my seat. The chilling tale of 'Monte Veritá' really stayed with me and is the one story I can really remember vividly enough to talk about it now, over two years after I read it. Overall, a great collection of short stories.
I read them after I read Rebecca, after a friend recommended them to me. If you like short stories, you will almost definitely enjoy these. Although I got my copy for 50p on a market, which was a good stroke of luck!
I read them after I read Rebecca, after a friend recommended them to me. If you like short stories, you will almost definitely enjoy these. Although I got my copy for 50p on a market, which was a good stroke of luck!
Aug 12, 2011
Alison Kagen
added it
Fabulous. Great imgainative stories, all of them. There is some dated feel, which would be because the book was first published in 1952, but that doesn't detract. There is a "dark" element through all of them, although the nature of that varies. The main characters, generally, are male. The title story (ie, from which Hitchcock made the film) is wonderful - much more detailed than the film. And much much scarier.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Chaos Reading: The Birds - Daphne DuMaurier | 8 | 22 | Mar 12, 2013 06:58am |
If Daphne du Maurier had written only Rebecca, she would still be one of the great shapers of popular culture and the modern imagination. Few writers have created more magical and mysterious places than Jamaica Inn and Manderley, buildings invested with a rich character that gives them a memorable life of their own.
In many ways the life of Daphne du Maurier resembles that of a fairy tale. Born int...more
More about Daphne du Maurier...
In many ways the life of Daphne du Maurier resembles that of a fairy tale. Born int...more
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“Looking from the window at the fantastic light and colour of my glittering fairy-world of fact that holds no tenderness, no quietude, I long suddenly for peace, for understanding.”
—
7 people liked it
“When she smiled it was as though she embraced the world.”
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6 people liked it
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