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Frenchman's Creek

Daphne du Maurier,

Julie Myerson (Introduction)

3.95 · Rating details · 13,668 ratings · 1,272 reviews

Bored and restless in London's Restoration Court, Lady Dona escapes into the British countryside with her restlessness and thirst for adventure as her only guides.

Eventually Dona lands in remote Navron, looking for peace of mind in its solitary woods and hidden creeks. She finds the passion her spirit craves in the love of a daring French pirate who is being hunted by all ...more

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Paperback, 260 pages

Published May 1st 2003 by Time Warner Books UK (first published September 1941)

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Mar 31, 2017 Candi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: cornwall, romance, classics-shelf, favorites, book-i-own

"Do you remember my father’s aviary in Hampshire, and how the birds there were well fed, and could fly about their cage? And one day I set a linnet free, and it flew straight out of my hands towards the sun?... Because I feel like that. Like the linnet before it flew."

If you’ve ever felt confined, if you’ve ever felt like just throwing all caution to the wind and escaping, then you can empathize with Dona St. Columb, the heroine of this delightful adventure! Now, I know what you are thinking, be "Do you remember my father’s aviary in Hampshire, and how the birds there were well fed, and could fly about their cage? And one day I set a linnet free, and it flew straight out of my hands towards the sun?... Because I feel like that. Like the linnet before it flew."

If you’ve ever felt confined, if you’ve ever felt like just throwing all caution to the wind and escaping, then you can empathize with Dona St. Columb, the heroine of this delightful adventure! Now, I know what you are thinking, because I had the same exact thought… what’s up with a pirate story from the brilliant creator of Rebecca?! Well, I would say first and foremost, that you can’t compare this to Rebecca, as they can’t all be masterpieces. However, it is worthy of its own unique praise. It’s more lighthearted, yes, but I don’t think everything has to be so somber all the time. In fact, this book may be a more high-spirited read, but certainly it still causes one to pause and reflect.

Dona is married to a titled landowner in 17th century England. She is a mother and adores her children. Given the time and place, however, Dona is bound by societal restrictions and the expectations placed on the women of her time. Dona does not adapt well to these boundaries, however, and decides to escape London and relocate with her children and nurse to her husband’s home on the Cornwall coast. Her husband, Harry, is left behind to continue with his diversions in the city. Harry doesn’t really ‘get it’. He’s a bit clueless but not a brute, so we can tolerate him.

"… in reality it was escape she wanted, escape from her own self, from the life they led together; that she had reached a crisis in her particular span of time and existence, and must travel through that crisis, alone."

Upon reaching the coast, Dona soon hears the whispers of the rumor of piracy. And so her adventure begins, as does ours. In true du Maurier fashion, the landscape is spectacularly drawn and the Helford River and Frenchman’s Creek become almost entities of their own. You can hear the wind and the crashing waves, the cry of the birds; and you can envision the bluebells and the mysterious painted ship. Dona must struggle with her new-found freedom, her understanding of love, and reconcile these feelings with her sense of responsibility and love for her children. Not an easy battle for a woman and a mother’s conscience today, much less in the 1600’s!

I couldn’t imagine how this would end, and you of course will need to read the book to find out. All I can say is that du Maurier always manages to execute her endings perfectly. Read this for the witty banter between Dona and her manservant, William (whom I adored), for the intriguing character that is the Frenchman, for the comical gentry that Dona finds so stodgy, and for the thrill of the high seas. But, most of all, you should read this for the beautiful prose and the nostalgic feel of times gone by. I loved it for the sheer entertainment and joy I felt while reading this. It may not be transformative, but it is captivating and enchanting.

"Contentment is a state of mind and body when the two work in harmony, and there is no friction. The mind is at peace, and the body also. The two are sufficient to themselves. Happiness is elusive – coming perhaps once in a life-time – approaching ecstasy."
...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Katie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Loved this book.

It had pirates.

It had Frenchmen.

It had a love story.

It had intrigue.

It had scandal.

It had clean language.

It had beautiful writing.

It's a great read.

...more

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Aug 29, 2017 Julie rated it really liked it

Shelves: overdrive, classics, e-book, added-by-recommendation

Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier is a 2003 publication. (This novel was originally published in 1941)

Adventurous and unique side of Daphne du Maurier-

Bored in her marriage, Dona heads to her husband Harry’s estate in Cornwall for some time to herself. Right away, she becomes embroiled in the adventure of the pirate 'Jean-Benoit Aubéry.' She dares to let her true nature emerge, wearing men’s clothes, and joining in the intrigue and a little romance.

However, her fun is often foiled by Rock ...more

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Apr 18, 2020 Baba rated it really liked it

Shelves: modernclassic, historical-fiction

I. Am. Shook. I had no expectation or idea of this book, as I never read book blurbs and haven't seen any of the adaptations. But seriously ... decadence; such a free-spirited but self aware female protagonist; a creek of wonder; one of the best butlers in fiction; antagonist that are fully realised and multifaceted and... piracy.... yep, I said it, this book has pirates!

How did this book make me feel?
From the moment I was presented with Lady Dona St Columb and her highly unconventional approach ...more

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Mar 17, 2014 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: i-can-tame-the-bad-boy, not-my-cuppa-tea, historical-fiction, avast-ye-scurvy-dogs, suspense, cheating-cheaters-who-cheat

A romantic, swashbuckling type of tale from the talented Daphne du Maurier that, unfortunately, fell flat for me. Lady Dona St. Columb is a noblewoman in 17th century England, discontented with her husband, family, the British court, and pretty much everything in her life. She takes out her frustrations on everyone around her and then flounces off to her husband's estate in Cornwall to rusticate and make the people around her miserable there instead.

There are stories of a pirate who's been raid A romantic, swashbuckling type of tale from the talented Daphne du Maurier that, unfortunately, fell flat for me. Lady Dona St. Columb is a noblewoman in 17th century England, discontented with her husband, family, the British court, and pretty much everything in her life. She takes out her frustrations on everyone around her and then flounces off to her husband's estate in Cornwall to rusticate and make the people around her miserable there instead.

There are stories of a pirate who's been raiding the Cornish countryside, and Dona could be in trouble when she stumbles across the pirate ship's hiding place in a cove ... right on her estate! But it's romance, not danger, that mostly ensues in this rather dreamily written novel (in fairness, the excitement and adventure ramp up later in the novel, before we get to a rather odd ending).

Du Maurier writes well, but this book was just not for me. My problems with it are mostly tied to my own personal reading likes and dislikes, rather than an objective assessment of the book's qualities. In other words, your mileage may vary.

The main character, Dona, is a spoiled, selfish, headstrong woman, dismissive of her spouse and children. The first scene she's in shows her being unreasonable and rude to her servants. As I got deeper into the book I liked her a little better (or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I disliked her a little less) as I came to understand her frustrations, but she's not the type of woman I identify with, or want to get to know better, either in real life or in a book. Dislikable protagonists are a tough one for me to swallow.

I also have a really deep aversion to cheating on your spouse, which includes reading romances where one of the main characters is cheating, and I'm not big on justifications (he's a louse, she doesn't understand me, etc.). Dona married a guy who's a drinker and apparently as dumb as a box of rocks, but he loves her, wants to make something better of their marriage and is willing to try to change, and she won't give him the time of day. Instead she takes up with ...

The pirate, who is handsome, well-read and independently wealthy, but justifies his piracy because he's a Robin Hood, stealing from the unworthy rich and giving to the poor. Huh. I'm pretty good at suspending disbelief, but this was all just a little too unrealistic to buy into. He admits that he just needs adventure to bring meaning to his humdrum life. I can respect that, but hey, go explore Africa or something rather than becoming a criminal.

In general, this reads to me like an unhappily married woman's fantasy of how she'd like to ditch her boring and unfulfilling husband and existence and go off on romantic adventures. From what I've read of Daphne du Maurier's life, I think that's likely the case. I just couldn't respect the characters or their choices. ...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Arah-Lynda rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: All Lovers of Adventure

Shelves: top, i-said, killer-prose

Suddenly the sails caught the breeze and filled, they bellied out in the wind, lovely and white and free, the gulls rose in a mass, screaming above the masts, the setting sun caught the painted ship in a gleam of gold, and silently, stealthily, leaving a long dark ripple behind her, the ship stole in towards the land. And a feeling came upon Dona, as though a hand touched her heart, and a voice whispered in her brain, “I shall remember this.” A premonition of wonder, of fear, of sudden stran Suddenly the sails caught the breeze and filled, they bellied out in the wind, lovely and white and free, the gulls rose in a mass, screaming above the masts, the setting sun caught the painted ship in a gleam of gold, and silently, stealthily, leaving a long dark ripple behind her, the ship stole in towards the land. And a feeling came upon Dona, as though a hand touched her heart, and a voice whispered in her brain, “I shall remember this.” A premonition of wonder, of fear, of sudden strange elation. She turned swiftly, smiling to herself for no reason, humming a little tune, and strode back across the hills to Navron House, skirting the mud and jumping the ditches like a child, while the sky darkened, and the moon rose, and the night wind whispered in the tall trees.

This is the story of a woman, Lady Dona St. Columb, grown jaded by a life of privilege in restoration period London, who leaves her husband’s side and flees with her children and their governess to the countryside and their rarely visited home, Navron House, on the coast of Cornwall. And it is there that she first hears the tales of piracy and catches sight of “La Mouette” as she looks out to sea, from the cliffs, where the river runs away to the left, wide and shining as it meets the sea. And it is here that she first meets the Frenchman and embracing danger, escapes the tedium of her London life, with a daring, romantic adventure on the high seas.

Anyone at all familiar with Du Maurier’s style is well aware of how masterfully she can paint a scene, at once so vivid, as to transport the reader to those same cliffs, where Dona stands, and down below, far and deep, the little waves splash upon the rocks.

Reading this one cannot help but think that one day, Du Maurier decided to take her considerable writing skills out for a walk, urging them forward, bidding them stretch their legs, and once they had reached their stride and adopted a working rhythm, she let them loose to wander and sniff out their own path. I love where they went.

In fact this is the second time I have accompanied Du Maurier on this audacious, romantic escape to the coast of Cornwall and her ship of dreams. I really have no business reading this right now as I am still besieged with other commitments, but sometimes the reader’s heart wants what the reader’s heart wants and nothing else will sate that need.

Lately I have been reading a fair number of reviews of Du Maurier’s work here on goodreads, most notably, Candi’s review of this same story: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... which has resulted in two things; one of which is this reread as well as the addition of Jamaica Inn to my Kindle queue.

Come on, sail away.

Five pure escape worthy stars! ...more

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Apr 30, 2017 Carol rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, ebook, historical-fiction, read-2017

4+ Stars. Daphne du Maurier brings her true love of boating and the sea to life in this most enjoyable 17th century atmospheric tale of swashbuckling fun.

The excitement begins soon after Lady Dona leaves London society.....and her (foolish) baronet husband.....for their country home and a much needed respite away from everyday boredom and a loveless marriage.

With two children and nanny in tow, Dona is finally free to avail herself of sun and solace with long walks in the woods and thoughts of a

...more

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Nov 16, 2018 Piyangie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-classic, brittish-lit, my-library

Frenchman's Creek is the third book I read of Daphne du Maurier following My Cousin Rachel and Rebecca . And naturally, I expected a mystery. But I was really surprised to find that Frenchman's Creek is an adventure story.

Du Maurier presents us with a female protagonist as unlike any other so far I have come across her books. Dona St. Columb is a wild and reckless woman whose spirit seeks action and adventure. Her mundane aristocratic life which is wasted in idle occupation does not suit her Frenchman's Creek is the third book I read of Daphne du Maurier following My Cousin Rachel and Rebecca . And naturally, I expected a mystery. But I was really surprised to find that Frenchman's Creek is an adventure story.

Du Maurier presents us with a female protagonist as unlike any other so far I have come across her books. Dona St. Columb is a wild and reckless woman whose spirit seeks action and adventure. Her mundane aristocratic life which is wasted in idle occupation does not suit her well. She seeks to escape and arrive at her family estate in Helston and there meets Jean-Benoit Aubery, a French pirate. He quenches her thirst for adventure and in the process, she learns what is mean truly to be in love.

Frenchman's Creek is an adventure story as well as a beautiful love story. Dona St. Columb is not a likable character in the beginning. But soon this Dona takes a different shape of a woman. The new-found freedom from the senseless life she was so far lived brings out her true self. In the French pirate she meets, she finds a soul mate who equals her thirst for adventure; with him, she finds love, happiness, and true contentment in life and learns what is important in life. I really liked the character development of Dona St. Columb. With her Du Maurier has created a loving female protagonist; and certainly the best I have come in a Du Maurier book so far.

I liked both parts of the story; the adventure and the romance. The adventure is well written and it was a thrilling read. The romance is beautiful. It is mature and fulfilling; and both parties are respectful and honourable. I loved the ending where the author part the lovers physically but unite them spiritually. Dona being duty-bound to her children had to give up his lover physically but their souls are forever united. It was one of the sweetest endings that I have read quite a while in a book. It simply warmed my heart.

Du Maurier's writing here is remarkable. There are two colours and tones with which she writes the adventure and the romance. The adventure part consists of bold and daring writing which keeps the reader in suspense and the romance is written with a tenderness that warms the reader’s heart. It is an amazing mix and was extremely pleasing.

Frenchman's Creek is such a beautiful book and it really surprises me why this book has received less attention. It is a book worth of recognition. To me personally, it is the best of Du Maurier that I have read so far. ...more

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Oct 22, 2020 Lisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

An escapist book about escapism as a lifestyle!

A Midsummer Night's Dream come true and better than that!

A woman's life revised and changed and made ALIVE!

Sexuality awakened and conventional hypocrisy buried!

Priorities redefined!

Predator killed by its prey!

True passion!

Everlasting motherhood!

I had no intention whatsoever to read this novel, and even less to like it. But then a coincidence made me start it - and that was all it took. Despite everyday life being more demanding than usual (and " ...more

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Jul 25, 2015 Phrynne rated it liked it

An enjoyable read but really just a historical romance and lacking the suspense and mystery of Rebecca or Jamaica Inn. Her writing is as usual superb and I loved her descriptions of Cornwall and the Helford Passage which is as beautiful as she makes it sound. Altogether a very readable book especially for anyone who likes a light romance but not one of du Maurier's best works. ...more

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Nov 22, 2020 Sue K H rated it really liked it

Shelves: woman-authors

It's settled Daphne du Maurier is a favorite. Here a bored housewife finds love and adventure with a pirate. It sounds cheesy right? Well, it may be but not as much as you'd think because it's fun and the great writing shines through. This adventure story can't match the brilliance of Rebecca or My Cousin Rachel, but it's great writing just the same. I'm going to make my way through everything she's ever written. ...more

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Dec 18, 2018 Bianca rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: british-author, british-lit, historical-fiction, female-author, audiobook, classics, romance

Loved, loved, loved this novel.
The writing, the atmosphere, the spirited English woman and the French pirate - Arggggh and oui, oui, Oui! Have I mentioned the writing?

This novel was sensual, intense and dreamy, at the same time. There's barely any sensual touching, still, to me, this was hotter than any other modern romance novel that spares no details describing intimate acts.

The audiobook was brilliantly narrated by John Castle.

I guess it's official, I'm a bona fide du Maurier fan.

...more

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Jun 24, 2017 Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ... rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics, historical-fiction, gothic-lit

Daphne du Maurier enthralls and enchants me again. This book is less foreboding than others but is still wonderful. What is not to love about French pirates wooing an English woman and then allowing her to live a moment as a pirate herself? What is not to love about beautifully written prose and a very feminist slant? There is very little about which to complain in any of du Maurier's books. I have now read 8 of them and am on the hunt to find her others. ...more

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Aug 30, 2017 Natalie Richards rated it it was amazing

Shelves: owned-book

I know that if I ever need a book which is guaranteed to transport me to another time and place, and which I know that I am going to thoroughly enjoy,then I need look no further than du Maurier.

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Dec 26, 2018 Tracey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics-modern-classics

The opening paragraphs of this novel about the sea and nature, birds and places are so beautifully written that I was hooked.
It is a story of romance not usually my genre of choice but it is so much more. There is swashbuckling adventure, danger a plenty, escape in many forms, and a fabulous, heroine who is headstrong and brave.
Finally for my metaphorical book memory box and to share with the readers of my review, short passage to whet your appetite;
'Because I would be alone, because my humou ...more

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Jan 24, 2009 Jon rated it really liked it

Well, it's not often I pick up a novel and barely move from my chair until I've finished it. I'm not that kind of reader. But this one really held me. It's Du Maurier at her usual high standard, this one about, of all things, a swashbuckling pirate raiding the south coast of England in the late 17th century and the young woman who is swept off her feet by his brashness and romantic mystery. What could be more trite? Errol Flynn made a living doing versions of this. But Du Maurier does it so much ...more

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Mar 17, 2020 ~Bookishly~ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, feminism, historical-fiction

I adore Daphne Du Maurier, and I think she's probably one of my favourite female writers. Rebecca just totally blew my mind, and Jamaica Inn followed suit. This book however, wasn't as psychologically exciting as those two, and for me, there was an obvious lack of suspense, but despite this, I still enjoyed Du Mauriers signature prose and unmatched writing.

I do enjoy the way feminism is strongly existent within this book, as the story is about a woman that refuses to be what society wants her to ...more

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Jul 26, 2017 Lori rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, favorites, romantic-suspense, cornwall

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 23, 2012 Maureen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, novels

cross-posted at booklikes and the mo-centric universe.

a few months of staring blankly into space means that finishing this book was a major accomplishment for me. normally, it would have been a quick read but for this cursed lack of focus.. anyway, it is a simple little romance, and i do like enigmatic, artistic pirates very much, so i found some fun in frenchman's creek. i wasn't crazy about it, though, beyond the eponymous pirate.

the heroine, lady dona st. columb starts off very precious, dr ...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Allie Riley rated it really liked it

Lady Dona St Columb, is bored stiff with London society and her stifling marriage to her stupid, drunkard husband Sir Harry. Desperate for escape she takes her children and their nursemaid Prue to the family house in Navron, Cornwall perchance to be rid of Harry and, in some way, to start again. Soon after arriving she learns that the coast is cursed by piracy, in particular the doings of the French pirate Jean Aubrey. This appeals to her sense of adventure and fun, so once their paths cross it ...more

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Sep 24, 2017 Bree Hill rated it it was amazing

My heart is so full right now after finishing this book. Daphne Du Maurier wrote the hell out of this book. It's only about 270 pages and I loved every word, every sentence that made this story. This will go on my list of stories that I won't go a day without thinking of. Seriously wish I could go back and experience it for the first time all over again. ...more

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Feb 05, 2018 Natalie Vellacott rated it liked it

Shelves: classics

Described as a modern classic. I recognised the author's name having watched the film, Rebecca a number of times.

Lady Dona St Columb is trapped in a loveless marriage and in societal routines that she detests. She has a streak of recklessness and always a strong desire to escape her circumstances should the opportunity arise. On a whim, she retires alone to their second residence for a break from life. There she chances upon Frenchman's Creek, a favourite spot for pirates, and meets the French ...more

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Feb 08, 2021 Margitte rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2021-read, adventure, british-author, british-novels, historical-fiction, historical-romance, reviewed, family-sagas, vintage-classics, favorites

THE BLURB
Bored and restless in London's Restoration Court, Lady Dona escapes into the British countryside with her restlessness and thirst for adventure as her only guides.

Eventually Dona lands in remote Navron, looking for peace of mind in its solitary woods and hidden creeks. She finds the passion her spirit craves in the love of a daring French pirate who is being hunted by all of Cornwall.

Together, they embark upon a quest rife with danger and glory, one which bestows upon Dona the ultimate ...more

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Jun 19, 2020 Emma rated it it was amazing

A wonderful and deeply romantic novel with an excellent narration by John Glass. I’d always wanted to read this and it was worth the wait. There were a few possible endings to this story and I didn’t get the one I wanted, but I didn’t get the worst one either!

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Oct 01, 2018 Raquel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, modern-classics

4.5 ★★★★: a tale of freedom, piracy and romance set in 17th Cornwall

«This other self knew that life need not be bitter, nor worthless, nor bounded by a narrow casement, but could be limitless, infinite—that it meant suffering, and love, and danger, and sweetness, and more than this even, much more.»

Review in English | Reseña en español (abajo)
After reading this book it has become clear to me that Daphne du Maurier is now one of my favourite authors and that, whatever story she tells, I would ...more

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Aug 15, 2013 Cherie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I am sitting here at my desk looking at my library book. It has pink and blue and yellow post it notes sticking out of the top and side of the book on so many of the pages! I used them to mark the pages where I thought there were a few wonderful lines or a memorable scene or dialogue as I read. On some, I wrote a comment or a note to remind me what happened in the chapter. I like to go back to them when I am done reading. I always think I will want to add some of the lines or notes when I write ...more

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Dec 05, 2018 Quirkyreader rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a rollicking and fun adventure story that can be enjoyed by anyone. And yes there is a bit of romance thrown in as well.

While reading this, I pictured the main characters played by Errol Flynn and Greta Garbo. I don’t know if this book was ever made into a film, but it would make a great one.

I just loved the way how Du Maurier wrote this story. If was fun for fun’s sake. This story would also stand up well as a companion volume with “Treasure Island”.

So give this book a go and just roll ...more

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Apr 23, 2019 Jane Lecter rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 29, 2019 Wyndy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-reads, classics, england

This was a swashbuckling, fast-paced, entertaining read. Not as sinister as ‘Rebecca’ or as atmospheric as ‘Jamaica Inn,’ but still a romping piece of escapist literature from a legendary writer and storyteller. Lady Dona St. Columb is a London socialite on personal holiday with her two young children at her husband’s estate on the coast of Cornwall. Dona is way ahead of her time, brazen and sarcastic and headstrong. Jean-Benoit Aubery is the charming, sophisticated Frenchman - the Robin Hood of ...more

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Mar 09, 2009 Misfit rated it really liked it

Set during the reign of Charles II, Lady Dona St. Columb finally tires of her husband and his hard playing friends and abandons London for their estate in Cornwall. Dona and her children thrive in the country life, but not all is as it seems - there's a bit of a mystery surrounding the servant in charge of the house, let alone wondering who has been sleeping in her room and left behind a pouch of tobacco and a book of poetry.

The locals are restless with the recent attacks from French pirates an ...more

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About Daphne du Maurier

Daphne du Maurier

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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 a fairy tale. Born into a fami 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 a fairy tale. Born into a family with a rich artistic and historical background, the daughter of a famous actor-manager, she was indulged as a child and grew up enjoying enormous freedom from financial and parental restraint. She spent her youth sailing boats, travelling on the Continent with friends, and writing stories. A prestigious publishing house accepted her first novel when she was in her early twenties, and its publication brought her not only fame but the attentions of a handsome soldier, Major (later Lieutenant-General Sir) Frederick Browning, whom she married.

Her subsequent novels became bestsellers, earning her enormous wealth and fame. While Alfred Hitchcock's film based upon her novel proceeded to make her one of the best-known authors in the world, she enjoyed the life of a fairy princess in a mansion in Cornwall called Menabilly, which served as the model for Manderley in Rebecca.

Daphne du Maurier was obsessed with the past. She intensively researched the lives of Francis and Anthony Bacon, the history of Cornwall, the Regency period, and nineteenth-century France and England. Above all, however, she was obsessed with her own family history, which she chronicled in Gerald: A Portrait, a biography of her father; The du Mauriers, a study of her family which focused on her grandfather, George du Maurier, the novelist and illustrator for Punch; The Glassblowers, a novel based upon the lives of her du Maurier ancestors; and Growing Pains, an autobiography that ignores nearly 50 years of her life in favour of the joyful and more romantic period of her youth. Daphne du Maurier can best be understood in terms of her remarkable and paradoxical family, the ghosts which haunted her life and fiction.

While contemporary writers were dealing critically with such subjects as the war, alienation, religion, poverty, Marxism, psychology and art, and experimenting with new techniques such as the stream of consciousness, du Maurier produced 'old-fashioned' novels with straightforward narratives that appealed to a popular audience's love of fantasy, adventure, sexuality and mystery. At an early age, she recognised that her readership was comprised principally of women, and she cultivated their loyal following through several decades by embodying their desires and dreams in her novels and short stories.

In some of her novels, however, she went beyond the technique of the formulaic romance to achieve a powerful psychological realism reflecting her intense feelings about her father, and to a lesser degree, her mother. This vision, which underlies Julius, Rebecca and The Parasites, is that of an author overwhelmed by the memory of her father's commanding presence. In Julius and The Parasites, for example, she introduces the image of a domineering but deadly father and the daring subject of incest.

In Rebecca, on the other hand, du Maurier fuses psychological realism with a sophisticated version of the Cinderella story. The nameless heroine has been saved from a life of drudgery by marrying a handsome, wealthy aristocrat, but unlike the Prince in Cinderella, Maxim de Winter is old enough to be the narrator's father. The narrator thus must do battle with The Other Woman—the dead Rebecca and her witch-like surrogate, Mrs Danvers—to win the love of her husband and father-figure. ...more

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“She knew that this was happiness, this was living as she had always wished to live.” — 54 likes

“And this then, that I am feeling now, is the hell that comes with love, the hell and the damnation and the agony beyond all enduring, because after the beauty and the loveliness comes the sorrow and the pain.” — 43 likes

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