From the Bookshelf of Reading the Classics…

Rebecca

Daphne du Maurier,

Sally Beauman (Afterword)

Start date: April 1, 2013

Finish date: April 30, 2013

Why we're reading this: Won the poll for April group read.
[close] Won the poll for April group read.

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Aug 28, 2015 Henry Avila rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Manderley... a mist on the hill, an unreal mansion, dark, threatening, unfathomable, unreachable, a thing that can not exist, only seen through a dream, a mirage, that will pass into the night and float into nothingness, a nightmarish, chilling legend, that will continue but the reality never discovered, for a myth has no answers just questions...Maximilian (Maxim) de Winter is a sad English widower at 42, living an aimless life traveling to forget but can't, staying in a Monte Carlo hotel just Manderley... a mist on the hill, an unreal mansion, dark, threatening, unfathomable, unreachable, a thing that can not exist, only seen through a dream, a mirage, that will pass into the night and float into nothingness, a nightmarish, chilling legend, that will continue but the reality never discovered, for a myth has no answers just questions...Maximilian (Maxim) de Winter is a sad English widower at 42, living an aimless life traveling to forget but can't, staying in a Monte Carlo hotel just before W W 2, that has had better days. His face too revealing showing the tragic situation he must face. A young lady half his age is working for the implacable, unfeeling American Mrs. Van Hopper, a middle aged woman as a paid companion, servant and punching bag. Two souls Max and the girl who need comfort, happiness and yes love, in this brutal world they find each other and hope arrives. A quick marriage (Mrs. Van Hopper is amazed), a short honeymoon in Venice, and they're back after a few weeks in their native England, the wild coast of Cornwall in the southwest of the country far from busy, noisy, polluted London. A quiet hidden place, clean too where nothing occurs, enormous Manderley, centuries old the home of the de Winter's family for many generations surrounded by thick impenetrable woods, exotic flowers, exquisite butterflies playing in the air beautiful green lawns colorful birds singing sweetly, the fragrant winds blowing from the nearby sea, fishing boats traversing the horizon. Mrs. Danvers the evil looking housekeeper the Keeper of the Flame, takes an immediate dislike of the second Mrs. de Winter how can such a timid uneducated, unlovely girl take over for Rebecca? The bold intelligent beauty, the prettiest woman in the area Rebecca loved by all. There are disturbing secrets kept deep in Manderley where the bride often loses her way, not spoken about by the servants and friends of Maxim, he often disappears into himself what is he thinking about, Rebecca? How can the new awkward bride compete with a phantom without any weaknesses? Beatrice Maxim's talkative sister knows things but will not tell them to the second Mrs. de Winter, Jack Favell Rebecca's first cousin comes to the mansion without her knowledge, there is something she doesn't like about him, a drunkard, daring playboy and incessant flirt with a mysterious connection to Rebecca, Maxim hates him ( why?) and scolds Mrs. Danvers his friend, for receiving him at Manderley. Walking on a pebble beach below the house with her only friend the constantly amusing faithful family dog, which she had tirelessly followed Jasper, to the tiny harbor where Rebecca's small boat was last anchored, before being lost at sea in an "accident". Ben a retarded man of the neighborhood is there too speaking gibberish but is it, or more dark secrets divulged, she the bride sees a cottage falling into ruin that Maxim avoids, the curious girl enters finds many of Rebecca's things lying around, always objects that remind her she will never be the real Mrs. de Winter who still from the grave... dominates the premises. ...more

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