Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier; narrated by Alexandra O’Karma| 2015; originally published 1938 | Recorded Books | Audiobook $ 17.50

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again…. “

The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady’s maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives — presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave.

Holy mixed feelings, Batman!

On one hand, this novel is gorgeously written and incredibly atmospheric; you can practically smell the gardens of Manderley. It’s also a deliciously dark story, but it’s the sort of darkness that builds up tantalizingly over time — rather as though you begin by taking a walk through said fragrant garden of an evening, only to find yourself disoriented as the sunlight begins to fade and eventually horrified by deeper shadows in the moonless night. 

On the other hand, the building drama and mystery was very nearly overshadowed by the unnamed narrator’s own high-strung combination of naïveté and neediness; she’s also practically a walking definition of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. This narrator — and honestly, every single one of the other main characters — really needs to see a damn therapist, or at the very least read some kind of feminist self-help. A large part of the horror of this story, to me, was the narrator’s own rather idiotic reactions to events. Girl, you’re practically dancing on a carpet of red flags!

That said, I was hooked from page 1… or perhaps minute 1, since this was an audiobook. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an indulgent-yet-menacing kind of ghost story that doesn’t involve any actual ghosts.

Links:

• Official website of Daphne De Maurier
• Author obituary from The New York Times
• “Who Really Inspired Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca?” article from Vanity Fair

Publication information: du Maurier, Daphne. Rebecca. Landover, Maryland: Recorded Books, 2015. Audiobook.
Source: Public library, via Hoopla.
Disclaimer: I am not compensated, monetarily or otherwise, for reviews of books or other products.