Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier [Book Review]

"Last night I went to Manderley again."

As part of my reading challenge 2021, I wanted to read at least five books which are considered as "Classics". This month choice was "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier.

"Rebecca" tells the story of the young Mrs. de Winter who married Maxim de Winter after his wife had passed away the year before. Their love story starts in Monte Carlo and at the beginning is filled with adventure and happiness. When the protagonist has to break the ice to her lover that she has to leave, he promptly proposes to her and the both get married in Italy before their return to Manderley, the de Winter family's estate on the coast of England.

Upon on their arrival the young wife feels uncomfortable in the halls of Manderley. Wherever she goes she is confronted with the late Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca. Not only the staff but the every corner of the house is still under the spell of the well loved Rebecca. Even her husband seems to be still in love with his late wife.

©nottheolivia: a girl in white wandering through a castle

The young Mrs. de Winter tries her best to not disturb the legacy of the former Mrs. de Winter who only 10 months prior died in a tragic boat accident. But slowly a different story about Rebecca unfolds when her boat is found on the ground of the sea.

"Rebecca" is packed with emotions, an indescribable thrill, a mystery that needs to be solved and some odd comfort. "Rebecca" is the type of book to read on a rainy autumn afternoon with a cup of tea nearby, a cozy blanket around the shoulders and the soft sound of rain drops hitting the window. (Maybe even a cracking fireplace in the background.) 

I could identify very much with the nameless protagonist which can only be named the new Mrs. de Winter. She was young, naive, but yet at this huge need to love and be loved. It's quite fitting that Maxim and the protagonist met in spring, because that was the season the young woman was in her life. She just started to blossom, to learn about the world, to discover who she was and what she wanted. Then summer came and slowly, but surely she had to grow up. And when fall knocked at the door of Manderley, she wasn't a girl anymore, she was a woman who had seen the dark and depth of life. It's sort of a coming of age story in its own. 

I loved the detailed description of the protagonist inner world, the way she constructed all these scenarios in her mind - good and bad. I enjoyed how those even led the reader on, making it believe a reality which was false. It is a very descriptive book - which I like - but not in a way that it disrupts the storytelling or the world building. As a reader I could read her thoughts and the fantasies she spun in her head and still was in Manderely with her. Never leaving the actual plot, the actual happening. This made the writing excellent. The way the reader wanders through all the impressions, thoughts, feelings and fantasies, slowly but surely getting to the truth.

©nottheolivia: "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier - a book review

The ending still makes me wonder. There are so many ways to interpret that last chapter(s) and how the whole story unfolds. Some might critique this sort of open ending, but I think it fits so well with the rest of the book. The way the reader never knows what is real or not, or what actually happened, who "Rebecca" really was, the ending just adds to this. As a reader you can only guess. I had to make up my own mind what I thought happened after spending almost 400 pages with all these mysterious characters. (And to best honest I am still not sure.) Such an ending is perfect to discuss with someone who has also read the book. I bet you can spend a whole evening just discussing and speculating. Some movie adaptations show a clear answer, but I don' think that was necessary for the story. If you read the book before watching the musical, movies, etc., you'll see that the open ending brings everything together and taking this away doesn't really add anything to the story. In contrary, it takes from the style of storytelling and writing. 

Overall I enjoyed "Rebecca" and can't wait to read my next novel by du Maurier. (I'm currently have my eyes set on the "King's General", but we'll see.) I can recommend this book with my whole heart to anyone who enjoys mystery, drama and the 1930s.

About Daphne du Maurier:

Daphne du Maurier, also known as Lady Browning, was a British author most known for her books. She was born on the 13th of May 1907 in London and passed away on the 19th of April 1989 in Fowey, Cornwall. The novel "Rebecca" was her most successful novel. She enjoyed an enduring reputation for her writing. And even though she was a celebrated author at her time, the more famous she got the more she became reclusive. Du Maurier's stories are often set in Cornwall, a place where she personally spent a lot of time.