Daphne du Maurier Season Index

The Daphne du Maurier Season Index

Reviews

My Cousin Rachel - Guest post by Lucy
I'll Never be Young Again - Guest post by Bree
Jamaica Inn - Guest post by Susanna Kearsley
Frenchman's Creek 

Frenchman's Creek - Guest post by Chris

Flight of The Falcon - Guest post by Misfit

The Loving Spirit - Guest post by Misfit

Rebecca

The Infernal Life of Branwell Brönte - Guest post by Alex

The King's General - Guest post by Misfit

The Progress of Julius - Guest post by Misfit

Hungry Hill

The Doll

The Glassblowers - Guest post by Misfit

Regular Features

Daphne du Maurier Season Wrap Up
If You Want To Know More... (Part 2)
If You Want To Know More... (Part 1)
Cover Story
Poll - Which is Your Favourite Daphne du Maurier Novel

Spotlight On Daphne du Maurier

Giveaway Post

Why I Love Daphne du Maurier

Announcement Post

Movies and Videos

Frenchman's Creek (1998) & Giveaway
The Movie Adaptations

Let's Pretend, The Make Believe World of Daphne du Maurier

Daphne du Maurier Season Wrap Up

And so our Daphne du Maurier Season comes to an end! We hope you have enjoyed the variety of posts as much as we did and we would like to thank everyone who contributed with guest posts, reviews or comments to make this such an interesting event. It is clear that du Maurier is a much beloved author. If you are not, yet, a Daphne du Maurier fan we hope you might feel tempted to try her work. If you don't know where to start you might want to look at our poll and see which is her most beloved novel. 

Now it's time to announce the giveaway winners. There were giveaways for 2 books and 1 DVD and the winners are:

Linda and Alison Stuart

who won the book of their choice

and

Tara from MD

who wins the Frenchman's Creek DVD

Thank you all who entered!

This was our fourth season and if you're curious about the authors we spotlighted in the past you can find all the posts here. We already have a list of authors for future seasons but if you have a suggestion send us an email -  historical.tapestry at gmail.com or leave a comment on this post.

If You Want to Know More... (Part 2)

In 2007 the movie Daphne was released. Starring Geraldine Somerville, Elizabeth McGovern and Janet McTeer it was a BBC production created for du Maurier's centenary. It focuses on Daphne du Maurier's relationships with Ellen Doubleday and with Gertrude Lawrence. Directed by Claire Beavan it was based on the author's letters and biographies. Although it covers a short period in the author's long life it may be worth watching just for the suggestion that some of the secrets in her novels may be influenced by her private life.

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Some of you might be interested to know that Daphne du Maurier has been turned into a fictional character that solves mysteries in Joanna Challis book Murder on The Cliffs. There's mention of a second book on her website and a visit to Book Depository does show two more books featuring a young Daphne du Maurier.

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You might also find the following links useful:

Daphne Du Maurier fan page - about all things related to the author and where you can sign up to received the latest news.

The Daphne du Maurier Festival - official website

BBC interview with Daphne du Maurier

Estate Representation And Published Works

Daphne du Maurier on IMDB

If You Want to Know More... (Part 1)

... about Daphne du Maurier you might find the following books interesting:

A haunting novel that illuminates the true story of Daphne du Maurier’s fascination with the Brontës: a tale of madness, theft, romance, and literary archaeology.
Drawing on Justine Picardie’s own extensive research into Daphne du Maurier’s obsession with the Brontës and the scandal that has haunted the Brontë estate, Daphne is a marvelous story of literary fascination and possession; of stolen manuscripts and forged signatures; of love lost and love found; of the way into imaginary worlds, and the way out again. Written in three entwined parts, the novel follows Daphne du Maurier herself, the beautiful, tomboyish, passionate author of the enormously popular Gothic novel Rebecca, at fifty and on the verge of madness; John Alexander Symington, eminent editor and curator of the Brontës’ manuscripts, who by 1957 had been dismissed from the Brontë Parsonage Museum in disgrace, and who became Daphne’s correspondent; and a nameless modern researcher on the trail of Daphne, Rebecca, Alexander Symington, and the Brontës. Haunting and gorgeously written, Daphne is a breathtaking novel that finally tells, in the most imaginative of ways, what Brontë biographer Juliet Barker has called “the last great untold Brontë story—and perhaps the most intriguing.” (Amazon)

"Rebecca", published in 1938, brought its author instant international acclaim, capturing the popular imagination with its haunting atmosphere of suspense and mystery. But the more fame this and her other books encouraged, the more reclusive "Daphne du Maurier" became. Margaret Forster's award-winning biography could hardly be more worthy of its subject. Drawing on private letters and papers, and with the unflinching co-operation of Daphne du Maurier's family, Margaret Forster explores the secret drama of her life - the stifling relationship with her father, actor-manager Gerald du Maurier; her troubled marriage to war hero and royal aide, 'Boy' Browning; her wartime love affair; her passion for Cornwall and her deep friendships with the last of her father's actress loves, Gertrude Lawrence, and with an aristocratic American woman. Most significant of all, Margaret Forster ingeniously strips away the relaxed and charming facade to lay bare the true workings of a complex and emotional character whose passionate and often violent stories mirrored her own fantasy life more than anyone could ever have imagined.  (Amazon)

Nina Auerbach examines the writer of depth and recklessness now largely known only as the author of Rebecca, looking at the way her sharp-edged fiction, with its brutal and often perverse family relationships, has been softened in film adaptations of her work. She reads both du Maurier's life in her writings, and the sensibility of a vanished class and time that haunts the fringes of our own age. (Amazon)

Daphne du Maurier is a much-loved author, her writing capturing the imagination in a way that few have been able to equal. Rebecca, her most famous novel, was a huge success on first publication and brought du Maurier international fame. This enduring classic remains hugely popular. In this celebration of Daphne du Maurier’s life and achievements, leading writers, critics, and academics discuss the novels, short stories, and biographies that made her one of the most spellbinding and genre-defying authors of her generation. The film versions of her books are also explored. Contributors include Sarah Dunant, Sally Beauman, Margaret Forster, Antonia Fraser, Michael Holroyd, Lisa Jardine, Julie Myerson, Justine Picardie, and Minette Walters. (Amazon)

In this memoir, Flavia Leng paints a powerful portrait of her mother, Daphne du Maurier. She presents an account of an unusual childhood, and reveals du Maurier's deep attachment to Cornwall and her withdrawal from family and friends. (Amazon)

 

A biography of Daphne du Maurier

Dame Daphne du Maurier is the creator of some of the most memorable stories of the twentieth century--and a few of the most remarkable tales ever committed to film, among them Hitchcock's Rebecca and The Birds. In her time, she was lauded as "the Gentle Romantic"; yet, as Martyn Shallcross reveals in this unique and involving biography, Daphne du Maurier was much more than a simple writer of stories. The Private World of Daphne du Maurier brings us closer than we have ever been to understanding the woman behind the fiction, a woman whose own story is as rich and colorful as any she invented. Her circle included luminaries from the world of letters, and stars of stage and screen from Sir John Gielgud to Douglas Fairbanks, Jr; her unsatisfying marriage led her to seek solace in a number of deep and lasting friendships with women, including Gertrude Lawrence; and her home, Menabilly--the basis for Rebecca's celebrated Manderley--hosted members of the British royal family. Martyn Shallcross, du Maurier's friend and confidant for over twenty years, was regarded by her as the only person qualified to tell her story. In this fascinating book, Shallcross draws on confidences she shared throughout their friendship, on his knowledge of her literary career, and on interviews with many of the glamorous figures who were a part of her private world. There will be no more intimate, no more telling account of the life of this singular figure of our time. (Fantastic Fiction)

This book is the first full-length evaluation of du Maurier's fiction and the first critical study of du Maurier as a Gothic writer. Using the most recent work in Gothic and gender studies, the authors enter the current debate on the nature of female Gothic and raise questions about du Maurier's relationship to such a tradition. They demonstrate that using recognizable popular forms, she was able to explore through Gothic writing the anxieties of modernity in the kind of fiction many people find accessible. This, they claim, explains the compulsive quality of her best novels and their enduring popularity. (Amazon)

 Come back tomorrow for the second part of this If You Want to Know More... post

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier - A guest review from Lucy

I read My Cousin Rachel ages ago, but thought I’d refresh my memory for this Historical Tapestry spotlight on Daphne Dumaurier- so I read it again! This second time around, I found it to be even better than the first.

I just love du Maurier’s style- this captivating novel which spins a bit of mystery with tense levels of anticipation and romantic love of course…you know the kind when a gentleman was a real gentleman- and Rachel…well, what a deceitful character! The intrigue between two cousins, Ambrose and Phillip and their fate with Rachel’s scheming and bewitching, is a thrill to read. Up until the end I got to wishing things would change; that the love would be reciprocated and that Rachel really meant otherwise- that with Phillip she would be different…of course I knew how it would end!

The scenery feels breathtaking; the suspense keeps you on edge (will Phillip ‘go’ from the same fate as Ambrose?); what will happen to Rachel? …Ambrose’s note?

 I just fell in love with this book all over again.

~~~~~~~~~

You can find Lucy blogging at Enchanted by Josephine. Thanks for participating in our Daphne du Maurier Season Lucy!

I'll Never Be Young Again by Daphne du Maurier - A guest review by Bree

I’ll Never Be Young Again is Daphne du Maurier’s second novel, first published in 1932. In the opening pages we are introduced to Richard (‘Dick’) the son of a great poet – perhaps one of the greatest literary voices of his time. A frustrated writer, by choice or design, Dick has fled the country home after a confrontation and is now perched on a bridge, intending to end it all. As he watches the passers-by, he hopes that one of them will save him, even constructing an elaborate fantasy of such a rescue. But then someone does save him.

And so Dick meets Jake, who will become one of, if not the most important person in his life. Jake convinces him that to end it would be unwise and together the two of them take passage on a ship. They pay for their passage by working, travelling to Oslo. When the ship goes into dry dock, Jake secures some horses and the two travel around Europe – by horse, by foot, by boat. It is on their way to France that tragedy strikes and Dick finds himself alone until he meets Hesta, a beautiful American studying music. In her, he thinks he has found everything that he needs in order to be who he thinks he is.

I’ll Never Be Young Again is du Maurier’s first attempt at male narrative voice and she creates quite a complex – and I must say, not entirely sympathetic – character in Dick. Whilst there are several moments that give the reader cause to feel for him and his situation, much of the story is spent portraying him in a rather unflattering light, especially during the time of his relationship with Hesta. Their relationship seems progressive for an Englishman of his time, even one living abroad, as he and Hesta live together without marrying – with Dick expressing absolutely no desire to marry or have children, stating that would ruin everything. However their relationship seems a power struggle, each attempting to have the upper hand by either bullying or cajoling the other into what they want. It’s a back and forth of assertiveness and apologies.

What interested me significantly more was the relationship between Dick and his rescuer Jake. What seems like just a good Samaritan doing a nice thing suddenly becomes more as Dick latches onto him and Jake sees no reason for Dick not to. They spend so much time together, it’s like Dick views Jake as a surrogate father, or perhaps the father he wished he’d had, following him wherever. Jake’s shady past is glossed over rather romantically and Dick barely turns a hair at this when you’d expect more questions to be raised. Jake is also a man of very few words, which makes his motivations and actually his whole character difficult to really understand and assess. He is strangely tolerant of Dick’s immaturities and the bad decisions he makes, always in the background patiently waiting for him to come to his senses. I would’ve thought that Dick’s time spent with Jake would’ve helped him mature and become a man but the way in which his relationship with Hesta went proves that primarily Dick remained self-absorbed and also self-indulgent, wilfully blind and uncaring of Hesta’s thoughts and feelings, actions which end up coming back on him late in the novel.

The only other du Maurier book I’ve read is Rebecca and this one definitely did not resonate with me as much as that one did. However this does contain some clever writing and some very complex characterisation and I was very impressed with how du Maurier nailed the male narrative. I may not have always liked Dick, but I certainly found him very convincing! I did find this very interesting and it has made me more determined to read more of her work because she’s an author that I have woefully neglected so far.

7/10

You can find Bree blogging at All the Books I Can Read. Thanks for guest reviewing for us Bree!

Susanna Kearsley on Jamaica Inn

I’ve never read Rebecca.

I can quote the first sentence, I know the whole plot, and I might just have peeked at the ending, but I’ve never read the whole book, nor have I watched the film. I’m not really sure why. Something left for my bucket list, anyway.

I’ve read nearly everything else, both short stories and novels, that Daphne du Maurier wrote, and I have a great love and respect for her voice. I think I might have read The Scapegoat first. My mother had all the Du Maurier novels set out in a row on her bookshelves, and that title called to me. But the first book of Du Maurier’s I fell in love with, one blustery weekend in winter when I was just barely a teenager, was her Jamaica Inn.

To this day, it remains my favourite of all her books, and for me it’s the high bar that only one other—The House on the Strand—can come close to.

It helped, I think, that when I read it first I had already been to Cornwall, had already crossed the Tamar, and been captivated by the subtle magic of that place. The Cornwall I had seen, though, had been the more gentle south, “the green hills and the sloping valleys, the white cluster of cottages at the water’s edge” that the heroine, Mary Yellan, was coming from when first I met her in her coach upon the rugged moorland.

Like Mary, I had never seen the wilder side of Cornwall, or its darker places, and I was immediately lost in them and swept away, as she was. Those were the days of my life when, with no responsibilities, I had the freedom on a weekend to spend all day reading if I wanted to—to stay in bed and snuggle in my blankets and just lose myself. And lose myself I did.

I loved this book. I loved the action and the mystery, and the strong and vivid setting, with the violence like a current underneath the calmer surface, rather like the moors themselves. I loved that Mary was a strong heroine who made choices for herself. And I fell hopelessly for Jem. He was a different kind of hero than I’d met in all my Mary Stewart books. Jem Merlyn was an unrepentant thief, and far from perfect, and he had an edge, and yet beneath it he was more dependable and solid than he seemed. My first “bad boy” hero, and one who, again, set the bar rather high.

And the writing is just so incredibly good in this book. There are phrases that sing, and whole passages that I can nearly recite. I can still close my eyes and see so many scenes. This is one of my favourites—just look what she does with a few economical sentences; how she can paint a whole scene with the simplest words:

“They plunged into the thick of the fair, with all the warmth and the suggestion of packed humanity about them. Jem bought Mary a crimson shawl and gold rings for her ears. They sucked oranges beneath a striped tent and had their fortunes told by a wrinkled gypsy woman. ‘Beware of a dark stranger,’ she said to Mary, and they looked at one another and laughed again.

‘There’s blood in your hand, young man,’ she told him. ‘You’ll kill a man one day’; and ‘What did I tell you in the jingle this morning?’ said Jem. ‘I’m innocent as yet. Do you believe it now?’ But she shook her head at him; she would not say. Little raindrops splashed onto their faces and they did not care. The wind rose in gusts and billowed the fluttering tents, scattering paper and ribbons and silks; and a great striped booth shuddered an instant and crumpled, while apples and oranges rolled in the gutter. Flares streamed in the wind; the rain fell; and people ran hither and thither for shelter, laughing and calling to one another, the rain streaming from them.

Jem dragged Mary under cover of a doorway, his arms around her shoulders, and he turned her face against him and held her with his hands and kissed her. ‘Beware of the dark stranger,’ he said, and he laughed and kissed her again. The night clouds had come up with the rain, and it was black in an instant. The wind blew out the flares, the lanterns glowed dim and yellow, and all the bright colour of the fair was gone.”

That’s just beautiful writing.

I’m wary with Daphne du Maurier’s endings. They’re not always happy, and being a hopeless romantic at heart I do love happy endings, or ones that at least I can twist to make happy. Jamaica Inn has a good, twistable ending, and even now, when I re-read it, I close the book with the same satisfied sigh that I sighed thirty years ago, when I first read it on what might, in fact, have been “a cold grey day in late November”, as in the beginning sentence of the book. 

I’m not in a position to compare it to Rebecca, but I still suspect my heart belongs more on the moors with Jem and Mary, than at Manderley.

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Susanna Kearsley is a favourite here at Historical Tapestry. Among her books are the excellent The Winter Sea, The Rose Garden, Mariana, The Shadowy Horses and several other books. You can find out more about Susanna and her books at the following links:

Website
Facebook
Twitter

Daphne du Maurier - A Cover Story

Daphne du Maurier's Virago covers have already been mentioned several times and were responsible for the introduction of more than one reader to her work. We decided to go back in time, though, and we found some pretty evocative covers that we thought of sharing with you.



(Pocket Books 1957)

(Pan)




  





(Penguin 1970)

(Doubleday 1952)



(Random House 1992)

(Pocket Books 1946)

(Pocket Books 1949)

(Arrow 1992)

(Pocket Books 1948)

(Avon)

 

Arrow 1992



(Pocket Books 1947)



 

   



(Doubleday 1943)



(Avon)

 These are really just a select few because there are many more out there. Do you have any favourites you would like to share with us?

Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier

Lady Dona St Columb is beautiful, headstrong - and bored. Desperate to escape the pomp and ritual of the Restoration Court, she escapes to the hidden creeks and secret woods of the family estate at Navron, in Cornwall. Though renowned for her passionate engagement with life, privately she years for freedom, integrity and love - whatever the cost.

The peace Lady Dona craves, however, eludes her from the moment she stumbles across the mooring place of a white-sailed ship that plunders the Cornish coast. And as she becomes embroiled in a plot to steal another ship from under the nose of the English authorities, she realises that her heart is under siege from the French philosopher-pirate Jean Aubrey....

Lady Dona St Columb is somewhat notorious in London, which is not a bad achievement considering that she was part of the court of Charles II where there were plenty of notorious people, both men and women! She is known for accompanying her husband, Harry, and his friends to card games and bawdy houses. After one particularly ribald prank where she dressed as a boy and scaring the living daylights out of an elderly society matron, Dona realises that this life is empty and that she wants... more.

She leaves her husband and his friends and the court of Charles II, takes the kids and heads to the family's country estate - Navron House in Cornwall. Once she arrives she is a little surprised to find that there is only one servant in the house, William, and even more strange, there is a jar of tobacco and a book of poetry in her room. Dona was looking forward to some peace and quiet, but it isn't long before the true adventure finds her, in the form of a ship full of pirates led by the handsome and charismatic Jean Aubrey.

The local landowners are determined that they are going to catch the marauding French pirates who are stealing their goods and allegedly bothering their women folk but, so far, have been far to clever to be caught in their traps. Dona finds herself caught up in both sides with her husband and his friends working to catch him and Dona compromised by her growing relationship with Jean, but this might just work to his benefit.

Du Maurier is such a clever author. I had no doubt that Dona was shallow and unlikable as we first met her, in the same way that her husband was quite spineless and his friend Rockingham was much cleverer and quite sly and determined to capture Dona for himself. By the time we get to the end of the book, Dona is still impetuous and adventurous but this reader was also sure that she was a better person.

When I mentioned that I was reading this book on Goodreads, someone commented that this is one of Du Maurier's most romantic novels, and at its heart, Frenchman's Creek is a romantic book without necessarily meeting all the structural requirements of a romance. It is also quite bawdy in parts, something that quite surprised me. After reading a few nudge, nudge, wink, wink sections of narrative I realised that it wasn't just the way I was reading the book but that those nuances were deliberately placed.

For me, the strongest aspects of the book were the action sequences. There were beautiful passages of description and reflection, but it was when the pirates were in action and Dona caught up in danger and intrigue that my heart was racing and the pages kept on turning. Towards the end of the book the pacing was a little up and down, but it certainly kept my attention right to the very end!

One of the things that I found interesting was that the opening chapter was told from a modern perspective as someone takes the opportunity to take a picnic in the ruins of Navron House. With the use of modern narrative to introduce a story such a common motif in current historical fiction, it was interesting to note that it was being used by authors like Daphne du Maurier (and presumably others as well) were using it so long ago as well.

I have owned this book for many years but had never read it before. It's been a couple of years since I read my last Daphne du Maurier book, but I am determined to read more from her now!

Rating 4.5/5

The Flight of The Falcon - a Guest Review by Misfit

“No one could walk by night for fear of the of Falcon’s sudden descent into the city when, aided by his followers, he would seize and ravage….”

Oooh, I just love Du Maurier, she always delivers the goods. Armino Fabbio is working for Sunshine tours and while in Rome with his beef and barbarians (Americans and Brits) he comes across a down and out woman at the steps of a church, a woman who reminds him of someone from his childhood. Taking pity he slips her some money, but she later ends up murdered and Armino blames himself – if it hadn’t been for the money no one would have robbed and then murdered her – or so he reasons. Distraught over the woman’s identity he takes a holiday from his job and heads north to the city where he was born and where he recalls the murdered woman – Ruffano. Once there he finds himself and everyone around him being manipulated by a master puppeteer, who like Lazarus has returned from the dead.

Outside of that I’m not going to tell much more as I’d ruin it for the rest of you – read it for yourself. Du Maurier slowly builds her story into one heck of a climax as Armino finds himself in the midst of rival student factions and campus politics, all of which culminates in the final plot to recreate the “flight” of The Falcon, the first Duke of Ruffano, for the city festival – but will this flight end as disastrously as the first one? Despite a bit of a slow start, the finish was a nail-biter and she keeps you guessing until the very end. 4/5 stars.

***

You can find Misfit blogging at At Home With A Good Book and The Cat

The Loving Spirit - a Guest Review by Misfit

“High above the clustered houses and the grey harbour waters of Plyn, the loving spirit smiles and is free.”

Although you know I’m not going to tell if that’s from the beginning of the book or the end. This first novel of Du Maurier’s tells the story of four generations of the Coombe family of Plyn, Cornwall beginning in the early 1800s as young bride Janet Coombe, happy as she is with her children and husband, always longs for the freedom of the sea. Her son Joseph follows his mother’s dreams and sets sail in the merchant ship built by the Coombe family and named after his mother – as is her image the figurehead at the prow of the ship. Joseph eventually marries, but his real love is always the sea and when he can no longer sail he takes his bitterness out on his family, which eventually leads to dire changes in their lives.

Throughout the book, the loving spirit of Janet Coombe seems to guide her family through the best and worst times of their lives. As a first book it is certainly good, but far from what readers of her later classics might expect, and a bit slow paced for the most part except the last 50 or so pages – she had me biting my nails for a while there. While I do enjoy family sagas continuing over multiple generations, this one is far from the best either, a bit too short and not as well developed as I like them. I’d recommend this one for fans of Du Maurier wanting to get a look at her first book, but I doubt there’s enough here to hold the interest of a more casual reader. 3/5 stars.

***

You can find Misfit blogging at At Home With A Good Book and The Cat

Daphne du Maurier - The Movie Adaptations

Several of Daphne du Maurier's novels have been made into films. Yesterday's post was about Rebecca and it mentioned the 1940 film adaptation. It left us curious about the other movies, not only those made from Rebecca but the ones made from her other books. Below you can find a list of some of the most famous and a video of each one. Do you have a favourite? Or any that you hate? 



Jamaica Inn (1939).

Hitchcock is the acclaimed director of several of du Maurier' adaptations but this is not one of the most famous ones. Starring Maureen O'Hara, Robert Newton and Charles Laughton this was a box-office hit but it failed to to please both the critics and the author.

Frenchman's Creek (1944)

Directed by Mitchell Leisen, with Joan Fontaine, Arturo de Córdova and Basil Rathbone. It is the second time that Joan Fontaine plays a du Maurier heroine after having been Rebecca in the 1940 adaptation.

 

Hungry Hill (1947)

Directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Margaret Lockwood, Dennis Price and Cecil Parker. Unlike what had happened with the previous movies Daphne du Maurier helped adapting it to the screen.

Rebecca (1979)

Directed by Simon Langton. With Jeremy Brett, Joanna David, Anna Massey. A TV series with four episodes. I've read somewhere that this was du Maurier's favourite adaptation of Rebecca but sadly it was never released on DVD.

Jamaica Inn (1983)

Directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark. With Jane Seymour, Patrick McGoohan, Trevor Eve, John McEnery. A TV Series with three episodes. The story follows the book more closely than the Hitchcock movie although there are some e twists added.

Rebecca (1997)

Directed by Jim O'Brien. With Charles Dance, Diana Rigg, Geraldine James, Jean Anderson. Another TV Series. Unlike the 1940 movie this time the character of Rebecca appears although only from behind or parts of her face.

Frenchman's Creek (1998)

Directed by Ferdinand Fairfax. With Tara Fitzgerald, Anthony Delon, Tim Dutton, James Fleet. We will be posting a review of this adaptation in a few days.

Fans of du Maurier in general and of movie adaptations in particular will be happy to know that a production of The Scapegoat is currently in production. You can find all the details here.  Earlier  this year it was announced that a new Rebecca adaptation is being planned and we're hoping it is a good one. With script by Stephen Knight I guess the big question is how faithfull it will be to the novel and... who will play the second Mrs de Winter? Any suggestions? Is there another of her books that you would like to see adapted?

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again",
With these words, the reader is ushered into an isolated gray stone mansion on the windswept Cornish coast, as the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter recalls the chilling events that transpired as she began her new life as the young bride of a husband she barely knew. For in every corner of every room were phantoms of a time dead but not forgotten a past devotedly preserved by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers: a suite immaculate and untouched, clothing laid out and ready to be worn, but not by any of the great house's current occupants. With an eerie presentiment of evil tightening her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter walked in the shadow of her mysterious predecessor, determined to uncover the darkest secrets and shattering truths about Maxim's first wife the late and hauntingly beautiful Rebecca.

In my time blogging there are many books that you see reviewed over and over again. Rebecca was one such book. I had never read Daphne du Maurier before, but I was constantly hearing about her. One day when I was at the second-hand bookstore I picked up a copy of Rebecca to finally see what it was all about. The only problem was I couldn't convince myself to actually read it. The only cover I could find was this one:

I had heard this book was Gothic and maybe even a bit creepy, but this cover just made me think 'romance novel'. I try to not let myself judge a book by the cover, but I wasn't succeeding with this one.

 In the fall there is a reading challenge called the 'R.I.P. Challenge'. In 2010 I was seeing Rebecca on many lists either going to be reading it or recommending it as a book for that time of year. I kept looking at the above cover and thinking 'Really?'. I am obviously missing something. While searching through the library catalogue one day, though, I found that they had added a new copy of Rebecca. Despite having a copy sitting on my TBR pile, I requested it and finally read it. I included this cover in my original review:

  That's a big change from the ugly red cover. I am thinking they were worried no one would read du Maurier if they didn't make her look like a romance novelist.

Here are a couple excerpts from my original review:

I loved the characters in this book. Mrs. Danvers was a really well-written villain. You never knew what to expect from her at any given time. It was fascinating to watch her character progress and discover just how crazy she could be. She is very unhappy that Maxim has remarried and still feels like Rebecca is a presence in the household. She is determined to keep her memory well alive and to do anything in her power to bring about the end of the new Mrs. de Winter. I think Daphne du Maurier captured her on the page brilliantly. She really came alive for me. Then, there was Rebecca herself. She played the perfect ghost. Even though she was not alive for the novel, you still knew her really well by the end of it. She may be dead, but she has not actually left Manderley. From the surface she seemed like the perfect hostess for a beautiful house, but as the story progresses and the layers are peeled back you will be fascinated by the character that appears.

And:

I just loved this book so much! When I started it I was constantly interrupted and only managed to get through 200 pages. The next day I managed to block most things out and read to the end. I was so excited to see how the story played out, but on the other hand I was really disappointed that it was over with. There haven't been a lot of books like this so far this year, so I was so happy that I finally found one! It is was atmospheric, Gothic, and the perfect book for this time of the year. If you are participating in the R.I.P. challenge and haven't read this book before, you really should! I am glad that I did!

For Christmas of 2010, I decided to buy my own copy of Rebecca with an appealing cover. I have this one on my stacks:

I had hoped to reread it this year, but I think I will probably save it for the fall.

What do you think of the various covers of Rebecca? Would you be a cover snob like me?


Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca (1940):

I have wanted to see this movie for ages, but I couldn't find a copy. I had no idea that you could watch the entire thing on YouTube. I still would love to own it at some point; but over the winter I sat down and revisited Manderley for the first time in over a year. From the opening line I was excited. I have seen Alfred Hitchcock movies over the years, but never this one. I expected it to be very good and it was. The movie stars Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine in the two lead roles. Judith Anderson plays Mrs. Danvers. It won best picture at the 1940 Academy Awards and you can easily tell why. It stays very close to the original story and the mood of the movie is perfect. It is very much worth a watch!




Now it is your turn. Let us know what you think of the covers for the book, the book itself, or your own experiences with the movie in the comments.

The Infernal Life of Branwell Brontë by Daphne du Maurier - A guest review by Alex

The Infernal Life of Branwell Brontë by Daphne du Maurier

In the introduction to The Infernal Life of Branwell Brontë, du Maurier’s biographer Justine Picardie informs us that this was her least sold book. Until I won it in a raffle at the Brussels Brontë Group’s Christmas Lunch I had no idea such it even existed. I knew she was a Brontë fan because of the obvious connections between Rebecca and Jane Eyre, but I can understand how Branwell, the second oldest sibling to make it to adulthood, must have seemed an irresistible subject: the golden boy, the failed genius, the tragic decline into early death. And so little information, so many mysteries waiting to come to light.

It‘s known that du Maurier did extensive research for this book. According to her other biographer Margaret Forster, it

(…) gave her the opportunity to test herself in a way she had, in fact, always wanted to do. There was a good deal of the scholar manqué in Daphne, in spite of her frequent claims to have a butterfly mind.

But if her intention was to produce an academic biography, her novelist streak got the better of her. Infernal World is what happens when a very gifted author builds a story out of limited resources: all the known events in Branwell’s life (at the time) are there, but based on them, du Maurier makes him come to life with touches of creative writing.

She gives us vivid pictures of what life must have been at the Parsonage, at Haworth’s pub and Masonic Lodge, and, carefully re-constructs their inhabitants without going too far or seeming to be telling stories. I found this image of the Brontë children playing together especially moving:

Miss Branwell [an aunt that came to life with the family when their mother died], quietly sewing in her bed-sitting-room next door, would wonder at the exclamations, the stifled laughter, the possible arguments of ‘It wouldn’t happen like that’, and ‘It would… it would… I’ve seen them myself,’ the boy’s voice rising higher in excitement. Then would be the time to interfere, to tap on the wall with the admonition, “Play quietly, now, Papa will hear you.’

 The only son among five (and then three) sisters, Branwell was always the prodigal son. As a child he initiated his sisters in the world-building they created until very late and which influenced their adult writing. It was the perfect testing ground for all the Brontë children and Branwell was their brilliant leader. Together wrote thousands of pages in tiny handwriting of stories set in fantastic countries – Angria and Gondal – which had their own geography, history and heroes. He had an extraordinary memory, he count write with both hands, he was taught Latin and Greek by their father, he wrote poetry and painted. The future was bright for Branwell. So bright that while writing her will in those early days, Aunt Branwell didn't find it necessary to include him. 

But by the time his aunt died, contrary to all expectation of his success, Branwell was destitute, alcoholic, accused of having an affair with the wife of his employer, and dependent on irregular employment and his aged father. He had entered the slow decline which would lead to his death at 31, just six weeks before Emily’s own and some months before Anne’s.

The Infernal World paints a vivid picture of this decline, brought about, according to du Maurier by his weak resistance to failure, a secluded childhood (he was home-schooled because his father though his was too nervous and sensitive - and possible mentally instable - to be educated with other children), and a weak spot for drinking, laudanum and everything that would make his forget his misfortunes.

du Maurier also speculates on the impact on Branwell on his compulsion to see the world though the heroic and melodramatic tales he created with his sisters as children:

Branwell’s friends and acquaintances had the uncomfortable habit, unknown to them, of turning into Angrian characters, and he himself, while trying to behave like Branwell Brontë, the promising young portrait-painter, was forever considering the world and those about him with the jaundiced, cynical eye of Alexander Percy [his main hero].

Portrait of the Brontë sisters, painted by Branwell (notice how he painted himself out of the picture) – British National Portrait Gallery

One of the most interesting things about the book is following du Maurier’s short-tempered criticism of Branwell’s writing. As Picardie says in her introduction, “she seemed to be losing interest in her idea of Branwell as an unrecognized genius”, and eventually became weighted down by “her increasing exasperation with Branwell’s failure to live up to his original promise.”. Here’s some of her most snarky comments:

“A Sunday School child of seven could have done better.”

“This is only part of a poem, one among many, that scattered the pages of Branwell’s Luddenden notebook. None of them shows outstanding talent”.

“And so on for another thirty interminable couplets.”

“Branwell’s odes to the Welsh mountains (…) are better left unquoted. Fantasy and laudanum were rapidly destroying what creative powers were still within him.”

I’d recommend The Infernal World of Branwell Brontë Picardie to all Brontë and du Maurier fans alike. The first will find a well written and vibrant look into the family’s lives based of the facts known in 1960 (for a more modern take I can’t push Juliet Barker’s biography enough) and the latter will get an insight into one of the du Maurier’s passion: this fascinating family from the Yorkshire moors that have reached cult status.

At the end of du Maurier’s life, when, in her decline, she even denied writing some of her own novels, the Yorkshire woman that took care of her noticed that the Brontës were one of the remaining topics that still made du Maurier “spark into animation”. As Picardie so well put it, “talking about the Brontës was the best therapy; and in that, Daphen du Maurier remained entirely true to herself.”

Images

http://c2.bibtopia.com/f/755/080/9781844080755.OL.0.m.jpg

http://echostains.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/bronte_sistersby-branwell-bronte-c1834.jpg

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You can find Alex blogging at The Sleepless Reader

The King’s General - a Guest Review by Misft

Set during the English Civil War of the 1640′s, du Maurier retells a lesser known bit of Cornish history as an elderly Honor Harris reflects back on her life and love. Wooed by the charming, irascible but extremely flawed Richard Grenvile, eighteen year old Honor loses her heart and prepares to marry Richard until a tragic accident changes their lives. Richard and Honor separate (no spoilers, that’s in the first few chapters). They meet years later during the Civil War as Richard is now the King’s General in the West fighting the Parliamentarian rebels – although not all the Royalists think too highly of Richard’s high-handed approach to prisoners and discipline. While Honor refuses to marry Richard, her feelings for him are as strong as before and they begin a most unusual relationship as the tides of war ebb and flow around them.

Honor takes up residence at Menabilly, the family home of Honor’s brother-in-law Jonathan Rashleigh and things soon begin to go bump in the night in typical du Maurier fashion – mysterious comings and goings, a secret door, a mystery floorboard in the summerhouse and….more than that, I’m not telling – read it for yourself. Du Maurier once again weaves a magical tale, albeit this time with real-life characters. The dialogue between Richard and Honor sizzles off the pages, as does the enmity between Honor and Richard’s sister – and boy can those two swap some memorable barbs. The scene where those two sat and played at cards and witty repartee as the rebels sacked Menabilly to its bare walls was just brilliant, as was the bit when Richard over indulged in dinner and wine and called the troops back after retiring – simply priceless.

All in all a very unusual love story and an interesting glimpse at a footnote in Cornish history. I’d love to see this one on film – the actors would have a field day. As for Menabilly, du Maurier rented the home from the Rashleigh family and lived in it for some time and was the inspiration for her most famous novel, Rebecca. Five stars.

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You can find Misfit blogging at At Home With A Good Book and The Cat