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jgintrovertedreader's review
5.0
Every horror fan should read "The Birds." It's worth reading this collection for that one story alone. She scared me half to death in only a few pages. The mark of a master.
tearsinthesea's review
4.0
I could see why Alfred Hitchcock took an interest in Daphne du Maurier. Her stories are all creepy and weird. They are all dark and twisted, I don't think I have correctly guessed any of her endings because it's all like.. "what?! what just happened?"
Anyways, I think this is like a written version of The Twilight Zone, and I really like that show
-dundundundundundun-
Anyways, I think this is like a written version of The Twilight Zone, and I really like that show
-dundundundundundun-
aaronlindsey's review
4.0
This is my first du Maurier. My favorite from this collection is The Alibi. How she fit so much story in so few words I'll never know.
I also really enjoyed The Birds, which was very different than the Hitchcock film.
'Don't Look Now' was also really good. I had never heard of the movie by the same name, but am looking forward to seeing it soon.
I also really enjoyed The Birds, which was very different than the Hitchcock film.
'Don't Look Now' was also really good. I had never heard of the movie by the same name, but am looking forward to seeing it soon.
thereadingmum's review
3.5
I read this in tandem with The Folio Society collection Don't Look Now and Other Stories, which contains all the same stories and a few more but does not have "The Alibi".
My review is thus the same but I will add a mini one for The Alibi at the end.
Disclaimer: I am a very hard to please short story reader. To me, the format requires very good, very succinct writing with absolutely no excess and hits you so hard you are left reeling either emotionally or intellectually. As such, I have only come across a handful of writers who can write really good short stories. This includes writers whose full-sized novels I have loved, yet somehow couldn't pull off the short format.
So it is with Du Maurier, whose novels I have enjoyed. To be fair, two of the stories here I think are quite good, The Blue Lenses and The Apple Tree, which were creepy AF and exciting from the get go with excellent endings. The rest though kinda fell flat. I was particularly disappointed with The Birds. It is very frightening with how sudden and unexpected the violence and group psychotic behavior of the birds was, but then the ending had this extreme hopelessness, which I really didn't like. I know now that I have read it before and the fact that I forgot how it ended reinforces my critque. I felt that it needed a bit more in terms of the struggle and the explanation, perhaps just one or two more radio communiques to graduate the despondency.
"The Alibi" starts off fairly intriguing as a future murder is indicated but then it devolves into a strange story of deflecting murderous intents with art. The ending was also odd and I may remember it for that rather then being macabre.
My review is thus the same but I will add a mini one for The Alibi at the end.
Disclaimer: I am a very hard to please short story reader. To me, the format requires very good, very succinct writing with absolutely no excess and hits you so hard you are left reeling either emotionally or intellectually. As such, I have only come across a handful of writers who can write really good short stories. This includes writers whose full-sized novels I have loved, yet somehow couldn't pull off the short format.
So it is with Du Maurier, whose novels I have enjoyed. To be fair, two of the stories here I think are quite good, The Blue Lenses and The Apple Tree, which were creepy AF and exciting from the get go with excellent endings. The rest though kinda fell flat. I was particularly disappointed with The Birds. It is very frightening with how sudden and unexpected the violence and group psychotic behavior of the birds was, but then the ending had this extreme hopelessness, which I really didn't like. I know now that I have read it before and the fact that I forgot how it ended reinforces my critque. I felt that it needed a bit more in terms of the struggle and the explanation, perhaps just one or two more radio communiques to graduate the despondency.
"The Alibi" starts off fairly intriguing as a future murder is indicated but then it devolves into a strange story of deflecting murderous intents with art. The ending was also odd and I may remember it for that rather then being macabre.
jessrad505's review
5.0
I found this gem at a used bookstore. Such perfectly creepy stories and beautiful illustrations. Daphne du Maurier is a master of suspense.
candicanepdx's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
greenreader's review
4.0
I mainly read this book for the short story "The Birds" which Alfred Hitchcock used to inspire his film. I've enjoyed some of the other stories as well. Du Maurier also wrote "Rebecca", which Hitchcock also turned into a movie.
hyzenthlay76's review
4.0
These chilling tales are paired with creepy illustrations, beautifully bound...a real treat.
jesswaitaminute's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
thesubmariner's review
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a best of the three most popular collection of short stories from Daphne du Maurier. Not quite a 5-star rating, but who knows I maybe change my mind one day when I reread these stories.
These two stories can also be found in Don't Look Now and Other Stories collection.
Don't Look Now - novelette by Daphne du Maurier (1970) 5*
Couple John and Laura are on holiday in Venice. Their son Johnnie is in preparatory school while their
daughter Christine died from meningitis not too long ago. They are taking this trip to try to cope with the death of their daughter, but one evening while dining in the hotel twin sisters are eyeing the couple especially John. One is blind and has psychic abilities. Add to all of that a mysterious pixie hooded figure of a girl and a murder roaming on the streets of Venice and you got a thriller.
Not After Midnight - novelette by Daphne du Maurier (1971) 4-5*
Timothy Grey is a preparatory school headmaster and loves to paint in his spare time. That’s the reason why it is at holiday on Crete. While looking for some peace and quiet he runs into an American couple Stoll. As an archeologist I am biased for every story of an archeological wreck or site. Great ending.
These two stories can also be found in The Birds: and Other Stories collection.
The Apple Tree - novelette by Daphne du Maurier (1952) 4-5*
We follow a man who recently lost his wife Midge after 25 years of marriage. In his garden there are two apple trees, one old and one young one. Through the story we understand his relationship with his wife and yes, the metaphor is kind of obvious, but the execution is excellent.
The Birds - novelette by Daphne du Maurier 4*
This is a good story, but personally I was never intrigued by it, not even as a child when I saw the Hitchcock film on the shelf in the VHS rental store and to this day never saw the film to this day. Apparently, this story was just the basis for the film and is way different then it.
These two stories can also be found in The Breaking Point collection.
The Blue Lenses - novelette by Daphne du Maurier (1959) 4-5*
Mrs. Marda West goes to eye surgery where she is put with blue lenses that post surgery makes her see zoomorphic heads on the hospital staff. I loved the ending.
The Alibi - novelette by Daphne du Maurier (1959) 4-5*
Mr. Fenton is trying to escape his dull life with his wife. He gets ideas of the delusion of grandeur of him being a puppet master with the ability to have other people fate in his hands. After going alone for a walk one Sunday he goes to a house where he sees a woman (Madame Kaufman) with her son and wishes to strangle them both. He rents a room from Madame Kaufman and pretends to be a painter, but doesn’t kill them as he thought he would. Madame Kaufman is very kind and Fenton starts to live a double life under a fake name Mr. Sims spending a few hours a day using the apartment as a studio. He lives like this for six months and paints her infant boy. For six months everything he paints he throws in the Thames river, but one night a copper sees him and finds drawings of a small boy. Cops show up at his address and his wife Edna is in shock when he comes clean. Previously that night Fenton told Madame Kaufman that soon he will be done with his painting which she took very ill. The ending is very dark and kind of bizarre.
These two stories can also be found in Don't Look Now and Other Stories collection.
Don't Look Now - novelette by Daphne du Maurier (1970) 5*
Couple John and Laura are on holiday in Venice. Their son Johnnie is in preparatory school while their
daughter Christine died from meningitis not too long ago. They are taking this trip to try to cope with the death of their daughter, but one evening while dining in the hotel twin sisters are eyeing the couple especially John. One is blind and has psychic abilities. Add to all of that a mysterious pixie hooded figure of a girl and a murder roaming on the streets of Venice and you got a thriller.
Not After Midnight - novelette by Daphne du Maurier (1971) 4-5*
Timothy Grey is a preparatory school headmaster and loves to paint in his spare time. That’s the reason why it is at holiday on Crete. While looking for some peace and quiet he runs into an American couple Stoll. As an archeologist I am biased for every story of an archeological wreck or site. Great ending.
These two stories can also be found in The Birds: and Other Stories collection.
The Apple Tree - novelette by Daphne du Maurier (1952) 4-5*
We follow a man who recently lost his wife Midge after 25 years of marriage. In his garden there are two apple trees, one old and one young one. Through the story we understand his relationship with his wife and yes, the metaphor is kind of obvious, but the execution is excellent.
The Birds - novelette by Daphne du Maurier 4*
This is a good story, but personally I was never intrigued by it, not even as a child when I saw the Hitchcock film on the shelf in the VHS rental store and to this day never saw the film to this day. Apparently, this story was just the basis for the film and is way different then it.
These two stories can also be found in The Breaking Point collection.
The Blue Lenses - novelette by Daphne du Maurier (1959) 4-5*
Mrs. Marda West goes to eye surgery where she is put with blue lenses that post surgery makes her see zoomorphic heads on the hospital staff. I loved the ending.
The Alibi - novelette by Daphne du Maurier (1959) 4-5*
Mr. Fenton is trying to escape his dull life with his wife. He gets ideas of the delusion of grandeur of him being a puppet master with the ability to have other people fate in his hands. After going alone for a walk one Sunday he goes to a house where he sees a woman (Madame Kaufman) with her son and wishes to strangle them both. He rents a room from Madame Kaufman and pretends to be a painter, but doesn’t kill them as he thought he would. Madame Kaufman is very kind and Fenton starts to live a double life under a fake name Mr. Sims spending a few hours a day using the apartment as a studio. He lives like this for six months and paints her infant boy. For six months everything he paints he throws in the Thames river, but one night a copper sees him and finds drawings of a small boy. Cops show up at his address and his wife Edna is in shock when he comes clean. Previously that night Fenton told Madame Kaufman that soon he will be done with his painting which she took very ill. The ending is very dark and kind of bizarre.