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wellesleycollege's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
WOW
mackjc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
manderleydays's review against another edition
5.0
I get it. I get why this book is an all-time gothic lit classic. It was absolutely fabulous, and I now seem to have a problem with not being able to hold myself back from wanting to purchase every physical version of this book, because damn, even the book covers are gorgeous. Du Maurier truly does not disappoint.
I was introduced to this book via the korean musical adaptation of it – the number entitled 'Rebecca' loomed in my head for so long I thought I had to pick up this book. That and a little bird told me that in one of the interpretations, Danny and Rebecca were lovers. And so out of curiosity, I dove into the story head-first, not really knowing what to expect.
No other book has ever consumed me as much as this book had. I saw someone else say that this book made them want to change their entire personality, and I wholeheartedly agree with them. The character Rebecca just stays with you, well after the last line of the book. I picked the book up because I was intrigued Rebecca, and finished the book absolutely charmed by her, despite Rebecca being 1) dead and 2) a terrible personality. Truly.
Rebecca felt more alive than Ich, particularly because her lavish and grandiose lifestyle juxtaposed with Ich's stagnant, boring life. Most of which she spends inside her own head, spiralling into anxiety. But at a mere twenty and one, that sort of thinking is more than reasonable, which is why I ended up empathising with her and caring for her character. Those who read Chapter 17 know.
But one could simply not forget Manderley. Oh how beautiful it must have been, at least in my imagination. Flower gardens, the sea, as well as plenty of trees and fresh air. Despite us readers knowing what kind of tragic things have taken place at Manderley, for whatever reason it does not cloud our judgement of its beauty and its splendour. From the very first sentence of the book – "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." – it latches onto the readers, commanding great attention with no intention to let go.
It all felt so real, besides the fact that Manderley was inspired by an actual estate in which Du Maurier lived in, Menabilly. And it felt so bright and inviting because Rebecca managed it. She was the one to shape Manderley into what it became known for. She was the one who tended to the flowers in the gardens, so much so that azaleas became her scent and her scent permeated the entire estate, remaining even when she did not. In a way, Manderley was Rebecca, and Rebecca was Manderley. So the when the new Mrs. De Winter claims Manderley has trapped her, it really is Rebecca who she cannot truly escape – which is why this book is a work of gothic fiction – a dead seductress who feels more lively than our youthful, living narrator. Whose legacy continues long after she herself is gone.
If you seek to be spooked, to be mesmerised, to be haunted well past the ending of a story, you've come to the right place. But if you're looking for a romance, I suggest you not waste your time with Rebecca as you will surely find none at all. A brilliant read, nonetheless.
I was introduced to this book via the korean musical adaptation of it – the number entitled 'Rebecca' loomed in my head for so long I thought I had to pick up this book. That and a little bird told me that in one of the interpretations, Danny and Rebecca were lovers. And so out of curiosity, I dove into the story head-first, not really knowing what to expect.
No other book has ever consumed me as much as this book had. I saw someone else say that this book made them want to change their entire personality, and I wholeheartedly agree with them. The character Rebecca just stays with you, well after the last line of the book. I picked the book up because I was intrigued Rebecca, and finished the book absolutely charmed by her, despite Rebecca being 1) dead and 2) a terrible personality. Truly.
Rebecca felt more alive than Ich, particularly because her lavish and grandiose lifestyle juxtaposed with Ich's stagnant, boring life. Most of which she spends inside her own head, spiralling into anxiety. But at a mere twenty and one, that sort of thinking is more than reasonable, which is why I ended up empathising with her and caring for her character. Those who read Chapter 17 know.
Spoiler
Also, Danny literally tried to gaslight her into jumping out of a window, so I do think her constant fear is more than reasonable.But one could simply not forget Manderley. Oh how beautiful it must have been, at least in my imagination. Flower gardens, the sea, as well as plenty of trees and fresh air. Despite us readers knowing what kind of tragic things have taken place at Manderley, for whatever reason it does not cloud our judgement of its beauty and its splendour. From the very first sentence of the book – "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." – it latches onto the readers, commanding great attention with no intention to let go.
It all felt so real, besides the fact that Manderley was inspired by an actual estate in which Du Maurier lived in, Menabilly. And it felt so bright and inviting because Rebecca managed it. She was the one to shape Manderley into what it became known for. She was the one who tended to the flowers in the gardens, so much so that azaleas became her scent and her scent permeated the entire estate, remaining even when she did not. In a way, Manderley was Rebecca, and Rebecca was Manderley. So the when the new Mrs. De Winter claims Manderley has trapped her, it really is Rebecca who she cannot truly escape – which is why this book is a work of gothic fiction – a dead seductress who feels more lively than our youthful, living narrator. Whose legacy continues long after she herself is gone.
If you seek to be spooked, to be mesmerised, to be haunted well past the ending of a story, you've come to the right place. But if you're looking for a romance, I suggest you not waste your time with Rebecca as you will surely find none at all. A brilliant read, nonetheless.
jencunn2024's review against another edition
4.0
I had never read this classic before now and wish I had read it a lot earlier. It’s slow going as it does read like a typical classic style novel, but I loved the haunting and intriguing mystery behind the Manderley estate and its cast of characters. I didn’t realize how strong of a psychological suspense this was until I got into it! The notorious Mrs. Danvers character turned out to have a much different personality than I expected in the beginning. Another interesting aspect is the unnamed narrator who is the second Mrs. De Winters and goes through the constant circles where she is self-dialoguing over her suspicions about Rebecca, the first wife to her husband Maxim De Winter. Since Rebecca died prior to the story’s beginning, it’s interesting to see how her character unfolds over time. She really does haunt Manderley and our narrator along with other characters. Yet this story is different than any other I can think of; I’m sure that’s why it has become a classic. Highly recommend if you haven’t ever gotten to it.
yeshi's review against another edition
4.0
4.5/5 really. But I round it down to just be picky.
One of the back-cover review says- "..The moment I finished, I turned to page one and started it over again", and I couldn't agree more.
The story starts easy, the kind when one understands the protagonist but at the same time gets super annoyed at her character. The descriptions and imageries are beautiful. However the last one third of the book really gets it all and the story accelerates to something darkly, ghastily beautiful. One of the best gothic reads surely.
One of the back-cover review says- "..The moment I finished, I turned to page one and started it over again", and I couldn't agree more.
The story starts easy, the kind when one understands the protagonist but at the same time gets super annoyed at her character. The descriptions and imageries are beautiful. However the last one third of the book really gets it all and the story accelerates to something darkly, ghastily beautiful. One of the best gothic reads surely.
zetiacg's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
raoulgonzo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
suzzeb22's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. She has a very clean style of writing and kept me intrigued throughout the novel. Very enjoyable. You can sense something horrible is abut to happen all through the book. I would recommend it.
albameedinaa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0