I suddenly had the desire to re-read this- what a treat. I'd forgotten how dark, complex and unbalanced it is, in the best way. From that amazing dream opening; 'Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again'... and the nightmarish portrait of the grand house, as developed as a character in its own right; Mrs Danvers, the world's scariest housekeeper, and the dirty mystery at the heart of the story, this is such a classic. And manages to be tragic and moving at the same time as it makes you gasp at the portrayal of selfish upper class people and their poor beleagured servants.

The book presents a unique mystery - the evocation of a departed presence that cannot speak any longer but has a cardinal influence on the present. The principal character is dead (interesting idea, eh?) and the whole environment is haunted by her presence. The narrator is never named - another interesting idea for a writer of mysteries. [I]Rebecca is one of my all time favourites and has had no small part in inspiring me to become a writer.

On a recent reading I found myself less sympathetic to the second Mrs de Winter and Mrs Danvers looked more pathetic than evil this time. Mr de Winter is more culpable by modern standards too.

Hamburger Yogi

One of my old favourites, I love the opening lines. The sense of anticipation as I sit back ready for a good story. I agree later readings alter your feelings, as a young girl I felt sorry for de Winter, and his new wife. Now I wish she had said something, anything about the way she felt. He appears more rigid, chauvanistic, his reasons for choosing her less romantic. Still a wonderful story though.
Kat

Yes, an extraordinary book, but I'm always amazed that anyone thinks it's romantic. Gothic would be nearer the mark. Reading it as a teenager I just thought the heroine married Max as an escape, and didn't pick up on the sexiness that du Maurier manages to give Max while making him so distant and frightening. Now I see him so clearly as part of that tradition of brooding, difficult male who is still somehow compelling.

My Cousin Rachel is another brilliant book.

Emma

My Cousin Rachel and Rebecca are both on my shelf of books I reread every two years, along with Brat Farrar and the Antonia F ones we discussed elsewhere.

With what eagerness (and trepidation) I picked up the 'sequels' to Rebecca by different authors (Susan Hill and Sally Beauman, I think.) One was forgettable, and while I found the Beauman one kept me turning the pages, in the end it was not just disappointing but made me rush back to reread the original, to cleanse my appreciation.

merry

I read 'Rebecca' for the first time last year.

Whilst I enjoyed it overall, I was irritated by the level of coincidence used in it, particularly that another woman just happened to drown in the bay who hadn't been reported missing and was easily mistaken for Rebecca!

I also hated the ending. To have the house go up in flames was not only melodramatic, it was unexplained (later directors decided it was Mrs. Danvers whodunnit). Such dramatic events should surely raise questions which lead to further plot development?

I expected the story to go full circle, back to Max and her sitting somewhere in Austria or wherever it was, back inside her head. But it just sort of tailed off with them seeing the burning house whilst driving back from London. Felt rushed and it left me disappointed.

But there are good bits. My favourite scene is where Mrs. Danvers gets her to dress up like the portrait on the stairs, knowing Rebecca had done the same, the childlike excitement as she dresses and descends to the party and the reaction she gets - that was masterful.

Thanks for the great book reviews! This is a novel I've been meaning to read for a while, I'm always keen to discover a classic I might have missed.

Isobel
Books Quarterly

I love Rebecca - everything from the opening to the house on fire at the end and the glow over the horizon - let alone the path down to the beach - Mrs Danvers - it's all magical.

I'd agree with Emma - definitely Gothic - and of course the heroine is so young so she sees the romantic in Max de Winter.

It's a sobering thought that the old bat she is companion to possibly had a point about him - definitely a book you'd read differently at 20 to say - ahem - slightly older than 20 in my case

As a teen I adored 'The House on the Strand' and it is a huge influenec on my stuff - anyone else love that one?

I do think Du Maurier had a way with endings - she definitely comes close to horror at times?

Sarah

I adore Rebecca, but think I like My Cousin Rachel even more. I love the way it never enters into the MC's head that Rachel, as a woman, is a prisoner of his whims, as she had nbeen his brothers. His self delusion is so total it terrifies me. Love it, love it.
HB x

A marvellous book, and it's impossible to visit any of those beautiful Cornish houses with gardens stretching down to the sea without being carried back to it.

But I also enjoyed the pastiche of the early film of the book in a sketch on a recent Mitchell and Webb show (or maybe it was Armstrong and Miller) in which a Hollywood director undertaking a re-make decides that you cannot have a film called Rebecca without Rebecca being in it. The problem is resolved by reversing the timeline. The movie is now based upon Maxim and Rebecca at Manderley with Mrs Danvers preventing Rebecca from going into the forbidden wing on the grounds that 'Mr de Winter is reserving it for his second wife'. Rather good, I thought.

C hris

I recently reread Rebecca and found, as mentioned above, that my take on it had completely changed over the years.

One feel that remained was the awkwardness of the narrator, her feelings of inadequate childlike 'love' where she doted on Max. Fabulous.

The first time I read it I was very disappointed by the fire, I had, for some reason, expected Max to drive them off a cliff into the sea!

Great book. A huge inspiration.

Optimist - House on the Strand had an enormous influence on me too - I'm going to read it again very soon. I tried to get my reading group interested - may do again next time it's my choice.

My all time favourite book, the coming of age story of a girl who represents the appalling pain,insecurity and lack of confidence of my own youth. It's the book I would most like to have written and haunts my writing life.

I know it has it's inspiration partly from the more famous and classical Jane Eyre, even the author admitted that, but it's Rebecca that I love.