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For a start, the young woman narrator is never named. It is hinted that Mrs Danvers, the housekeeper who liked Rebecca, burns down the house Manderley at the end of the book. For much of the book the woman and Maxim relate at a superficial level. The land must have been very valuable as well. In the beginning of the story she is employed by a rich American woman to speak to party guests and light their cigarettes. As she is shy and awkward in social situations, it's hard to imagine her in this role. This book is full of unrealistic people and situations. How come no insurance.
Possibly Daphne du Maurier wrote this book with her tongue in her cheek. Maxim and his wife move to a hotel on a Mediterranean island. With the house called Manderley she obviously had to get in the phrase "on the road to Manderley," which she does, near the very end. You have to wonder why Maxim did not divorce Rebecca instead of taking the drastic step of murder. It is puzzling that no one ever calls her by her first name. There was no reason to leave England.
There is not the close personal relationship you would expect between lovers. This is most unrealistic. It's unrealistic that a rather pathetic person like Rebecca would have influence from the grave. Maybe this book is actually a spoof of low brow, badly written melodrama.
This is a great story, I would recommend this book to anyone. The descriptions are detailed and beautiful. This book is a must read for any book lover.
This was a great book. I felt as if I were there observing the unfolding of the many twists and turns that this story reveals. Daphne Dumaurier obviously loves the gift of words. She is very descriptive. I became impatient with the narrator at times, but I realized that She must be that sort of character in order to complete the story. A classic.
This book was written in 1938 so it seems very long winded to today's standards. The suspense is there and it holds your attention but at the same time, I just wanted the author to get on with the story already.
This concise book by Daphne du Maurier shows her as one of the English language's most stellar writers.In only a few chapters she takes us through a catastrophic story of love, loss and redemption through the eyes of a naive, but trustworthy, young narrator.It is tragic as all great literature must be, and yet hopeful.If you haven't read this novel, do so soon. It offers a grand story that is both modern and timeless.
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