Rebecca
Book - 2012
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Apr 07, 2010
The second Mrs. Maxim de Winter enters the home of her mysterious and enigmatic new husband and learns the story of the house's first mistress, to whom the sinister housekeeper is unnaturally devoted.
The story concerns a woman who marries an English nobleman and returns with him to Manderley, his country estate. There, she finds herself haunted by reminders of his first wife, Rebecca, who died in a boating accident less than a year earlier. In this case, the haunting is psychological, not physical: Rebecca does not appear as a ghost, but her spirit affects nearly everything that takes place at Manderley. The narrator, whose name is never divulged, is left with a growing sense of distrust toward those who loved Rebecca, wondering just how much they resent her for taking Rebecca's place. In the final chapters, the book turns into a detective story, as the principal characters try to reveal or conceal what really happened on the night Rebecca died.
Quotes
Add a Quote"They were all fitting into place, the jig-saw pieces. The odd strained shapes that I had tried to piece together with my fumbling fingers and they had never fitted. Frank's odd manner when I spoke about Rebecca. Beatrice and her rather diffident negative attitude. The silence that I had always taken for sympathy and regret was a silence born of shame and embarrassment. It seemed incredible to me now that I had never understood. I wondered how many people there were in the world who suffered, and continued to suffer, because they could not break out from their own web of shyness and reserve, and in their blindness and folly built up a great wall in front of them that hid the truth. This was what I had done. I had built up false pictures in my mind and sat before them. I had never had the courage to demand the truth. Had I made one step forward out of my own shyness Maxim would have told these things four months, five months ago."
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Add a CommentI'm not sure whom to contact, but the Kindle version appears to not be downloadable (Amazon gives me an error regardless of which device I've tried to download the Kindle version from).
I enjoyed the book but it took a little while to get in to it. The movie is a good copy of the story but the endings are different.
This is another 'classic' that I just don't get...
The people are boring. B O R I N G. "Yes."
Then again, I do like adoring puppies. A lot.
It's England in its final spasm of feudalism/classism.
First few chapters made me want to put the book down and never want to pick it up again but I am glad I forced myself to read it because it picks up and made me not want to put it down. I found my heart pounding Anticipating what was to happen next with Maxim. Worth the read.
While I don't think the "stand by your man" elements of this novel stand up, the ripples from this gothic tale are far reaching canonically. Lots of possible re-interest in this book with the ascendency of the twisty mystery genre. Glad I reread.
I had googled “Scary/Horror” books, and this came up, several times. It is NOT scary at all.
It is an interesting read, but reader beware, there is a lot of magniloquence, or excessive and ornate language. If you could cut through some of that prose, the book would be a lot faster read.
All in all, though, it does keep you turning the page, so it’s a decent read
i an see why this book is a classic. had me wanting to go back after i'd put it away for the night. a must read for all classic novel fans, all mystery fans.
A classic! Took a while to get into, and not sure it is one of my all time favorites, but I am glad to have read it.
In terms of technical merit it's a well-written novel, but I find it too slow-paced.
I also don't find the narrator engaging: I spent most of the book thinking "just grow a spine, will you?"
I find the narrator reminds me of Fanny in Mansfield Park, whereas I'm more a fan of Elizabeth in Pride & Prejudice.
A surprisingly good "reread."