Rebecca is a novel by Daphne du Maurier, a British author, I first came across with 2 years ago. I read the original version of the novel and even though it was complicatedly organized and had a great amount of new vocabulary, a lot of descriptions it left enormous impression upon me and I started out to work at the project, focused on the problems, raised in the novel. Impressed on I also read a Russian version but still the first feelings overfilled me. I consider that it's worth reading at any step of life and appeals to the audience that is keen on reading classic novels filled with mystery.
Bibliographic information.
"Rebecca" was published by Victor Gollancz in April 1938, after what Maurier's popularity raised immediately. She started to write it in 1937, when her husband, Tommy have been posted abroad as a commanding officer and she had left her two little girls in England. This separation from her dearest home Cornwall must have caused Daphne to carefully turn her thoughts to writing a novel occur that area. The book was completed when Tommy was posted back and the family were reunited.
In the Christian Science Monitor Rebecca was reviewed for the American public, was thought to receive fabulous reviews in England, read almost like advertising copy. But than it was said that it might be absurd to produce a fuss about this novel, which would be here today and gone tomorrow like the others of publicity's masterpieces.
My evaluation.
In this report I would like to give my very own impressions on the book and can dare to state how wrong that person was because Rebecca became the most successful of all Daphne du Maurier's novels with a number of attempts to create sequels to. It inspired lots of people (various stage plays, music compositions, three additional books) and is still the one which she is best remembered for.
The plot.
During her childhood Daphne du Maurier had to remain at 2 huge houses hidden away down an extended driveway, with numerous staff and mysterious atmosphere. It was a combination of these very houses that became Manderley, the home in the centre of Daphne du Maurier's novel.
The story centered round the isolated estate of Manderley with the primary character of a woman who rapidly married Maxim de Winter, a recently available widower who appeared to be struggling to get over the unpredicted death of his wife, Rebecca. Only upon their arrival at Manderley did the new bride understand how difficult it would be to forget the memory of Rebecca that had a stable possession on most of its inhabitants, visitors, the whole estate. Maxim could not bear to say Rebecca's name and afterwards he told her, he had never loved her plus they lived a lie. So, when eventually the situation had become intolerable he shot Rebecca, carried her body out to the boat out to sea and sank it.
On an inquest attended by the neighborhood Justice of the Peace related to this death eventually a verdict of suicide was presented with. Later on, the new de Winter family set off on the journey home to Cornwall. Approaching to Manderley they start to see the sky smoking cigarettes like the first rays of sunrise, over time stretching over the sky. But this was not the sunrise. It had been flames. Manderley was burning.
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While reading the book I came across a fairly interesting aspect: the given name of the next Mrs. de Winter is never mentioned in the novel. To my mind, it became a very effective way to help make the character appear a person than Rebecca: less confident, talented and less attractive to Maxim.
From my viewpoint, it is a little bit spooky, but enchanting, made persuasively, captivating from the beginning to the end. Through the entire novel the author will make us feel how powerfully Rebecca's occurrence is around Manderley even though she has been dead for over per year. Rebecca's ghost hides in the shadows and hovers in the minds of all the characters, entwined in the corridors of Manderley. Through the whole book I used to be kept in suspend and may have the same. I did so like the structure of the novel: as it progresses, the secrets of the home and its former mistress are revealed.
There is no doubt that the book is still extremely popular and moving it to the level is even very complex because of a great amount of effects. Moreover, I found out that the musical is arriving on Broadway by 2010.
But while reading the book I noted some similarities in this content with "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte, but we can't compare the writing varieties of both of these great authors as all of them is exclusive.
Conclusion.
"Rebecca" is thought to be one of Daphne du Maurier best works and it is true that it has also been referred to as the first major gothic romance in the 20th century. To conclude I'd like to say which i was absorbed as the reader in this dark tale of love and hate. Moody, beautifully atmospheric and filled with tension, I consider du Maurier's having a magnificent writing talent, especially in describing things in the manner she does. Which makes her outstanding. I consider it to be one of those must-read novels and can recommend it for classic literature lovers, especially for any mystery fan.
There is without doubt that an desire for this work will continue on coming for a long period, making its contribution to literature, as the storyline still does leave one with lots of unanswered questions, giving you a chance to learn a secret.
