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Rebecca (1938) by Daphne du Maurier
I read my antique 1938 copy of Daphne du Maurier’s famous novel Rebecca.
The 1940 movie came highly recommended by a friend, and though I haven’t watched much of it yet, I really loved the book.
Daphne du Maurier wrote many works, including The Birds. Yes, you read that right. Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece The Birds was based on a story written by none other than our girl Daphne.
Daphne du Maurier came from a successful and creative family. Her father was Sir Gerald du Maurier (1873-1934), a famous stage actor and theatrical manager. He was one of the most famous british actors of the Edwardian era. Gerald was a friend of James Barrie of Peter Pan fame, and inspired the character of Captain Hook. He even played Captain Hook and Mr. Darling in the original 1904 play. When her mother Muriel Beaumont (1876-1957) was young, she was an actress. She retired from acting after marriage to raise a family. Daphne’s sister, Angela du Maurier (1904-2002) also had a brief career in stage acting, and was an author, though Daphne was much more famous. Her youngest sister, Jeanne du Maurier (1911-1997) was a portrait artist. Her paternal grandfather George du Maurier (1834-1896) was of French and British ancestry, and was mostly known for his work in Punch magazine. He was the author of the famous book Trilby (1894), which introduced the Svengali character to the world. Her husband, Lt. Gen. Sir Frederick Browning (1896-1965) was a distinguished British Army officer and Olympic rower, and was the inspiration for Max de Winter, the male protagonist in Rebecca. Daphne’s paternal uncle, Guy du Maurier (1865-1915) was a soldier and playwright who was killed in action during WWI. Her paternal cousin was Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (1866-1910). Sylvia’s boys were the inspiration for Peter Pan, and were also the inspiration for the lost boys. Daphne’s youngest child, Christian Browning (1940) is was a film producer and is executor for her works.
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If you don’t know much about the book, I’m not going to spoil it for you. I do know there are differences between the movie and book, so if you’ve seen the movie, you still have another adventure waiting for you in the book.
It is very gothic in nature, as it revolves mostly around a big, mysterious manor. By the end, feel like you know each and every character well, even the minor ones, and I love that aspect in writing.
The storytelling is a bit peculiar in that we never do learn her name. She is the companion for a rich American woman, and is staying at a hotel with her in Monte Carlo. In a short two week span, our heroine gets to know Max de Winter, a big shot exactly double her age who lives in the famous Manderley estate. ‘Gets to know’ is exaggerating a bit, and when she announces that she will be leaving for New York with her boss, de Winter proposes to her. This is where the story really begins.
Come explore Manderley and find out the secrets that lie beneath.
