February 13, 2010

Literary Pick (***)

Rebecca (Daphne Du Maurier)



















6 Comments:

Blogger Jeanne Henriques said...

Hi Rachel
ANother book you might enjoy is Daphne by Justine Picardie. Here is a review written in The Observer:

"It is the gulf between who people are and who they think they are that fascinates Justine Picardie. An over-romantic doctoral student models her life on Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca; mildewed Mr Symington imagines himself to be the great collector of his age; and Daphne herself, the glamorous novelist, claims a core of steel but cannot cope with her husband's adultery. All three intersect on the subject of Branwell, black sheep of the Brontë family. The lady author and her gentleman scholar strive to rehabilitate his literary reputation, while the modern-day narrator, nameless until the end, becomes obsessed with their correspondence. Picardie turns fact into absorbing fiction with enough gloom, passion and perceptiveness to make Du Maurier proud."
I enjoyed this book, it is the sort of book that leaves you wanting to know more about Daphne Du Maurier. You might enjoy it too!
Jeanne :)

February 14, 2010 at 1:51 PM  
Blogger Rachel said...

It sounds like the kind of novel I might enjoy indeed. Thank you very much for the recommendation.

February 14, 2010 at 6:54 PM  
Blogger Pam Holnback said...

Rebecca was one of the first "real" novels I read a a teenager that wasn't assigned in school. My mom recommended it and I loved it! I recently thought about rereading it. I've been an avid reader my wholl life. Thanks for visiting my blog.

February 16, 2010 at 11:31 AM  
Blogger JJ said...

I read Rebecca recently and found my reaction ambivalent. The plot is excellent, the feminist message is well put, and the characters are well observed - with one exception in my opinion: I thought Jack Favell descended into a pantomime character towards the end. What concerned me was some transparently sloppy writing in parts. Her early lyricism and entertaining asides become repetitious and tedious, she repeats the phrase ‘I did not say anything’ so much that it began to madden me, and one paragraph had the pronoun ‘one’ used so much that it was ugly. I wonder how you found it in relation to Jane Eyre, with which it is often compared. I really must read Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte was such an elegant writer.

February 26, 2010 at 6:23 PM  
Blogger JJ said...

By the way, that picture at the head of your blog is superb. What is it?

February 26, 2010 at 6:23 PM  
Blogger Rachel said...

Thanks for visiting, Pam :)



JJ Beazley:
It didn't occur to me to compare Rebecca to Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre as well as Charlotte's "Wuthering Heights" are a couple of my top favorite novels of all-time. I did however make a comparison of Rebecca with the Victorian novel genre in general. Honestly, I enjoyed Rebecca, but it doesn't come close to the Bronte sisters' works. You should definitely read Jane Eyre, it's beautifully written, but more so is Charlotte's "Wuthering Heights". It's exquisite.


The picture I use on the top of my blog is an image I saved a long time ago on my computer, from google I suppose.. I wish I could remember because I love it too :)

February 26, 2010 at 8:23 PM  

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