almost ninety years old, and it still leaves and breathes and haunts you. I read this book a few years ago and still think of it. Another thing. It has one of the most perfect and famous opening lines of any novel, but the final line of the novel was incredibly resonant to me too.
Oh, yes. It has become an iconic opening line, although there isn't much special about it. "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." I'm glad to hear you have enjoyed the book and, even more exciting, that it has left an impression on you. :)
@@ProseAndPetticoats thank you. the great thing about books is everyone reacts in different ways and that is what makes discussing them fun :) maybe if you re-read in future one day you will have a different response, I found that sometimes with novels
@@zoobee Yes, there's nothing wrong with having different opinions! As long as we're discussing things in a respectful, loving way, it's all fine by me :D If there's one book I changed my mind about, it's Wuthering Heights. I loved it when I read it the second time :)
Personally, I was fascinated by the narrator and the way she thinks and describes the world around her. She is the embodiment of youth, naive, in love and confused, unlike the other characters, she is still an undeveloped personality. She's very relatable, even the mistakes she made are just a consequence of her young lostness. At the beginning of the book, you can see how different she is from the way she was when she first met Maxim. One of my favorite narrators for sure 📚
I agree with the criticism of the new Mrs de Winter needing to get a back bone but I think when you said "I knew more about Rebecca than the main character" is kind of the point. Rebecca *IS* the main character.
I devoured "Rebecca" in two days, I loved it so much! It's got a little bit of everything: "Jane Eyre", "Bluebeard", "Beauty and the Beast", "Downton Abbey", "Agatha Christie", "Scooby Doo"... 😂 Tonight I'll be watching Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation with Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine in the main roles, tomorrow I'll see if I can find the Hungarian musical with Szabó P. Szilveszter playing Maxim.
I read it as a woman who is emotionally abused and scared of her husband so she didn't want to approach and walked on egg shells. A lot of times you have inner dialogue and work how things might work out. I'm probably overthinking it but do love the book. So sorry you didn't like it, maybe give a different one a try. Birds by Daphne Du Maurier is great and the inspiration behind Hitchcocks movie.
I am so sorry to hear that, and I hope you are well now. I'm glad that you love 'Rebecca'. I'm sure I will one day try to read one of her other works! I always give authors more than one chance to win my bookish heart.
Hi there, nice to see a recent review of Rebecca. I read it (and watched the movie) just a few weeks ago. It was my first novel by Daphne du Maurier. I could relate to most if what you said about the book, - although I particularly liked the descriptive passages. I was thinking whether not giving a name to the 'new wife' was done on purpose to indicate that her real personality doesn't count for many of the books characters e.g. for her employer, she only counts as a servant, and for Mrs Denver she's just an intruding nobody, absolutely not up to the level of Rebecca. Does this make sense to you? I just found your channel a few weeks ago and I love it! Kind regards from wintery Germany 😊
Hello! Thank you for stopping by :) Oh yes, I think it is definitely done on purpose. I can also see why, and I also think it is brilliant, even though it bothered me a bit, haha.
I have only read Du Maurier's The House On The Strand and enjoyed it so I imagine I would like Rebecca. I smiled when you talked about the marriage proposal because I thought of Casaubon's proposal to Dorothy in Middlemarch which has to be the least romantic proposal in literature😂( now there's an idea for a video).
Wow, this was so helpful! The fact that it's not a "romance" is a plus for me. I'm "allergic" to romance books. It's not my thing. That's what kept me from reading it all these years. I had the same assumption about JANE EYRE. Imagine my surprise when I finally decided to read it and it wasn't a sappy romance. I adored that book! But the other things you mentioned would drive me crazy too. She's not even named? Wow. She sounds like one of those characters I would not like at all. All of that said, I'm a bit more drawn to it now that I know it's not so much a romance story. Maybe I will at least try it sometime, just to see how it goes. Thanks so much.
God, how I love Jane Eyre! :) Wonderful novel. I have been meaning to re-read it for such a long time. I'm glad I could give you a clear view of what to expect from this novel, and that you might want to give it a go now. You won't find the romance storyline in here ;) You're welcome! Thank you for your lovely, encouraging comment.
Hello Emmelie! I hope all is well with you and your family. Very interesting video and I enjoyed your thoughts on it. I did enjoy the book immensely so that I have read other books of hers. I agree that it is not a romance but more of a gothic thriller. I think that in the parts you read that you found repetitive, it was to show the overwhelming influence that Rebecca still had over the house and its inhabitants, to the point that Mrs. de Winter (wife #2) felt an oppressive crush on her from Rebecca's shade. I understand that not all books can be everyone's cup of tea, but that is ok! We can still enjoy another's opinion and learn something from that. This is what makes a great discussion. Keep up the great videos and I look forward to the next one. Have a great day/week!
Hi! I’m from Brazil, and there is a book by the Brazilian author Carolina Nabuco, named “The Successor”, which was released before Rebecca, and it is said that Daphne was inspired by that book (There are actually some rumors about plagiarism). I highly recommend this book, especially in case you haven’t tried Brazilian literature. The Successor was published in 1934. Great book!
I'm baffled by the persistent misperception that characters should be role models for the reader. In fact, most readers want to see characters who are beneath us, doing things we would never want to do. Rebecca is definitely a 10/10 book. That is not my opinion. That is just objective reality.
@@KristineRooks-p2x I'm baffled by the fact that readers cannot like or dislike a book without someone telling them they are wrong. It's exhausting. I love plenty of books where the characters are wicked or unlikeable. I'm sure there are books out there you didn't like. If a book doesn't click or resonate with me, I won't lie and tell others I loved it. I'm glad it was a 10 for you, though.
Oh I'm opposite, the last 50-70 pages are much worse imo Same with count of monte cristo, first part is 10/10 Maybe I don't like typical plot structure as much
It surprised me people think Du Maurier is a romance writer. Over the decades I've seen her books in literary fiction, however, depending on the shop her books like Rebecca are in the romance section. Friends who read romance don't read literary fiction because they think it's too close to reality which is why they like books with idealized characters and happy endings, ie. romance fiction. The film version of Rebecca is excellent.
@@ProseAndPetticoats Hello from Belgium! Alfred Hitchcock's film dates from 1940... But the two TV series are from 1979 and 1997. The best of those two being the first, according to me, much true to the novel itself and to its characters. Joanna David portrays perfectly the young, shy and lovable Mrs de Winter... so did after her her own daughter Emilia Fox in the 1997 series. The point is that, young as you are, maybe younger generations do not like long descriptions anymore... and feel like jumping ahead to the action 😉 Though action here depends a lot on the manor's atmosphere ! BTW I'm 69 (still) !
@@ProseAndPetticoats Perfect! In this case, if you're a lover of French literature too, do indulge in reading Marcel Proust's novels... but DO take your time... 🙃🙂 His descriptions are far longer than Mrs du Maurier's 😁
RE: The Count of Monte Cristo I don't know if you can answer this without spoiling everything. But if possible, can you tell me if this is the sort of book that glorifies revenge? Like those stories where the main character has a list and goes on a killing spree to get back at every person who ever did them wrong. They're the "hero", so the reader can't help but root for them... even when they are doing terrible things. I don't like that greyish morality, if that makes sense. Again, I don't know if this can be addressed at all without spoiling. I totally understand if not. It's just such a huge book and time/emotional investment. You don't need to apologize when you don't like a book. You always give specific reasons why. You don't just say, "I hated it." Thank you so much for your videos. They are always in depth and helpful.
That's a good and interesting question, which I can answer for you without spoiling the novel. The themes of revenge and justice are an important part of the story. While it revolves around Edmond, the protagonist who has been wronged and now seeks revenge, I would say the novel is especially strong in showing the consequences of seeking revenge and the emotional impact it can have on a person, on a family, on society, and how it is never the right way to act. It shows its destructive power. In my opinion, it explores it and forces the reader to think about the impact. At least, that's what I got out of the book. Hope this helps! It's no secret that I absolutely love The Count of MC.
I believe that you are extremely educated....but this is one of my favorite books. I have been aware of this for decades. So here's my two cents worth. I agree that no name is irritating but then... isn't that how she sees herself -as someone so insignificant that she doesn't even have a name? She is a very young orphaned shy etc....woman entering womanhood. She is a paid servant for an overbearing wealthy woman. No one cares about her until she meets Maxim DeWinter. She thinks her world changes then she goes to Maxim's ancestral home where she is expected to be the grand lady of the manor but instead feels overwhelmed. Max is too busy thinking about himself to notice her so she feels insecure. I won't go on but summing up...she is young, inexperienced, insecure, and feels like she is always compared to the perfect REBECCA. That's where the constant inner monologue about Rebecca comes in. Good review...Also, I thought Du Maurier was a great writer until I discovered that she was horrible with punctuation....it was her editors 😅
My first thought was I love this book! I'm biased, because my mom introduced me to it through the movie. Though I read the book, the movie with Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier is much more vivid in my mind. It's definitely not a romance! Really, the husband is cold and overbearing. I wanted so much for the main character to leave him and Manderley and all that nonsense. I wonder if she is never named and that we know so much more about Rebecca to show how inconsequential she is in comparison to this larger than life figure and how she lives continually in Rebecca's shadow.
That is an interesting way of looking at it. She lives in Rebecca's shadow, so much so that she doesn't even need a name... I should look up that movie if you recommend it. I agree, I also wanted her to leave Manderley and the husband.
@@ProseAndPetticoats I haven't watched it in a while, but I did like it. I've heard it's much better than the recent remake. The woman who played Mrs. Danvers was nominated for an Oscar. 😊
I really hated the charaters in this book. The narrator is a pick-me who doesn‘t care that he husband killed his first wife, maxim is a murderer and rebecca is a cheater and just all around awful.
Everything is about Rebecca and we never get to know the new wife.
And that's the whole point of the book.
Literally the whole point of the story.
almost ninety years old, and it still leaves and breathes and haunts you. I read this book a few years ago and still think of it. Another thing. It has one of the most perfect and famous opening lines of any novel, but the final line of the novel was incredibly resonant to me too.
Oh, yes. It has become an iconic opening line, although there isn't much special about it. "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."
I'm glad to hear you have enjoyed the book and, even more exciting, that it has left an impression on you. :)
@@ProseAndPetticoats thank you. the great thing about books is everyone reacts in different ways and that is what makes discussing them fun :) maybe if you re-read in future one day you will have a different response, I found that sometimes with novels
@@zoobee Yes, there's nothing wrong with having different opinions! As long as we're discussing things in a respectful, loving way, it's all fine by me :D If there's one book I changed my mind about, it's Wuthering Heights. I loved it when I read it the second time :)
I hated Wuthering Heights but have been thinking about giving it another read.
@@adellajones9887 What was it about the book that you hated?
Personally, I was fascinated by the narrator and the way she thinks and describes the world around her. She is the embodiment of youth, naive, in love and confused, unlike the other characters, she is still an undeveloped personality. She's very relatable, even the mistakes she made are just a consequence of her young lostness. At the beginning of the book, you can see how different she is from the way she was when she first met Maxim. One of my favorite narrators for sure 📚
Those are some great points!
I agree with the criticism of the new Mrs de Winter needing to get a back bone but I think when you said "I knew more about Rebecca than the main character" is kind of the point. Rebecca *IS* the main character.
Yes, she absolutely was!
I devoured "Rebecca" in two days, I loved it so much! It's got a little bit of everything: "Jane Eyre", "Bluebeard", "Beauty and the Beast", "Downton Abbey", "Agatha Christie", "Scooby Doo"... 😂
Tonight I'll be watching Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation with Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine in the main roles, tomorrow I'll see if I can find the Hungarian musical with Szabó P. Szilveszter playing Maxim.
I read it as a woman who is emotionally abused and scared of her husband so she didn't want to approach and walked on egg shells. A lot of times you have inner dialogue and work how things might work out. I'm probably overthinking it but do love the book. So sorry you didn't like it, maybe give a different one a try. Birds by Daphne Du Maurier is great and the inspiration behind Hitchcocks movie.
I am so sorry to hear that, and I hope you are well now. I'm glad that you love 'Rebecca'. I'm sure I will one day try to read one of her other works! I always give authors more than one chance to win my bookish heart.
@@ProseAndPetticoats we are thank you! Same on giving another chance. Even if I dnf a book I always plan to give it another go at some point.
Hi there, nice to see a recent review of Rebecca. I read it (and watched the movie) just a few weeks ago. It was my first novel by Daphne du Maurier. I could relate to most if what you said about the book, - although I particularly liked the descriptive passages. I was thinking whether not giving a name to the 'new wife' was done on purpose to indicate that her real personality doesn't count for many of the books characters e.g. for her employer, she only counts as a servant, and for Mrs Denver she's just an intruding nobody, absolutely not up to the level of Rebecca. Does this make sense to you? I just found your channel a few weeks ago and I love it! Kind regards from wintery Germany 😊
Hello! Thank you for stopping by :) Oh yes, I think it is definitely done on purpose. I can also see why, and I also think it is brilliant, even though it bothered me a bit, haha.
I have only read Du Maurier's The House On The Strand and enjoyed it so I imagine I would like Rebecca. I smiled when you talked about the marriage proposal because I thought of Casaubon's proposal to Dorothy in Middlemarch which has to be the least romantic proposal in literature😂( now there's an idea for a video).
Haha. Next video: "The worst proposals in literature". Middlemarch is on my reading list for this year!
Wow, this was so helpful! The fact that it's not a "romance" is a plus for me. I'm "allergic" to romance books. It's not my thing. That's what kept me from reading it all these years. I had the same assumption about JANE EYRE. Imagine my surprise when I finally decided to read it and it wasn't a sappy romance. I adored that book!
But the other things you mentioned would drive me crazy too. She's not even named? Wow. She sounds like one of those characters I would not like at all. All of that said, I'm a bit more drawn to it now that I know it's not so much a romance story. Maybe I will at least try it sometime, just to see how it goes. Thanks so much.
God, how I love Jane Eyre! :) Wonderful novel. I have been meaning to re-read it for such a long time.
I'm glad I could give you a clear view of what to expect from this novel, and that you might want to give it a go now. You won't find the romance storyline in here ;) You're welcome! Thank you for your lovely, encouraging comment.
I always thought Rebecca has a Jane Eyre flavor. Young orphan, older man, mystery, grand house, fire....lots of similarities.
@@adellajones9887 Actually, Du Maurier has been accused of copying Jane Eyre's storyline by critics in the past!
Hello Emmelie! I hope all is well with you and your family. Very interesting video and I enjoyed your thoughts on it. I did enjoy the book immensely so that I have read other books of hers. I agree that it is not a romance but more of a gothic thriller. I think that in the parts you read that you found repetitive, it was to show the overwhelming influence that Rebecca still had over the house and its inhabitants, to the point that Mrs. de Winter (wife #2) felt an oppressive crush on her from Rebecca's shade. I understand that not all books can be everyone's cup of tea, but that is ok! We can still enjoy another's opinion and learn something from that. This is what makes a great discussion. Keep up the great videos and I look forward to the next one. Have a great day/week!
Exactly 😊
Hi! I’m from Brazil, and there is a book by the Brazilian author Carolina Nabuco, named “The Successor”, which was released before Rebecca, and it is said that Daphne was inspired by that book (There are actually some rumors about plagiarism). I highly recommend this book, especially in case you haven’t tried Brazilian literature. The Successor was published in 1934. Great book!
Thank you for the recommendation 😍
No offense, but you missed the whole point of the book (judging by this review).
@@bubbles1978 Hello :) I didn't miss the point - I just didn't like it as much as I hoped I would. Have a lovely day!
I'm baffled by the persistent misperception that characters should be role models for the reader. In fact, most readers want to see characters who are beneath us, doing things we would never want to do. Rebecca is definitely a 10/10 book. That is not my opinion. That is just objective reality.
@@KristineRooks-p2x I'm baffled by the fact that readers cannot like or dislike a book without someone telling them they are wrong. It's exhausting. I love plenty of books where the characters are wicked or unlikeable. I'm sure there are books out there you didn't like. If a book doesn't click or resonate with me, I won't lie and tell others I loved it. I'm glad it was a 10 for you, though.
Oh I'm opposite, the last 50-70 pages are much worse imo
Same with count of monte cristo, first part is 10/10
Maybe I don't like typical plot structure as much
It surprised me people think Du Maurier is a romance writer. Over the decades I've seen her books in literary fiction, however, depending on the shop her books like Rebecca are in the romance section. Friends who read romance don't read literary fiction because they think it's too close to reality which is why they like books with idealized characters and happy endings, ie. romance fiction. The film version of Rebecca is excellent.
Do you happen to know the year of the film? I might check it out! :)
Alfred Hitchcock movie, 1940, with Joan Fontaine as Rebecca. @@ProseAndPetticoats
@@ProseAndPetticoats Hello from Belgium! Alfred Hitchcock's film dates from 1940... But the two TV series are from 1979 and 1997. The best of those two being the first, according to me, much true to the novel itself and to its characters. Joanna David portrays perfectly the young, shy and lovable Mrs de Winter... so did after her her own daughter Emilia Fox in the 1997 series. The point is that, young as you are, maybe younger generations do not like long descriptions anymore... and feel like jumping ahead to the action 😉 Though action here depends a lot on the manor's atmosphere ! BTW I'm 69 (still) !
@@joelle1954 I love long descriptions & beautiful prose! 👀
@@ProseAndPetticoats Perfect! In this case, if you're a lover of French literature too, do indulge in reading Marcel Proust's novels... but DO take your time... 🙃🙂 His descriptions are far longer than Mrs du Maurier's 😁
RE: The Count of Monte Cristo
I don't know if you can answer this without spoiling everything. But if possible, can you tell me if this is the sort of book that glorifies revenge? Like those stories where the main character has a list and goes on a killing spree to get back at every person who ever did them wrong. They're the "hero", so the reader can't help but root for them... even when they are doing terrible things. I don't like that greyish morality, if that makes sense. Again, I don't know if this can be addressed at all without spoiling. I totally understand if not. It's just such a huge book and time/emotional investment.
You don't need to apologize when you don't like a book. You always give specific reasons why. You don't just say, "I hated it."
Thank you so much for your videos. They are always in depth and helpful.
That's a good and interesting question, which I can answer for you without spoiling the novel. The themes of revenge and justice are an important part of the story. While it revolves around Edmond, the protagonist who has been wronged and now seeks revenge, I would say the novel is especially strong in showing the consequences of seeking revenge and the emotional impact it can have on a person, on a family, on society, and how it is never the right way to act. It shows its destructive power. In my opinion, it explores it and forces the reader to think about the impact. At least, that's what I got out of the book. Hope this helps! It's no secret that I absolutely love The Count of MC.
Thanks so much! @@ProseAndPetticoats
I believe that you are extremely educated....but this is one of my favorite books. I have been aware of this for decades. So here's my two cents worth. I agree that no name is irritating but then... isn't that how she sees herself -as someone so insignificant that she doesn't even have a name? She is a very young orphaned shy etc....woman entering womanhood. She is a paid servant for an overbearing wealthy woman. No one cares about her until she meets Maxim DeWinter. She thinks her world changes then she goes to Maxim's ancestral home where she is expected to be the grand lady of the manor but instead feels overwhelmed. Max is too busy thinking about himself to notice her so she feels insecure. I won't go on but summing up...she is young, inexperienced, insecure, and feels like she is always compared to the perfect REBECCA. That's where the constant inner monologue about Rebecca comes in. Good review...Also, I thought Du Maurier was a great writer until I discovered that she was horrible with punctuation....it was her editors 😅
Haha. Glad you enjoyed my review :) Thanks for sharing!
My first thought was I love this book! I'm biased, because my mom introduced me to it through the movie. Though I read the book, the movie with Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier is much more vivid in my mind. It's definitely not a romance! Really, the husband is cold and overbearing. I wanted so much for the main character to leave him and Manderley and all that nonsense. I wonder if she is never named and that we know so much more about Rebecca to show how inconsequential she is in comparison to this larger than life figure and how she lives continually in Rebecca's shadow.
That is an interesting way of looking at it. She lives in Rebecca's shadow, so much so that she doesn't even need a name...
I should look up that movie if you recommend it. I agree, I also wanted her to leave Manderley and the husband.
@@ProseAndPetticoats I haven't watched it in a while, but I did like it. I've heard it's much better than the recent remake. The woman who played Mrs. Danvers was nominated for an Oscar. 😊
I read Rebecca many years ago.
But unlike The Count of Monte Cristo (which I loved 5/5⭐️), I can’t remember if I liked it or not. lol
Haha. It wasn't as memorable, then.
@@ProseAndPetticoatsNope! lol
Great review , I didn't know this book ! Btw do you have a Instagram where you share your books passion ?
Yes! By the same name, ProseAndPetticoats :)
❤
I really hated the charaters in this book. The narrator is a pick-me who doesn‘t care that he husband killed his first wife, maxim is a murderer and rebecca is a cheater and just all around awful.