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duvallmel's review against another edition
2.0
"The Birds" is definitely the best of these! Hitchcock got it right.
jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
5.0
Every horror fan should read "The Birds." It's worth reading this collection for that one story alone. She scared me half to death in only a few pages. The mark of a master.
tearsinthesea's review against another edition
4.0
I could see why Alfred Hitchcock took an interest in Daphne du Maurier. Her stories are all creepy and weird. They are all dark and twisted, I don't think I have correctly guessed any of her endings because it's all like.. "what?! what just happened?"
Anyways, I think this is like a written version of The Twilight Zone, and I really like that show
-dundundundundundun-
Anyways, I think this is like a written version of The Twilight Zone, and I really like that show
-dundundundundundun-
aaronlindsey's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first du Maurier. My favorite from this collection is The Alibi. How she fit so much story in so few words I'll never know.
I also really enjoyed The Birds, which was very different than the Hitchcock film.
'Don't Look Now' was also really good. I had never heard of the movie by the same name, but am looking forward to seeing it soon.
I also really enjoyed The Birds, which was very different than the Hitchcock film.
'Don't Look Now' was also really good. I had never heard of the movie by the same name, but am looking forward to seeing it soon.
thereadingmum's review against another edition
3.5
I read this in tandem with The Folio Society collection Don't Look Now and Other Stories, which contains all the same stories and a few more but does not have "The Alibi".
My review is thus the same but I will add a mini one for The Alibi at the end.
Disclaimer: I am a very hard to please short story reader. To me, the format requires very good, very succinct writing with absolutely no excess and hits you so hard you are left reeling either emotionally or intellectually. As such, I have only come across a handful of writers who can write really good short stories. This includes writers whose full-sized novels I have loved, yet somehow couldn't pull off the short format.
So it is with Du Maurier, whose novels I have enjoyed. To be fair, two of the stories here I think are quite good, The Blue Lenses and The Apple Tree, which were creepy AF and exciting from the get go with excellent endings. The rest though kinda fell flat. I was particularly disappointed with The Birds. It is very frightening with how sudden and unexpected the violence and group psychotic behavior of the birds was, but then the ending had this extreme hopelessness, which I really didn't like. I know now that I have read it before and the fact that I forgot how it ended reinforces my critque. I felt that it needed a bit more in terms of the struggle and the explanation, perhaps just one or two more radio communiques to graduate the despondency.
"The Alibi" starts off fairly intriguing as a future murder is indicated but then it devolves into a strange story of deflecting murderous intents with art. The ending was also odd and I may remember it for that rather then being macabre.
My review is thus the same but I will add a mini one for The Alibi at the end.
Disclaimer: I am a very hard to please short story reader. To me, the format requires very good, very succinct writing with absolutely no excess and hits you so hard you are left reeling either emotionally or intellectually. As such, I have only come across a handful of writers who can write really good short stories. This includes writers whose full-sized novels I have loved, yet somehow couldn't pull off the short format.
So it is with Du Maurier, whose novels I have enjoyed. To be fair, two of the stories here I think are quite good, The Blue Lenses and The Apple Tree, which were creepy AF and exciting from the get go with excellent endings. The rest though kinda fell flat. I was particularly disappointed with The Birds. It is very frightening with how sudden and unexpected the violence and group psychotic behavior of the birds was, but then the ending had this extreme hopelessness, which I really didn't like. I know now that I have read it before and the fact that I forgot how it ended reinforces my critque. I felt that it needed a bit more in terms of the struggle and the explanation, perhaps just one or two more radio communiques to graduate the despondency.
"The Alibi" starts off fairly intriguing as a future murder is indicated but then it devolves into a strange story of deflecting murderous intents with art. The ending was also odd and I may remember it for that rather then being macabre.
jessrad505's review against another edition
5.0
I found this gem at a used bookstore. Such perfectly creepy stories and beautiful illustrations. Daphne du Maurier is a master of suspense.
candicanepdx's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
greenreader's review against another edition
4.0
I mainly read this book for the short story "The Birds" which Alfred Hitchcock used to inspire his film. I've enjoyed some of the other stories as well. Du Maurier also wrote "Rebecca", which Hitchcock also turned into a movie.
hyzenthlay76's review against another edition
4.0
These chilling tales are paired with creepy illustrations, beautifully bound...a real treat.
jesswaitaminute's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5