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breadandmushrooms's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
blimowery's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
A modernization of the classic Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. While the atmosphere was not as strongly built as in Rebecca, I think Gabriele did a nice job bringing the characters back to life. Swapping Mrs. Danvers for Dani, the teenage daughter, was a very smart way to update the story. Overall I enjoyed the book. If I hadn't already read Rebecca, I would have been hemming and hawing over who is telling the truth.
emilyturnsthepage's review against another edition
3.0
The Winters is a modern day re-telling of the classic novel Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. A naive woman from the Cayman Islands is swept up in a surprisingly whirlwind romance with widower, senator Max Winter. They return to his secluded mansion, Asherley, a place where the ghost of Max’s first wife, Rebekah, looms inescapably large and ever present. Max and Rebekah’s adopted daughter, the dark and manipulative teenage Dani, is less than welcoming and hellbent on making life as difficult as possible with wedding preparations underway. As time goes on, the woman becomes increasingly unsettled and insecure. What lies beneath this family & what secrets do they hold? review: The story is entertaining and engrossing, and the foreboding throughout the book leads to a breath-taking and climactic finale. Admittedly, I haven’t read Rebecca (but now I want to ASAP) but this book really kept me guessing! I had an inkling of what was to come by the way the author weaved in details, but when I got to the end I was blown away! This was definitely more of a “slow build” but I think it worked really well and allowed the story to develop before you without missing any details. If you liked The Last Mrs. Parrish, you should read this one! rating: 3.5 out of 5 ⭐️
lmcclel's review against another edition
This started as a great book, I was on the edge of my seat, and then unnecessary animal cruelty/death popped up and I stopped listening to the audiobook.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty
12rhys23's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
exorcismemily's review against another edition
4.0
"Aren't you a dark surprise?"
I read Rebecca for the first time last month, and then decided to read The Winters this month. I think that the purpose of this book is to have fun with a retelling of Rebecca, and that if you go into it knowing that it's not going to be the same experience of reading Rebecca, you will enjoy it. Don't take it so seriously.
I really enjoyed finding the little Rebecca Easter eggs throughout The Winters. Some of it was overt, like the main character not having a name, and other characters' names like Max, Dani, etc. There are also some deeper cuts tucked in there that I had fun recognizing, though.
I found it to be amusing that Max is a Republican senator. If fits him so well. Although this book does have more romantic aspects than Rebecca, it's still meant to be a toxic relationship. It's domestic suspense.
I loved the drama of The Winters. There were some unexpected twists, and I thought it was handled in a creative way. Is this book perfect? No. But if you can lighten up and appreciate it for what it is (and without expecting the same experience as Rebecca), it's an intriguing and entertaining story. Thank you so much to Viking Press for sending me a copy to review!
I read Rebecca for the first time last month, and then decided to read The Winters this month. I think that the purpose of this book is to have fun with a retelling of Rebecca, and that if you go into it knowing that it's not going to be the same experience of reading Rebecca, you will enjoy it. Don't take it so seriously.
I really enjoyed finding the little Rebecca Easter eggs throughout The Winters. Some of it was overt, like the main character not having a name, and other characters' names like Max, Dani, etc. There are also some deeper cuts tucked in there that I had fun recognizing, though.
I found it to be amusing that Max is a Republican senator. If fits him so well. Although this book does have more romantic aspects than Rebecca, it's still meant to be a toxic relationship. It's domestic suspense.
I loved the drama of The Winters. There were some unexpected twists, and I thought it was handled in a creative way. Is this book perfect? No. But if you can lighten up and appreciate it for what it is (and without expecting the same experience as Rebecca), it's an intriguing and entertaining story. Thank you so much to Viking Press for sending me a copy to review!
mjhj888's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
3.25
Interesting take on a classic. My familiarity with Rebecca made it fun to look for similarities and differences. It was kind of nice to see that the new Mrs. Winter had a little more backbone than the original character. Nothing earth shattering, and for those who haven't read Rebecca, it may not be as fun. But I enjoyed it.
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating modern retelling of du Maurier's gothic classic.
4.5 stars.
"Last night Rebekah tried to murder me again." From the very first line, the original is at the forefront of your mind as the unnamed narrator tells us the story of her love for a man haunted by the memory of his first wife, as she tries to make a place for herself as his new partner.
I love the book, the Hitchcock film, and was really intrigued to see it in a contemporary context. It worked so well, the modern world. With an extended opening segment as the second Mrs Winter meets and falls for Max, the scene is set for the gauche young woman's struggle to fit in at his ancestral estate, now called Asherley.
The main change to the story is Mrs Danvers, the housekeeper loyal to Rebecca. Here, she becomes the teenage terror, Dani, Rebekah's adoring bereaved daughter, less than keen to have a stepmother. This was brilliant, a fantastic way to bring in modern sensibilities, social media, new ways of Mrs Winter being psychologically tormented.
Not being able to name the narrator makes her slightly less tangible, hard to picture: "a boat, like a person, needed a name, he said or else it was cursed to drift forever." But we are given insights into everything she experiences, everything she thinks, and the new version is just as creepy and tense as the original.
Set-pieces of significance are still present, but in altered form. I really liked the changes, they kept me guessing, even knowing the source material. Rebekah's presence is still strongly felt, through Dani, Max, and even the house, and you can feel the tension and emotion crackling.
You'll not be sure how it will end, even being familiar with du Maurier, and I personally loved Gabriele's conclusion to the story, cleverly fit in with the opening and all that comes before it. I thought it a brilliant modern rewriting of the original.
So enjoyable to see a faithful adaptation that successfully modifies and innovates. Book groups will have fun comparing the two.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
4.5 stars.
"Last night Rebekah tried to murder me again." From the very first line, the original is at the forefront of your mind as the unnamed narrator tells us the story of her love for a man haunted by the memory of his first wife, as she tries to make a place for herself as his new partner.
I love the book, the Hitchcock film, and was really intrigued to see it in a contemporary context. It worked so well, the modern world. With an extended opening segment as the second Mrs Winter meets and falls for Max, the scene is set for the gauche young woman's struggle to fit in at his ancestral estate, now called Asherley.
The main change to the story is Mrs Danvers, the housekeeper loyal to Rebecca. Here, she becomes the teenage terror, Dani, Rebekah's adoring bereaved daughter, less than keen to have a stepmother. This was brilliant, a fantastic way to bring in modern sensibilities, social media, new ways of Mrs Winter being psychologically tormented.
Not being able to name the narrator makes her slightly less tangible, hard to picture: "a boat, like a person, needed a name, he said or else it was cursed to drift forever." But we are given insights into everything she experiences, everything she thinks, and the new version is just as creepy and tense as the original.
Set-pieces of significance are still present, but in altered form. I really liked the changes, they kept me guessing, even knowing the source material. Rebekah's presence is still strongly felt, through Dani, Max, and even the house, and you can feel the tension and emotion crackling.
You'll not be sure how it will end, even being familiar with du Maurier, and I personally loved Gabriele's conclusion to the story, cleverly fit in with the opening and all that comes before it. I thought it a brilliant modern rewriting of the original.
So enjoyable to see a faithful adaptation that successfully modifies and innovates. Book groups will have fun comparing the two.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.