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A review by oceanwriter
My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a reread for me. I guess I never wrote a review the first time around.
My Cousin Rachel is one of my all-time favorite books. It has the same eeriness as Rebecca while being a completely different plot.
Ambrose and Philip are confirmed bachelors to the point where they don't even keep women on staff. This changes when Ambrose goes to Italy for the winter due to complications with his rheumatism. There, he meets cousin Rachel. In a matter of weeks they are married, turning Philip's world upside down in particular. He never sees his beloved cousin Ambrose again and he is sure Rachel is the one to blame. When word comes that Rachel is coming to England, Philip resents all thoughts of her, hanging onto a bitter image made by Ambrose's last letters to him, but the woman who shows up at his door is the complete opposite. Soon enough, he finds himself as infatuated with her as Ambrose had once been.
I could honestly carry on for paragraphs and recite every step of the plot. This is a book I completely lost myself in several years ago and took months to finish never wanting it to end. I still took my time with this reread (which I chose to listen to on audio, brilliantly narrated by actor Jonathan Pryce) and I love it as much as it did the first time. My mind reels trying to figure out the mystery surrounding Rachel. One of Daphne Du Maurier's finest works without a doubt.
My Cousin Rachel is one of my all-time favorite books. It has the same eeriness as Rebecca while being a completely different plot.
Ambrose and Philip are confirmed bachelors to the point where they don't even keep women on staff. This changes when Ambrose goes to Italy for the winter due to complications with his rheumatism. There, he meets cousin Rachel. In a matter of weeks they are married, turning Philip's world upside down in particular. He never sees his beloved cousin Ambrose again and he is sure Rachel is the one to blame. When word comes that Rachel is coming to England, Philip resents all thoughts of her, hanging onto a bitter image made by Ambrose's last letters to him, but the woman who shows up at his door is the complete opposite. Soon enough, he finds himself as infatuated with her as Ambrose had once been.
I could honestly carry on for paragraphs and recite every step of the plot. This is a book I completely lost myself in several years ago and took months to finish never wanting it to end. I still took my time with this reread (which I chose to listen to on audio, brilliantly narrated by actor Jonathan Pryce) and I love it as much as it did the first time. My mind reels trying to figure out the mystery surrounding Rachel. One of Daphne Du Maurier's finest works without a doubt.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, and Murder
Minor: Miscarriage, Racism, and Sexual content