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A review by archiveofrasa
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
dark
mysterious
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
4.75
the very cool thing (to Literature nerds at least) about classics is that they're much more obscure with depth and complexity, which ultimately results in a far more interesting read.
I thoroughly enjoyed annotating my copy like I was back in my English class, only I was actually appreciating and reading what I was analysing. du Maurier's use of dialogue is by far my favourite aspect of this book as they brought up tension so quickly and intensely. her characters are also what carried the story for me, with how nuanced and smartly she wove the character interactions and feelings into every scene. It was so easy to immerse myself into the story as if I was there and not reading a book, but seeing it play out before me.
people have said they hate specific characters and while I personally don't like any of them, I don't particularly hate them either because of how complex they are. the only character I can think to like the least is Maxim but even then we're not entirely sure how unreliable he is compared to everyone else. I do agree with how sinister Mrs Danvers is but even she's unreliable and clouded with grief and her actions do match the time period this is set in. there are things she does that are terrible, but also parts where I feel her mind turning, her feelings breaking the surface. every character felt so real, it's incredible how du Maurier captures them in this story. even with Rebecca and the narrator, their phantom relationship was crafted so well I doubt I'll forget it anytime soon.
I thoroughly enjoyed annotating my copy like I was back in my English class, only I was actually appreciating and reading what I was analysing. du Maurier's use of dialogue is by far my favourite aspect of this book as they brought up tension so quickly and intensely. her characters are also what carried the story for me, with how nuanced and smartly she wove the character interactions and feelings into every scene. It was so easy to immerse myself into the story as if I was there and not reading a book, but seeing it play out before me.
people have said they hate specific characters and while I personally don't like any of them, I don't particularly hate them either because of how complex they are. the only character I can think to like the least is Maxim but even then we're not entirely sure how unreliable he is compared to everyone else. I do agree with how sinister Mrs Danvers is but even she's unreliable and clouded with grief and her actions do match the time period this is set in. there are things she does that are terrible, but also parts where I feel her mind turning, her feelings breaking the surface. every character felt so real, it's incredible how du Maurier captures them in this story. even with Rebecca and the narrator, their phantom relationship was crafted so well I doubt I'll forget it anytime soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, and Murder
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, and Suicide
Minor: Ableism and Incest
as with a lot of classics, though, there is the discrepancy I feel about race in this story. There is a bit of cultural appropriation of Arabs and a few classic phrases that feel really weird coming out of a white character's mouth. I want to mention this because I still enjoyed the book, but to do so I had to ignore those aspects. not everyone has the luxury to do so. even if it's from an old time doesn't make it okay. we can critically like things.