A review by flaweddimension
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Rebecca is a magnificently tense portrait of a character who never appears. The new Mrs. de Winter, who never gets a first name or much of anything the lady of the house should have, comes to the estate of her older, somewhat moody husband, and finds that the first Mrs. de Winter is very much a (disembodied) resident. The new Mrs. de Winter's shy diffidence can barely hope to dislodge the power that Rebecca de Winter exerted over the staff, led by the chilling Mrs. Danvers, and the house as a whole. And, yes, Maxim de Winter himself. The acceleration from the midpoint is absolutely top-notch. Chapter 1 is all atmosphere; Chapter 2 is worth a revisit immediately after the story ends. The snake bites its tail. The past is never really gone.

That is Rebecca's terrible legacy.
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