A review by strawb3rrysugar
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book definitely starts slowly. Events won't start picking up until halfway through the book. However, the payoff is worth it. Du Maurier takes the time to establish Rebecca's presence in Manderley and in the narrative, haunting the narrator and all other characters. Definitely a good book to start with if you want to get into gothic literature but aren't sure where to start. It was pretty easy to follow, save one or two google searches.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, and Murder

Minor: Ableism

Mrs. Danvers tries to get the narrator to kill herself in one chapter. A disabled character named Ben is described in many derogatory ways, and says he's afraid of being sent to an asylum.

When Rebecca's real body and boat are discovered, there's some brief description of her body having dissolved from being in the water for so long. Not terribly graphic, but a little disturbing.

This book never approaches being overly graphic, but how the overall storyline pans out might be upsetting to some who have experienced domestic abuse.