Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier is a classic I had heard so many people rave about. Going into this read, I had no idea what the story was about.
The narrator of the story is never named. She is working as a woman’s companion in Monte Carlo when she meets Maxim DeWinter. Maxim is a widower, his first wife, Rebecca died less than a year before. He woos the narrator and proposes very quickly. Everything seems perfect. After the honeymoon, when they arrive at Manderley, DeWinter’s estate, our narrator is not greeted very warmly by the staff and servants of the estate.
Manderley becomes a character itself, which I love. It feels like the estate holds secrets. Everything has been kept the same since Rebecca died and our narrator is expected to fit into Rebecca's life, but everything tells her she doesn't belong, especially the deceptive and manipulative Miss Danvers. Our protagonist finds herself in a loveless marriage and competing with the ghost of her predecessor.
For the most part the story is building upon itself until the last quarter of the novel when things begin to unravel very quickly and it was then that I understood why this classic is so loved. There was a lot more depth than I expected so I was pleasantly surprised to find a mystery, love story and ghost story all in one.
Bookworm Rating: 🐛🐛🐛🐛
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