Anyone who knows me will tell you that my favorite novel of all time is REBECCA. Good news: Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 masterpiece is now an ebook! Many of du Maurier’s works are finally being released in official ebook form in early 2014, including JAMAICA INN, THE HOUSE ON THE STRAND, and my other fave, MY COUSIN RACHEL, but REBECCA is the big news. Why is it my favorite book? Read on.
I’m a “Top 1000” reviewer on Amazon, and I just posted my review of the new ebook version of REBECCA there, explaining its personal importance to me. Forget the excellent-but-not-quite-faithful Hitchcock movie (the censors made Hitchcock change the surprise ending!), the many TV versions, and the recent, ill-fated Broadway musical. Nothing compares to the original. Here’s my review:
THE ONE AND ONLY (5 stars)
“Do you think the dead come back and watch the living?” Welcome to Manderley, where the awkward young bride of a dashing millionaire soon learns that her new home is haunted by a powerful spirit–the ethereal presence of her husband’s dead first wife, the fabulous Rebecca, gone but never forgotten. Now, the shadows of the past are closing in on the new Mrs. de Winter, threatening her marriage, her sanity, and even her life.
I’m a writer, and this is one of the books that first inspired me to sit down and start writing. I was 15 when I first read it 40 years ago, and I frequently reread it for the sheer pleasure it gives me. Daphne du Maurier’s beautiful prose, the fascinating characters, the vivid landscape of coastal Cornwall, and the atmosphere of slowly-building dread make this a one-of-a-kind reading experience, endlessly imitated but never equaled. From its famous opening sentence to its stunning finale, REBECCA is one of the great novels of the 20th century and the ultimate standard of modern Gothic suspense. If you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for?
NOTE TO PARENTS AND TEACHERS: Do you have a teen child/student who’s interested in writing? Whenever professional writers gather in groups and discuss the works that most inspired them when they were teens, this book is always one of the first titles mentioned. Recommend it to your budding novelist and see what happens.
So, now you know. You can order an ebook copy (and vote “yes” for my review) here:
http://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-Daphne-du-Maurier-ebook/dp/B00CO7FLJM/ref=cm_cr-mr-title
If you’re a fan of really great suspense, it’s time for you to discover (or rediscover) this wonderful author, especially REBECCA. Happy reading!