Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca is a classic suspensenovel. It is set against England's wild Cornish coast, and most of the book takesplace at Manderley, the de Winter family estate.
"Last night I dreamtI went to Manderley again." These evocative words begin the novel. A younggirl's life as a companion to an old lady is drastically changed when she plungesinto a swift courtship and marriage to Maxim de Winter. After a short honeymoonin Italy, the newlyweds come home to Manderley. There, the new Mrs. de Wintersuddenly finds herself in charge of a gigantic house with many servants. She alsolearns about the tragic drowning of Rebecca, Maxim's first wife. She feels thepresence of Rebecca everywhere ain the styles of the rooms, in the daily routineand in visitors' comments. She also has a hard time dealing with Mrs. Danvers,the housekeeper, who hates her and delights in humiliating her.
When amysterious stranger arrives, buried secrets surface and Manderley is thrown intochaos. During this time, Mrs. de Winter has to face her own fears and use herstrength and courage to keep Maxim and her together.
This book has astrong plot and a climatic ending with many mysteries. There is never a dullmoment. First published in 1938, Rebecca immediately became a bestseller. Manycritics consider it the best Gothic romance of the 20th century. I recommend itto anyone who loves a great mystery. Once you start, you won't be able to put itdown until you finish.
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