Even though I consider myself an avid reader, I had never read anything by Daphne du Maurier, nor had I seen Alfred Hitchcock’s version of “Rebecca”. I picked up the book on audio - a fantastic listen - and almost couldn’t get out of my car because I needed to know what happened.
From
the opening sentence: “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again,” I was hooked.
All at once I was there, in this dream-like place, with this somewhat forlorn
woman. Who was she? Why could she only dream of Manderley? And what was
Manderley? As the story went on I learned Manderley was a house; a mansion, a
strange, beautiful, creepy place.
The
title character, Rebecca is dead when the novel opens, and yet she’s a vivid
and terrifying presence throughout. Rebecca was stunningly beautiful, willful
and strong; her death was mysterious. According to the evil housekeeper, Mrs.
Danvers, and Rebecca’s too-close cousin, Jack, the second Mrs. de Winter can’t ever
measure up. Her husband Maxim’s strange aloofness does nothing to ease her
fears. She is so consumed with the question of her desirability that when she
finally finds out what really happened to Rebecca, her reaction is shocking.
The
novel is told from the point of view of the second Mrs. de Winter who, unlike
her predecessor, is never named. She is madly (maybe certifiably madly) in love
with her new husband, and so she agrees to live in the house where Rebecca
lived, to virtually live the life she lived. In the end, she comes to love
Manderley. However, as the opening line suggests, she can never go back again.
While
you’re at the library, join us on August 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. for our “Build a
Better World” Carnival. Games and activities galore will be on the back lawn
(weather permitting) or in the meeting room if it rains.
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