Ms. Hen reviews Rebecca

 

Rebecca 

Daphne Du Murier

Harper Collins    

1938

Ms. Hen chose to read this book, because she read recently it is a Halloween book, and she was reminded of how much she liked it. She read REBECCA years ago when she was young, and when she read it again this time, she was impressed that she could read it when she was a child. She saw the original film many years ago as well.

When Ms. Hen started to read REBECCA again, she had a feeling of deja vu. She thought it might have been because she read it before, but as she was reading, she felt as if she had lived the story before. Ms. Hen thought this was spooky.

This novel is about a young woman, who remains nameless, staying in the South of France, working as a companion to an older woman. Her employer recognizes Maxim de Winter, who lives in a grand house called Manderley, and whose wife has died, and invites him to have coffee with them. The young woman is embarrassed at first, but she becomes friends with Maxim when her employer becomes sick. The protagonist falls in love with Maxim, and they get married and leave first for their honeymoon it Italy, and then to Manderley.

They arrive at Manderley, and the young woman is immediately in awe of the house. She realizes she lives in Rebecca's shadow, Maxim's first wife who has drowned near the house. Our character thinks that everyone is looking at her and thinking that she is a pale comparison to Rebecca. She thinks Maxim is still in love with Rebecca. Ms. Danvers, who considers Rebecca the lady of the house, insults and intimidates his new wife. The new Mrs. de Winter does what she can to endure. The mystery of Rebecca's death unfolds, and our protagonist learns the truth of her husband's first marriage and grows from that knowledge.

Ms. Hen thought this was a long novel, but she found she could not put it down. The plot is gripping, the characters are well drawn, everything about the book is as it should be. Ms. Hen learned that REBECCA won an Anthony Award for the Best Novel of the Century. The Anthony Awards are for crime novels. Ms. Hen thinks REBECCA deserved that award. 

There's something about reading a scary book on a rainy, dark day. There were many of those days last week where Ms. Hen lives, so she enjoyed reading this. Today is Halloween, and Ms. Hen is excited to experience the goblins and ghouls and ghosts that might come to visit her. She has her costume, and is ready for the darkness. Happy Halloween from Ms. Hen!