Rebecca

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Summary: A murder mystery like no other.
Review: A young, naive woman who is the paid companion of an obnoxious rich woman is taken along to Monte Carlo. While she smarts under the rudeness and gauche behavior of her employer, she meets the dark, handsome widower Max de Winter.

What follows is a love story and a ghost story of a woman haunted by the powerful presence of the former mistress of Manderley. We never learn the name of the heroine as she marries Max, moves into the rigid but elegant life at Manderley and tangles with Mrs. Danvers, Manderley's fearsome housekeeper. What unfolds is not only a mystery but a story of obsessions and evil. The end is a shock.

Du Maurier created an unforgettable atmosphere of decaying beauty, frightening spirits and horror mixed with love and death. If you haven't read this, I am envious. You get to experience it for the first time.

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Summary: You'll shred your chemise in a fit of suspense
Review: This is positively the most overwrought book I have read since "No Adam in Eden" by Grace Metalious. I have read some of the author's short stories in the past, but this novel blew me away, with it's bodice-bursting tale of ludicrous passions and dark deeds on the windswept Cornish coast. This book has a great deal of suspense, but if you want to laugh at the heroine's weaknesses, you'll also find plenty of mean-spirited comedy. She crumbles again and again before the hired help, terrified of what they think of her underwear and hiding behind doors when they approach. Bette Davis's character in 'Dead Ringer' never had it so bad, and she deserved it, since she was a murderess. My only complaint is I wanted a more fantastic comeuppance for Mrs. Danvers after being so memorably rotten. What a great gift from Ms. DuMaurier. Read it and your friends will get sick of hearing about it.

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Summary: Mystery Until The End!
Review: I had to read this book for my English class, and didn't think I would like it because it was written quite some time ago. I gave myself a few weeks to read it, but wound up finishing it within a week.

The book started off a little bit slow, but after the first couple of chapters, it picked up because Mrs. de Winter was reminiscing, which is what the novel is about. The character development within the book was great. Each distinct characteristic of Maxim, Mrs. Danvers and Mrs. de Winter formed the novel. They were all different and contributed to the revelation at the end of the book. I thought it was great. The end was a little confusing, but when I reread the first couple of chapters, I understood exactly what happened.

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Summary: the epitome of romantic suspense ...
Review: Rich with tenderness and sympathy for the sensitive heroine, this romantic tale gradually becomes a murder mystery, both haunting and at moments, terrifying. The unexpected outcome makes way not only for an intriguing surprise, but also for a happier ending than we'd feared we would get to witness. An excellent novel for the true romantic.

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Summary: A delicious read or earful.
Review: I have seen this film numerous times and listened to the book on tape. I love being swept away to a mansion on the side of a rocky sea side cliff. I loved imagining waking up in the morning and having nothing to do but stroll the grounds and choose menues for the day's meals.

A scene that strikes a cord with me is when the girl tells Maxim how she is alone in the world. Her parents are dead and she has no siblings. Before I got to that part of the story I wondered just how two people could come together so magnetically then I understood. They were both alone in the world and really did need each other.

Had the story taken place in modern day times the heroine would have been advised to "get a job." Through the story we witness this girl's growth from a young girl into a women. I agree with the other people who say the ending seems a bit forced and really leaves you wanting more. For one thing since they are so rich why don't they just build a new home instead of wandering from hotel to hotel? It makes no sense.

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Summary: Unsatisfying ending-
Review: I'm not sure if my book is missing pages, but the ending didn't seem too complete. The begginning didn't seem to match up with the end. (could anyone whose read this book send me an email? [e-mail]) otherwise, this book is wonderful. The nameless narrator narrates in such a way that you are shocked, appalled, distressed, happy when she is. It's like you are her, going through the many ups and downs of life at Manderley.(and there are alot). One flaw, I sometimes wondered why the characters did some things. Maxim seemed to have no feelings one day, and tons the next day(referring to narrator). anyway, read this book.

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Summary: Last Night I Dreamt of Mrs. Danvers
Review: Du Maurier's "Rebecca" is a very surprising, gothic murder-mystery and dreadful romance saga in one book. Does the novel manange to handle all of the elements successfully? Yes, with a hypnotic yet fevered pace. Though it starts off rather slow, the novel becomes like a good drug. Soon you'll crave more, and soon it will possess you. Anyone interested in horror should read this book. The vivid images have a way of creeping up to you. The only problem I had with this book was that there seemed to be a lot of unnecessary description where a few strong words could have done the trick instead of a few strong pages. Still, this is an exciting, character-filled saga of mystery.

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Summary: One of my favourite books
Review: This is an interesting book in many ways, but what makes it really different to many others is that we never, ever find out the name of our heroine, who narrates the tale, and the Rebecca who gives her name to the title is dead before the story begins. Thus is the scene set for a fabulously dark and brooding mystery.

The characters are wonderful. We have our nameless heroine, her distant husband Max, whom she loves to distraction, and the malevolent housekeeper Mrs Danvers, who was devoted to Rebecca, the dead but original lady of the house. And the house itself, beautiful Manderley, with fabulous gardens and deep dark mysteries.

It really is a delicious read, good for a stormy night, and despite the tortured relationships and scenarios throughout the story it has a surprising but very satisfying ending. It is a classic, and deservedly so.

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Summary: Don't be put off...
Review: ... by the long descriptions or the romance-novel cover. They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but I did for a looooong time (until I found a gorgeous red hardback with gold embossing). I was also somewhat offput by the peeks at dialogue and descriptions. The first ten pages or so are a bit tough to get through, with lush descriptions of the manor, but then the story picks up pace.

The unnamed heroine, the second Mrs. de Winter, is first shown to us as a gawky, freaked young girl who befriends Maxim de Winter while accompanying an American woman around. Maxim marries the young woman quickly, but even before they reach his home at Manderly, she feels the eerie spell of Rebecca, Wife No. 1.

Adding to the creepy suspense is grim Mrs. Danvers and the staff of Manderly, who dwell on Rebecca as much as if she were still alive. Mrs. de Winter can't even pet the dog or sit in a chair without thinking how "this is what Rebecca did..."

Du Maurier's skill is shown in the crafting of a dead woman, not even a ghost or apparition, who nevertheless haunts Manderly and everyone in it. The heroine gains a backbone over the course of the novel, while you start to hate Mrs. Danvers more and more...

The prose is lush and visual - often it takes up a few paragraphs when it's a particularly pretty place. You will vividly see the trees around Manderly, the yawnworthy hotel at the beginning, the gardens of the house, the rooms, and so on. The descriptions and characterizations are subtle and beautiful, so that you can almost feel Rebecca there as well.

A small warning to anyone who might read the mass-market paperback: It may not be worth it. I checked out several copies and the print was tiny and smudgy.

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Summary: The Best book
Review: I first read this book in the seventh grade and since then it has been a favorite of mine. I have read it several times since then and each time I have grown fonder of it. I found it quite easy to read and understand and love. I think everyone should read this