Rating: 
Summary: Lady Dona's Acceptance of Womanhood
Review: Anyone who feels trapped in a mid-life crisis or just a plain old stagnant existence for a seemingly unendurable amount of time will empathize with Du Maurier's bored and beautiful Dona St. Columb and enjoy her exploits with the man of her escapist dreams, Jean, the pirate master of La Mouette. While the adventure excites and the romance titillates, Du Maurier manages, quite subtly to explore the timeless themes of true freedom versus responsibility and the changing nature of love from its first incendiary spark to the mellow flame of comfortable love of long-time partners.
Do yourself a favor and skip Du Maurier's first chapter---don't get discouraged by it, it is merely a ploy used by the author to suggest the timeless quality of love that lingers off the coast of Cornwall even to the modern day---read this chapter over again after you finish the book and it will lose its old fashioned storyteller's introduction and emit the haunting ghostlike ambiance it was meant to suggest.
Rather than look at this as the tale of an adultress as one of the other reviewers strongly points out, imagine Dona as confused, not yet content enough to live out her days with Harry, the children and the dogs until she has found her own identity and come to terms with who and what she is.
I imagine Du Maurier herself, having such questions whirl around in her own mind as she spun her tales at Menabilly--basically alone in the country while her husband was at war. The adventure of Dona St. Columb speaks of Du Maurier's own sense of restlessness and universally allows all of us to freely associate and commiserate. All of the Du Maurier heroines are trapped in worlds where they are dependent on their strong males counterparts. Du Maurier's portrayals suggest her view of woman's vantage point a dismal one---woman acquiesce; they only find a life when they do.
This is a wonderful story of a young wife who transforms from child to woman in less than 300 pages. She becomes a boy to experience the ultimate freedom that she will never have as a woman. At the end she must return to her her trap, content or discontent to know her place as a woman. I have read 'Frenchman's Creek' and listened to it at least ten times, always taking from it something new as my own life develops. Highly recommended as a real classic romance.
Rating: 
Summary: Historical Garbage
Review: Daphne DuMaurier's "Frenchman's Creek" stinks to high heaven. The stench only worsens when one considers her other, alarmingly good, novels "Rebecca" and "My Cousin Rachel." The far-fetched plot centers on a young noblewoman bored with the tedium of her marriage. She relocates her children to a family estate in Cornwall, where she begins an affair with the French pirate (!) terrorizing the local landowners. It plays even worse than it sounds. The author has culled the heroine's thoughts and feelings from the worst Victorian melodrama, and expects her readers to accept a barbarous pirate whose description most closely resembles a romantic, twentieth-century, sensitive new-age guy. Fans of Harlequin romances (and yes, there is something wrong with liking Harlequin romances) will thrill at the exploits of our brave heroine. She explores forests and coves alone at night, comes to blows with her husband's best friend, and, of course, leaves her children, dons men's clothes, and becomes a pirate herself. (I won't spoil the surprise by telling you whether or not she remains one, but you're unlikely to care.) Her disinterest in her children makes her worse than unbelievable- it makes her unlikable. Although DuMaurier's prose disappoints, John Castle delivers it well. He never allows his tones to reach the fevered heights of melodrama. However, it takes more than a great classical actor to redeem such unbearable trash.
Rating: 
Summary: A Creatively Twisted Love Story
Review: I enjoyed this a great deal because it was not the typical historical romantic novel. Although this took place in the 17th century I believe that some in the modern world could relate to Lady St. Columb. It is as though she is having mid-life crises even though she is only near thirty. She has fallen out of love with her husband and is bored with her life in London. She decides that she needs time away from both her husband and London society, so she gathers her children and heads to the family estate in Cornwall. There she finds the peace and quite she has been longing for as well as an adventurous pirate. She and the pirate are instantly attracted to each other. He is everything that she longs for in her life offering her friendship, reckless adventure, fantasy and is without responsibilities. She is torn with having to making decisions with which she will have to live for ever. The story was wonderfully written. I found it hard to feel sorry for Dona because her character is very selfish, thinking only of herself. I felt a bit of compassion for her husband; he was completely clueless to the things that went on around him. The attraction between Dona and The Frenchman was largely based on mental attraction and the love for adventure, which helped ease the disappointment that it lacked lust. It leaves you wondering about physical and truly emotional attraction between Dona and the Frenchman, especially if you are accustomed to reading romance novels. The fact that it deals with adultery makes for an emotional read. I found myself feeling tugged in different directions, wanting her to be with pirate and keeping her family together. It is some what sad that she feels trapped and unhappy with her life. I would only recommend this novel to someone who enjoyed adventure with a bit of romance, but if you are a true lover of romance this book may leave you a little disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A Creatively Twisted Love Story
Review: I enjoyed this a great deal because it was not the typical historical romantic novel. Although this took place in the 17th century I believe that some in the modern world could relate to Lady St. Columb. It is as though she is having mid-life crises even though she is only near thirty. She has fallen out of love with her husband and is bored with her life in London. She decides that she needs time away from both her husband and London society, so she gathers her children and heads to the family estate in Cornwall. There she finds the peace and quite she has been longing for as well as an adventurous pirate. She and the pirate are instantly attracted to each other. He is everything that she longs for in her life offering her friendship, reckless adventure, fantasy and is without responsibilities. She is torn with having to making decisions with which she will have to live for ever. The story was wonderfully written. I found it hard to feel sorry for Dona because her character is very selfish, thinking only of herself. I felt a bit of compassion for her husband; he was completely clueless to the things that went on around him. The attraction between Dona and The Frenchman was largely based on mental attraction and the love for adventure, which helped ease the disappointment that it lacked lust. It leaves you wondering about physical and truly emotional attraction between Dona and the Frenchman, especially if you are accustomed to reading romance novels. The fact that it deals with adultery makes for an emotional read. I found myself feeling tugged in different directions, wanting her to be with pirate and keeping her family together. It is some what sad that she feels trapped and unhappy with her life. I would only recommend this novel to someone who enjoyed adventure with a bit of romance, but if you are a true lover of romance this book may leave you a little disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Frenchman's Creek
Review: I've read the book and I've had the pleasure of viewing the Mobile Masterpiece tape. Both are exquisite. This tale is romantic, hopeful, and loaded with adventure. I've read other reviews and I don't understand why folks think this is elementary writing. This is one of the best adventure stories ever put down on paper. Every day that I feel blue, I pretend that I am Dona St. Columb and I am transformed into another time. Please don't miss this masterpiece.
Rating: 
Summary: A satisfying read
Review: If you like historical romances and can enjoy one even if it lacks the "sensuality" found in the historical romance novels typically sold today, you'll likely enjoy this story. Set in the 17th century, this story is basically about a wealthy, bored housewife and mother (Lady St. Columb) who finds herself falling out of love with her husband and wanting a change from the life she is living, or in her mind merely "existing". Although her husband adores her, realizing she needs a break from him and their surroundings, she leaves him "for a visit" to their Cornwall estate. With her kids in tow, she expects nothing more than some peace and quiet. What she finds is a ship moored just off her property, and a mysterious but intriguing man that makes her laugh and feel more alive than she has in a while. When she later learns that he's a pirate, the damage has been done; her attraction to him is too strong to end their friendship and budding relationship. And to make matters worse, he's equally attracted to her. What follows is a bittersweet love affair that is hampered by the fact that she's a wife and mother with responsibilities. As if those weren't issues enough to deal with, she's also surrounded by nosey neighbors and other acquaintenances who are quite content to try and mind her business, and eventually through their actions, threaten her happiness and even her life. While this story lacked the "fire" and excitement I was expecting, it was nonetheless a good read. Don't expect to be plunged into a whirlwind romance with a young, beautiful virgin being chased by the man she happens to captivate in a flurry of action. Expect instead, to find two mature people who know what they want out of life and who develop a relationship based upon mutual attraction and friendship, that simmers and builds slowly. There is some sensuality in the book, but it's subdued by today's standards. In this story, you will find romance, some action, and an atmosphere that contributes to a feeling of "being there" in 17th century England and experiencing a part of what life would be like for a titled woman, and a pirate. It's an interesting, bittersweet story that had my emotions on a rollercoaster as the two individuals were forced to make hard decisions about their directions in life. There wasn't much I didn't like about this book but if I had to pick something, it would be that in a few spots the pace was just a tad slow, and the fact that I happen to like the "fiery" (okay, real sensuous) historical romances of today. While a little more fire would have been nice, this book was satisfying nonetheless because the story is well told. I would recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful classic gothic romance!
Review: If you like modern gothic you must read the master ! Daphne du Maurier is a classic! From back of book:
When wild , daring Lady DOnna suddenly left London and her husband and fled to Navron, her mysterious Cornwall estate, she did not know she had a date with destiny. But Jean Benoit Aubery, the notorious gentleman pirate, had been using Navron as his headquarters. And suddenly they were together- sharing desperate adventure, falling dangerously in love, casting convention to the winds and coutring disaster every moment....
Rating:
Summary: A Fun Escape
Review: My tastes in books and music vary wildly, but this book has been a favorite since I first read it at 13 (20-ish years ago.) The pirate is a perfect symbol for the "lawlessness" of love; love does not follow rules and boundaries imposed upon it by our social conventions. It is primal and magic, and creeps silently and unexpectedly up to our shorelines in the dead of night.
Rating:
Summary: Better than Rebecca!
Review: Rebecca was good. Jamaica Inn was okay. But Frenchman's Creek was great! Du Maurier really outdid herself. She took the heart of a woman and made it plain. What romantic wouldn't like this story? Pirates, adventure, philosophy and romance....better than those frilly romance books nowadays. Dona went on a quest and fulfilled it. The first chapter is boring---skip it; I put it down for a time because I was unimpressed. But it is really good. I read parts of it to people as they were working (while I joyfully read) and they kept asking, "what happened next?" Every time I would give a little giggle of glee. This is really good. Rebecca and Jamaica Inn are "dark" novels; but this is an exploration into a womans mind. I comprehend and adore Ms. Dumaurier! Another good writer found!
Rating:
Summary: Superb Storytelling
Review: This is one of my favorite stories from one of my favorite authors. Daphne du Maurier is a master storyteller and this is one of her most romantic and positive novels (My Cousin Rachel and Rebecca are my other two favorites but they have a darker tone to them). Lady Dona St. Columb is a restless and strong-willed wife and mother; she escapes from her stifling marriage and life in London one summer by spending it in the country, at Navron House, with only her two children and a few servants. While there, she discovers a hidden creek on her property -- which is also serving as the secret harbor for a notorious Frenchman and his gang of pirates and their ship. The Frenchman, she finds -- this "dangerous" fugitive all Cornwall is hysterically hunting down -- has the same bold and passionate soul as herself and, Dona risks everything (as he does) to jump into one adventurous, life-threatening scheme after another. This is definitely not a plodding, maudlin romance (though du Maurier's endings are never the traditionally "happily ever after" ones). I would highly recommend this book, and the other two du Maurier novels. Du Maurier is not only a creator of highly dramatic plots, but she has written some of the best, descriptive passages I've ever read (especially of the English countryside). Her main characters are never the people-next-door types, but heroes and heroines who fight for their values, whatever the cost.
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