Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

⭐ 8.0/10

(Originally written by KathleenQ)

I like to throw a few classic/canonical books in the mix every so often -- gotta maintain my literary credentials. But I wanted something that would keep my attention, and I remembered this 1938 novel being pretty thrilling.

Hoo baby, what a ride! This gothic psychological thriller is quite shocking given its year of publication.

The narrator is a shy, awkward young orphan woman who gets caught up in a whirlwind romance with a wealthy, much-older man, about whom she only really knows two things: that his wife died tragically and mysteriously a year prior, and he owns a grand estate called Manderly. He proposes to her suddenly, and whisks her off to become mistress of the house, where suddenly she is responsible to run an entire estate with a slew of servants. She is intimidated by the whole affair, but especially when she learns that the prior mistress, Rebecca, was a famously gorgeous, confident, brilliant, local celebrity who hosted lavish parties and made everyone fall in love with her. She feels that all the servants hate her, and feels like an intruder on her husband's first wife's world.

Intrigue abounds as the terrifying housekeeper constantly manipulates her and sets her up for humiliation and disaster. I don't want to give away too much but there are murderous plots, secret love affairs (some non-heterosexual), an a neighbour who knows too much.

If you're looking for an exciting classic, give this one a try!