My older sister highly recommended Rebecca to me a long time ago, but I finally got around to it a couple of weeks ago. When I received my copy from the mail, I was a little disappointed and a bit hesitant to read this because of the book cover. It looked really cheesy like a Danielle Steele book... I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but people do! That's why there are book cover artists! Since this was agreed upon as our next book in our book club (comprised of two, sometimes three, people), I started Rebecca without expecting too much.
This book is told through the voice of a nameless young woman who falls in love with a very wealthy, older man. The majority of the book is spent on his estate, Manderley, made popular by his late wife Rebecca. Even though Rebecca has been dead for nearly a year, it seems as though she is still alive, her presence felt throughout the mansion, even at the edge of their property by the gray, hungry sea. Reminders of her exist almost everywhere. The heroine seems to be drowning in Rebecca's past.
I finished this book several days ago, and I find myself still thinking about that time, that world. Like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Daphne du Maurier is a very talented writer. Her words transport you to that time period, that estate, that room, experiencing the very feelings the narrator is feeling. It started off a little slow, but things pick up. There are twists and turns that blew my socks off! Thinking about it gives me butterflies. :) It starts off being a little naive and youthful, but quickly becomes haunting, beautiful, and sometimes sinister. I really enjoyed this book, and I'm recommending it to everyone.
