Book: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Source: Library
Rating: 1 star
Review:
There is nothing enjoyable about this story except for maybe some of the writing. At time it was very beautifully written.
Rebecca is about a 21 years old naïve young woman who is constantly dreaming and imagining how she would like her life to be. At the beginning of the story, she was employed as the companion to an older woman, Mrs. Van Hopper who is the epitome of obnoxious. They were staying at a hotel in Monte Carlo when one day they meet Mr. Maxim de Winter, who the young woman took an instant liking to. Mr. de Winter, an Englishman who has been traveling as a way to deal with being a widower.
The young woman was so completely enamored by Mr. de Winter especially after she had spent a good amount of time with him driving around the city for several days. But things changed when Mrs. Van Hopper decided on a spur of the moment for her and the young woman to leave Monte Carlo and head to New York City. However that was the last thing that the young woman wanted to do. Side note, I continue to refer to the narrator and main character as the young woman because for some reason the author decided not to give her a name. Anyway back to my review, so, dreading the fact that she would no longer see Mr. de Winter, the young woman made an impromptu visit to his room to say good bye. And after hearing the reason for her departure, he asked her to marry him.
Not exactly the most romantic proposal but she didn't care because she was so in love that she didn't stop to see why this man who was at least 20 years older than her was looking to marry her. He had expressed no feeling of love to her in fact the proposal seemed more like a business arraignment than anything close to romance.
I couldn't understand the main character she was written as if this was some book back in the 19th century instead of being in the 1930s. She was shown as a Plain Jane who doesn't think she is worthy of anything besides what she fantasizes about in her head. I found nothing likeable about Maxim de Winters he was a creepy guy who took advantage of a naïve young woman.
Once married, the couple arrived at his estate Manderley where the young woman is acquainted with the staff and with one in particular a Mrs. Danvers who is immediately shown as a harsh woman who is used to getting her way around the estate. She makes quite a few references to the former Mrs. de Winter's in reguard to how things used to be.
Mrs. Danvers isn't the only one to refer to the late Mrs. de Winter or Rebecca as she is so often referred to because it seems like every does.
This book is awful it's like an ode to an abusive relationship. Maxim as well as everyone at the estate treats the young woman as if she's useless, unless she is doing or acting the way they want her to. She was constantly making adjustments to please everyone and all along I'm wondering why is she still with this man. He does not love her, he's using her as a substitute but she stays no matter how unhappy she seems.
There was a revelation about Rebecca but the information which I presume is to make the reader feel some sort of sympathy for Maxim. But to me it's just more manipulation and abuse added to this story. And after reading that revelation it should definitely make the reader wonder what was going through the author's mind when she wrote the young woman's reaction. That just didn't sit well with me.
This was not a good book at all and I don't understand how it continues to be called a beloved classic.
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