In honor of Halloween quickly approaching, I had to write about a book that was chosen by Alfred Hitchcock to be the inspiration for one his extremely creepy films. Whenever anyone asks me what my favorite novel is, Rebecca is always my answer. I read the book when I was in highschool. I was really big into the old Hollywood movie scene, and was going through a period where the only channel I watched, was Turner Classic Movies. Late one night, I caught the movie Rebecca, which was one of Alfred Hitchcock's first films, and in my opinion one of his best. After being completely enthralled with Sir Lawrence Olivier, and Joan Foantaine (Olivier was the husband of Vivian Leigh (Scarlett O'Hara) and Fontaine was the sister of Olivia De Haviland (Melanie) I found out that the movie was based on a book by Du Maurier. Du Maurier also wrote "The Birds," whom Hitchcock, as you probably know, adapted for the big screen as well. I could not wait to get my hands on this novel. I went straight to the library and checked a copy out. It took me a day to finish it.
Daphne Du Maurier was an English writer, and a master of suspense. She is still revered today as an author who bases her work on her ability to gain and hold the reader's suspense throughout an entire novel. (Something I really enjoy.) Rebecca is no different. The story is told from the point of view of the second Mrs. De Winter, which is symbolic to the theme. Her real name is never revealed. The setting is the Cornish coast in the 30's, on an extremely opulent estate named Manderly. Hence, the first and most famous line, "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again... I came upon it
suddenly; the approach masked by the unnatural growth of a vast shrub
that spread in all directions... There was Manderley, our Manderley,
secretive and silent as it had always been, the gray stone shining in
the moonlight of my dream, the mullioned windows reflecting the green
lawns and terrace. Time could not wreck the perfect symmetry of those
walls, nor the site itself, a jewel in the hollow of a hand." An ordinary girl gets thrown into the raging waters of the rich, and high born, and has absolutely no clue how to deal with it, or how to deal with her dead predecessor, her husband's first wife.
The novel is centered around the lives of Maxim De Winter, and his new bride. After a whirlwind courtship in Monte Carlo at the Cote De Azur, they are married. An air of mystery surrounds Maxim, as whispers of his fragility and state of mind come into play, after the untimely and strange death of his beautiful, and beloved first wife, only a year prior. The second Mrs. De Winter is extremely young, is of no breeding, and has no idea how to run a large estate such as Manderly. Nor does she know how "to be a great lady", as it is put in the book.
From the moment she walks through the doors, everyone from her husbands closest friend, down to the house staff is comparing her to Rebecca. She begins to develop a morbid curiosity about Maxim's first wife and becomes almost obsessed with the idea of Rebecca, and also the idea of Rebecca and Maxim together, in their old life. The current Mrs. De Winter also becomes increasingly jealous of Rebecca's rumoured poise, wisdom and beauty, as told to her by various people in her husband's rank. To make matters worse, Mrs. Danvers, the extremely creepy head maid, was Rebecca's nanny growing up and the person who had practically raised her. She becomes bitterly jealous of Mrs. De Winter and continues to torture her psychologically. Danvers takes her to Rebecca's rooms, where nothing had been touched since the night before she died. She has an extremely unhealthy obsession with Rebecca and preserving her memory. She shows her lingerie, brushes, her fur coats, and makes her smell Rebecca's perfume, then tries to persuade her to commit suicide.
As the novel goes on, a plot twist knocks you off your feet, and has you reading every page as quickly as you can to see what happens next. Did Maxim truly love Rebecca? Was she as beautiful, kind and glamorous as they say? Did she honestly die in a boating accident? What was the nature of the relationship between husband and wife? All of these questions are answered in the final few chapters of the book. There is even a British inquest to read through, which I thought was extremely interesting. By the end of the book, you will realize the complexity of the human character, and that sometimes, you can not always judge a book, person, or relationship by it's cover. You'll have to pick your jaw up off the floor, and think about the book for the next several days.
Du Maurier explores jealousy, the examination in the differences between public relationships, and private relationships, mental illness, obsession, and the lives of powerful people as opposed to ordinary people. While all this is whirling about your head, she also manages to paint the picture of a love story. Grab a blanket and get comfortable, it's a lot to take in.
I suggest watching the movie after reading the book. I can reveal too much detail without revealing spoilers, but the movie was heralded as one of the great technical victories in production of it's time (1940) and earned Fontaine an Academy nod. Not to mention, Lawrence Olivier is just amazing in every aspect, especially for a great stage performer who was not much on acting for film.
In short, read the book. It will make you feel warm and fuzzy, give you goosebumps, have you trying to figure out a mystery and make you use your brain all in one. Oh, and the library does have it. I've checked. Happy reading, everyone.
