Rebecca | 
Daphne du Maurier looms large in my memories of teenage reading, but I think I've actually only ever read Jamaica Inn, The House on the Strand, and a collection of short stories. Rebecca passed me by for some reason. I saw the movie the other day, bought the book at the farmer's market and am rectifying this gap in my literary education!
#OnThisDay in 1907 a woman was born who would go on to craft one of the most hauntingly beautiful opening sentences in literature. Daphne DuMaurier published her first novel at the age of 24, and in 1938 her novel Rebecca was an immediate bestseller and has remained in print (and adaptations) ever since. A prolific writer of novels, short stories, and plays, her ability to create atmosphere is a stand out in Gothic literature. #HistoryGetsLIT
pickCurrently at a loss for words about my feelings for this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and loved the suspense, but the ending and my feelings about the characters... I have no idea! Ha I'll have to sleep on it.
My book club meeting is coming up in a week so hopefully I have my thoughts in order!
Regardless, I give it a solid 4.5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 I thought the writing was clever and very anxiety invoking.
What did you think?
This book kept me company while putting out these very leggy Spring lettuces. So far no scary ghosts, but I‘m just getting to the costume ball, and everyone knows scary things always happen at costume balls, right?
Wow this book is getting intense! Nearly 70% and it's finally picking up the pace! Thank goodness.
Did I predict the plot twist....... somewhat yes. Do I feel like there will another plot twist that I don't expect. Yes, I do and I am here for it!
Predicting a 5 star read.
First book I ever bought to annotate for fun!
This is my bookclub pick for April.... and my name is Rebecca. 😁 So gotta make this fun and do it right!
Eek I am nervous to mess up my notes but not everything has to be perfect and serious.
Who's read it and what are your thoughts?
pickOne of few books I‘ve been able to get through via audiobook! The young Mrs De Winter was clearly young, and a few times that was tiresome. But the descriptions of Manderley, the gardens, the rooms, put you in a time and place. The suspense was well foreshadowed and then revealed. Now to watch the Hitchcock version! I‘m also curious if anyone knows about the Brazilian author who claims that Du Maurier plagiarized for this book.
pickIt was disturbing, like an enchanted place. I had not thought it could be as beautiful as this.” -Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
It‘s quite fitting that the day I chose to review Rebecca is rainy. Rebecca would be a perfect rainy day read. It‘s atmospheric and slightly creepy. It kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. It‘s definitely a new favorite.
Full review: https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/02/21/rebecca-review/
Right now, I‘m reading Rebecca and I‘ve really been enjoying it. It‘s making me want to pick up more classics to see what I‘m missing out on. What would you recommend?
See the classics already on my tbr here: https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/02/11/classic-books-on-my-tbr/
pickHad to admit that the beginning made me sleepy and wonder why this book‘s ratings are so high. Then it got better very quickly and I could hardly put it down!!
Last weekend we visited FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, Georgia and I absolutely loved it. Here are a few things I picked up while I was there. They had a really great selection and they were super friendly. And I‘m so happy to finally have my hands on a copy of Rebecca.
Full haul: https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/02/04/foxtale-book-shoppe-haul/
Loved Rebecca so much that I'm now watching the film😂
#NYWD22 @dariazeoli @monalyisha
pickFirst of all, what a gorgeous book. I know I shouldn't be "judging a book by it's cover", but I just have to make an exception here
I felt the first half to be a little slow and repetitive, but the second half blew me away
The relatable overthinking and paranoid quality of the main character resonated with me
The ending of the book, though unconventional, was truly amazing. Simply mind-blowing how the story twists and turns out of the blue
#2
pickIt took me a while, but I did it! I loved du Maurier‘s writing, though some of the narrator‘s anxiety did rub off on me in the first half. The twists and turns in the second half really kept me reading! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#SundaySoapbox
Rebecca was famously adapted by Alfred Hitchcock.
In Daphne du Maurier‘s Gothic classic Rebecca, these haunting words begin the narrative of the nameless second wife of Mr. de Winter, owner of a large country estate called Manderley. The poetic sound to this sentence is achieved through the use of meter, specifically iambic hexameter (12 syllables, with the stress on every second syllable).
pickRebecca, what an amazing novel. I completely understand why that would be a classic! Living in Rebecca's shadow is not easy for the new Mrs. De Winters, every room in Manderley makes her think of her husband's late wife. How will she overcome the ghosts of Manderley's past?
This is from @thegreensofa #newyearwhodis list! Absolutely loved it. 😁❤📚
pickAbsolutely stunning! Despite having watched the movie last year, I was still hooked !
Do you judge a book by its cover? This title is a great example for how my motivation to read a book can depend on my interest of the cover 🪞 I had a half price mass market paperback of this same title on my shelves for 5+ years,& despite all what I heard about it, I had no motivation. After reading “The Reading List” I bought this copy, with a cover I like, & have FLOWN through it 🌊🚤 🪨 🌊 Even when I have already seen the movie, I‘m hooked!
@dariazeoli @monalyisha #BFC2022 @wanderinglynn #WinterCosy @Pudddlejumper
I didn't sleep very well last night so it's been a hard day for me, but I'm immensely proud of how I've handled that❤ Feeling a little too tired for Yoga/Blogilates I think, but I've definitely chosen to see the good in people as part of Action for Happiness & I'll be starting my first #NYWD22 book this evening, even if I only manage a few pages😊
I've loved ticking off squares as part of the #WinterGames2021 so thought I'd take part in this again in January! Excited😁
As I make new lists for the rest of the boards this year, I'm going to include some more of @mklong's #NYWD recs too! 😊
@TheAromaofBooks #BookSpinBingo
#BFC2022 @wanderinglynn @monalyisha @dariazeoli @PuddleJumper @TheAromaofBooks
Reading goals: Read Rebecca for #NYWD22 and tick off as many squares as I can for #BookSpinBingo! These are also my Jan goals for the #WinterCosy Readathon😊
Fitness goals: Follow the Blogilates, Yoga with Adriene and Action for Happiness calendars - ideally everything on them for all the days but I'm going to be flexible here!
Will post progress on here as I go😁
pickI‘m not a classics reader, but I was looking for a quick read and this abridged audio fit the bill. I‘m sure I could‘ve gotten a much better feel for the entire atmosphere of the novel had I read the paperback copy on my shelf, but for an abridgment, I thought this was pretty good — not too choppy or disjointed. I enjoyed it! (Though the abrupt and unexpected ending took me by surprise.)
#12booksof2021 #April This one started out slow, but ended up being very interesting.
A butler who is a bit obsessed with Daniel DeFoe, a refugee doorman living in NYC who starts speaking to the tenants' pets, a seemingly unapproachable concierge who has a great love for culture, & a malicious & somewhat mysterious housekeeper. Four unforgettable characters in novels that I have loved, all sure to offer unconventional #greetings #wishesandblessings @eggs @alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
pickThis isn't a book to be read in a single sitting; space it out a bit to enjoy it properly. I think it‘s enduring appeal is due to the fact that it‘s a deeply multi-layered literary novel, disguised as romantic fiction. You come for the spooky Gothic love story, but you stay for the evergreen interrogation of women‘s subservience to (and subversion of) the rule of men. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/rebecca-daphne-du-maurier/
Went for brunch this morning & stopped off at a little independent book shop near my house on the way home😊 One of these books is for #NYWD22 (Rebecca) and 3 people told me how good it is as I bought it so I'm excited! The other (Mermaid) is one I've been meaning to read since a literary talk I went to with @Emilymdxn back in 2019!
@monalyisha @dariazeoli
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This has been on my TBR for a while and I finally read it 😅 I enjoyed this book overall. Some parts were slow and I found myself skimming a little. It has some good creepy vibes.
I have been swamped at work, my first paper to write, plus I was down and out for two days from my booster shot.
However…I‘m relaxing tonight #audioknitting this fun cowl.
#knittersoflitsy
pick“We all of us have our particular devil who rides us and torments us, and we must give battle in the end. We have conquered ours, or so we believe.”
Jill! Omg! Thank you. Rebecca has been on my TBR for quite awhile and I was having no luck at the library 😰 and I can't wait to read one of your Stephen King faves, he just has so many books, I never know where to start. The bookmarks, the candy, the notepad, and sticky notes. It's all perfect. Thank you!!! @Bookwormjillk Happy Halloween!!! #HHS #HauntedHollowSwap
P.S. Katie refused to leave, she thought the treats were for her!
@wanderinglynn
pickLove the movie (the 1940 Best Picture winner directed by Hitchcock...not that Netflix version) and now that I've read the book,I can say that I love it as well.
Beautifully written and engaging gothic mystery that stands the test of time.
For a tale set in 1938, du Maurier has a lot to say about women's roles, their acquiescence to dominating males and the inevitable rebellion against the patriarchy that comes as a direct result of that dominance.
Its spooky month and for it means reading creepy atmospheric books..
Sent these two off for new homes at a brand new Little Free Library near my apartment. This one was started by a former Girl Scout, now in high school who has become a bit of a local activist. You love to see it. 😍 Figured Du Maurier & Ms Elphaba would be welcome. 💪🏻
#two4tuesday (it took me some time to remember a one-word title) Thanks for the tag @TheSpineView !
1. Absolutely! Especially if any of these words are in the title: book, bookstore, library, librarian, historian
2. No brainer here, a long-time favorite, and yet it took me a day to think of it 🧐 And now I can‘t quit thinking of them, another favorite is Dracula!
bailedI am bailing this classic. I just am not in the mindset to read it. Maybe I‘ll try again someday, probably not. I think I‘ve just moved past my enjoyment of literature and fully embrace my love of fun genre fiction. Unfortunately this was my #bookspin book. Oh well!
I‘m not much of a collector but I am in love with the beautiful editions of these Daphne Du Maurier books I recently bought. Do you collect special editions?
pickI have to thank #thatsclassic for getting me to pull out this gorgeous Folio edition for June‘s book pick. Fantastic gothic setting and many memorable (deplorable) characters. Loved it.
Checking in on my #thatsclassic readers:
We‘re almost at the end of the month so I‘m curious of your thoughts on this... do you consider this a ghost story?
pickThis is one of those times where I wonder what took me so long! Rebecca has been sat on my shelves for years since I picked it up at a charity shop. And despite me meaning to pick it up (and several recommendations from friends) it took it being a pick for #ThatsClassic to make me finally do it!
This was such a good read (I haven‘t watched films and managed to avoid major spoilers) and full of interesting characters. I really loved this one 🥰
pickJust finished this book, but want to re read it sometime soon. A solid 5 🌟 read. I enjoyed the story, writing style, prose , characters and of course beautiful description of Manderly. I missed reading this book for #authoramonth. Thanks to #thatsclassic choice! I finished reading one of the best books from the classic. I should read more by this author. Suggestions please ! #bookspinbingo
I slacked on my #thatsclassic post last week, sorry! June has been crazy.
Rebecca has a lot in common with Jane Eyre, from storytelling style to shadows of first wives. What are your thoughts on this connection?
Goals for #JoysofJune @Andrew65 thx for hosting.
I have a good start on all of them and I am enjoying all of them.
TGWLTG is a good #LosersClub #LosersClub2021 pick. Sometimes the scariest stories start with an ordinary event, hiking in the woods for example. @CaffeineAndCandy @TheNeverendingTBR @DGRachel @Tattooedteacher @BarkingMadRun @ilanakeukake @Sleepswithbooks
Make a great day everyone.
