Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Yesterday, we traveled to a bookstore and picked up this special illustrated edition of Rebecca which includes illustrations by Nanette Biers. 

The psychological thriller, Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier was first published in 1938 and is known to have one of the greatest opening lines in English fiction. 

Rebecca is truly quite an amazing piece of fiction. I love that the unnamed protagonist (narrator)  quickly pulls me into this story.  We witness she is in a dream state and her visual sense is heightened. She informs readers that she is locked out of the gate. She tells us in her own words that there is rust on the spokes of the gate. She makes us aware that the lodge beyond is deserted and there is something different along the path -  the wilds of nature have taken over.

In actuality, much of the story of Rebecca is devoted to the setting which is often an eerie and unsettling atmosphere. 

The narrator provides readers with a sense of dread and fear telling us that she has been at this location before and things are different/desolate. We are curious to know what ties she had to this location and wonder what lies ahead. We learn there is cloud cover which she describes to be similar to a dark hand before a face. 

Soon after,  the narrator travels back in time and we discover, that when younger,  she met   Maximillian "Maxim" de Winter in Monte Carlo. He was a widower with a prestigious estate, Manderley. After a short time,  the narrator agrees to marry Maxim and they return to Manderley. 

The narrator ( new Mrs. de Winter) describes herself at this time as being like a shy, uneasy colt and we soon grasp she is at odds with the head housekeeper Mrs Danvers who appears to be rather obsessed with Maxim's deceased wife Rebecca. 

This 375-page book is a quick read and much of the story deals with the fear of inadequacy, abandonment, and lack of acceptance. 

After a storm, they find Rebecca’s sunken sailboat with Rebecca's body in it and in my opinion, this leads to some of the most intriguing dialogue in English literature.