This famous opening line is from the novel Rebecca which is a romantic mystery by Daphne Du Maurier. To be frank , the initial few pages didnot appeal to me as much because of the sheer luxurious, richly detailed description by the unnamed narrator. She was describing Manderley with utmost passion that even the garden and all the plants that were once there seemed to have had life. But by the end of the book I realised why it was a timeless classic.It was a rather haunting yet at the same time a mesmeric reading to me.The interesting part of the book is the protagonists constant interesting musings and her transmogrification from a girl to a woman. Contrary to its slow pace, the book is an unputdownable.
Set in the 1930s,this book starts with the narrator ,at present ,having a dream about visiting Manderley again. From the second chapter on, she begins reminiscing her past. Our narrator, an employed companion to Mrs Van Hopper,a wealthy American, was with her in France for a visit when she met a 40 year old widower Maxim de Winter. When Mrs Hopper was down with flu, she had got the chance to court Maxim for a period of two weeks after which he proposed to her. To her surprise, she had agreed to marry him and was on her way with him to Manderley; a place she had adored in postcards when she was a child. But she was to soon find out the limitations of her upbringing, anecdotes of the former Mrs de Winter(Rebecca, who drowned and died) from Mrs Danvers(housekeeper) who had earlier given her a cold introduction. Rebecca, with her thrilling energy and powerful personality was nothing like our narrator at all.She was loved by all and adored for her beauty and grace. We could feel our narrator intimidated by Rebecca to such an extent that she even felt like a guest at Manderley imagining Rebecca to be her hostess.She was consistently plagued by self doubt and struggled to fit in. At one point , she even doubted Maxim's love for her, for she thought he hadnt forgotten Rebecca or any of those memories. They were known to be a star and magnat couple then and Rebecca was termed by Bee (Maxims sister) as a social butterfly ; known for hosting her Manderley parties ; which was quite contrary to our narrator.I could very well understand the trials and tribulations she was going through in Manderley to be The Mrs de Winter . Her only safe haven,where she neednt pretend but be herself was with Frank, the manager. Even the announcement of guests brought her tremendous fright but with the revelation of truth about Rebecca's death, she began maturing into a strong woman;accepting the fact that Rebecca was dead and that she was now the rightful lady of Manderley.Even their romance had a blossoming and maturing from then on.
Its a wonderfully and beautifully written book with passages yearning to be read again and again.And the romance ,though shallow at the beginning , begins to get realised ,deeper,meaningful and beautiful at the end. Its a book that offers you everything you may need with characters like the mysterious and cold Mrs Danver, friendly Frank, tactless Beatrice to complete it and above all the romantic relationship between Maxim and the narrator herself.
Set in the 1930s,this book starts with the narrator ,at present ,having a dream about visiting Manderley again. From the second chapter on, she begins reminiscing her past. Our narrator, an employed companion to Mrs Van Hopper,a wealthy American, was with her in France for a visit when she met a 40 year old widower Maxim de Winter. When Mrs Hopper was down with flu, she had got the chance to court Maxim for a period of two weeks after which he proposed to her. To her surprise, she had agreed to marry him and was on her way with him to Manderley; a place she had adored in postcards when she was a child. But she was to soon find out the limitations of her upbringing, anecdotes of the former Mrs de Winter(Rebecca, who drowned and died) from Mrs Danvers(housekeeper) who had earlier given her a cold introduction. Rebecca, with her thrilling energy and powerful personality was nothing like our narrator at all.She was loved by all and adored for her beauty and grace. We could feel our narrator intimidated by Rebecca to such an extent that she even felt like a guest at Manderley imagining Rebecca to be her hostess.She was consistently plagued by self doubt and struggled to fit in. At one point , she even doubted Maxim's love for her, for she thought he hadnt forgotten Rebecca or any of those memories. They were known to be a star and magnat couple then and Rebecca was termed by Bee (Maxims sister) as a social butterfly ; known for hosting her Manderley parties ; which was quite contrary to our narrator.I could very well understand the trials and tribulations she was going through in Manderley to be The Mrs de Winter . Her only safe haven,where she neednt pretend but be herself was with Frank, the manager. Even the announcement of guests brought her tremendous fright but with the revelation of truth about Rebecca's death, she began maturing into a strong woman;accepting the fact that Rebecca was dead and that she was now the rightful lady of Manderley.Even their romance had a blossoming and maturing from then on.
Its a wonderfully and beautifully written book with passages yearning to be read again and again.And the romance ,though shallow at the beginning , begins to get realised ,deeper,meaningful and beautiful at the end. Its a book that offers you everything you may need with characters like the mysterious and cold Mrs Danver, friendly Frank, tactless Beatrice to complete it and above all the romantic relationship between Maxim and the narrator herself.
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