Published 1938 / Length 448 pages
A year after Maxim de Winter’s first wife, Rebecca, is drowned off the coast near to his mansion, Manderley, he remarries. Maxim meets his new bride while travelling abroad; she is an innocent, reserved young woman who remains unnamed throughout the novel, and whose fate it is to relate the story. Living in the shadow of Maxim’s first wife, the narrator’s life becomes consumed by Rebecca’s memory, a state of affairs largely encouraged by the malignant and cruel housekeeper, Mrs Danvers. For much of the novel, Rebecca seems to overpower the heroine, as her name echoes throughout the house, destroying all efforts the narrator makes to become its mistress. However, all is not what it seems at Manderley and, as the plot unfolds, the seemingly perfect appearance of the house and its grounds belies a multitude of secrets. It soon becomes evident that deceit and corruption are central to the novel’s denouement.
‘A riveting and intense read, Rebecca is a wonderful novel, full of mystery and intrigue. The memory of Rebecca is as strong, if not stronger, than all the other living characters, making the book a chilling read. I highly recommend it.’ – NICKY, 22
• ‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.’ The book’s opening sentence suggests that the narrator uses the novel to look back at past events. How effective do you think this technique is, and why do you think the story is told in this way?
• Do we feel a connection with the narrator, or are we drawn more to Rebecca? For whom does the reader ultimately feel more sorry? Do you think the plot of the book relies on the narrator being nameless?
• How are the grounds of Manderley significant in setting the scene in which the events unfold?
• How does du Maurier make Rebecca’s presence so forceful? What role does Mrs Danvers play in this? Is Rebecca’s character reflected in the housekeeper?
• What do you think the book’s message is regarding the role of women in a patriarchal society?
• Classed as a gothic romance, Rebecca is Daphne du Maurier’s most famous novel. She modelled the book on Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, drawing parallels between Jane and the nameless heroine in Rebecca.
• Manderley was based on du Maurier’s own house in Cornwall.
• Rebecca was made into a film by Alfred Hitchcock in 1940, winning two Oscars and nominations for nine other awards.
• Daphne du Maurier was cousin to the Llewelyn Davies boys, on whom J. M. Barrie based his famous work, Peter Pan.
• Desperate Remedies by THOMAS HARDY – deals with the themes of wives, deception and ‘the other woman’.
• Uncle Silas by JOSEPH SHERIDAN LE FANU – compare the characters of the housekeepers, Mrs Danvers and Madame de la Rougierre.
• Jane Eyre by CHARLOTTE BRONTË – consider similarities and differences in narrative, character and plot.