Rebecca

By Daphne Du Maurier

This book is something else, let me tell you. A young woman is swept off her feet by a handsome older widower who owns the enigmatic Manderley estate. The unnamed Mrs. de Winter finds herself going from being a paid companion to wife and lady of the house, a role that does not come naturally to her. Rebecca, the first wife, is everywhere. Rebecca left her mark in more ways than one at Manderley. Everything belonged and was designed by the amazing Rebecca, and our poor narrator is constantly told how Mrs. de Winter liked it done. She is treated as if she is merely passing through, a mere guest at Manderley and not the new lady of the house.

The narrator is spiraling in her own thoughts, supplanted by others, that her darling Maxim merely needed companionship, making her little better than an employee. But as it turns out, Maxim holds his own secrets, as does Rebecca. Secrets can be destructive. As her world begins to unravel, the secrets can no longer contain themselves and bring everything to a head.

The novel is beautifully written and is reminiscent of Gothic Victorian era literature, with a haunting undertone and vast haunted estates. Domestic life is not always easy, especially when you are not only jumping up the class system, but entering a world of domesticity you were not prepared to undertake. You are left on the edge of your seat at every moment, with chills running down your spine whenever Mrs. Danvers comes near. This is one of those books the movies can never capture the essence of, though you long for it to work out, they just cannot capture the spiraling mind of the narrator.

At 440ish pages, it is a bit on the longer side, but completely worth the read.