Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”

I don’t reach for classics often, if ever, but Rebecca is one of those books that I have been meaning to read for a couple of years now.  It has been recommended to me quite often and there is so much love for this book that I had to see for myself, so when I came across it recently I decided to give it a go. The premise itself is pretty simple; a young woman marries a wealthy older man and upon moving into his mansion, feels haunted by his dead wife, Rebecca.  This alone is interesting enough but Rebecca turned out to be a lot more than I expected.

“If only there could be an invention that bottled up a memory, like scent. And it never faded, and it never got stale. And then, when one wanted it, the bottle could be uncorked, and it would be like living the moment all over again.”

This novel is wonderfully written and completely captured my attention from the very beginning. What became apparent very early on is that it delves into the mind and thought process of the main character/narrator, and that this is what truly fascinates and moves the story forward. There are certain aspects of the novel that in many other instances would not work for me whatsoever, and frankly would come across as irritating and just not readable. This is mostly to do with certain character characteristics and behaviour. However, because of the exceptional writing I couldn’t help but enjoy the journey and eagerly await to see where the story would go. The result is a cosy, page-turning read that I look forward to rereading.

“Happiness is not a possession to be prized, it is a quality of thought, a state of mind.”