Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
The movie was really good so I assumed the book would be even better. Untrue, none of the characters were even remotely likeable, especially the narrator.
6/10.
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Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
The movie was really good so I assumed the book would be even better. Untrue, none of the characters were even remotely likeable, especially the narrator.
6/10.
I don't know if this is true or not, but someone once told me that Rebecca was the same as Jane Eyre, if you liked the latter you'll like the first.
Yes, they are both very much the same. But I liked Rebecca better because it seemed more suspenseful to me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nossa
I've read the book and really want to see the movie - was the movie as great as I hear it was?
I thought 'Rebecca' had the best opening of any book I had ever read, however, there was a gradual taper throughout the book, and I don't think it maintained that strength or finished nearly as strongly as it began.
Something interesting that might give more insight to the characters though: du Maurier wrote this primarily as a study in human jealousy. I agree, none of the characters were likable, but the dynamics between them definitely kept me reading.
The narrator was irritating in a number of ways (very victimizing and put no effort into improving her social relations), but I loved her as an observationalist.
I still remember the first sentence (or perhaps I think I do, hey, correct me please if my memory has failed me!):Quote:
Originally Posted by ThousandthIsle
Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.
It nudged me to keep on reading the book along with the rest of the opening. :)
It's been a few years since I read Rebecca but I have to say I thought it was a great read. I started reading it and basically couldn't put it down until I was finished. Like Pensive I remember the first line clearly - I think it is a brilliant first line, maybe one of the most famous. It sets up a sense of mystery and intrigue and sets the tone for the rest of the book. I don't think I've seen the film though - the books are always better.
The main problem I thought was that the ending was all at the beginning, so after the important revelation in the middle of the book, the reader pretty much knows how everything will turn out. I loved the story up to this point, particularly the beautiful descriptions of Manderly, and the mysterious, brooding sense of Rebecca's presence. I like the way the book is named after a character who never appears, while the main character has no name, which increases our sense of her feelings of inferiority compared to Rebecca.
With regards to Jane Eyre - if you swop the order of events around in one you get the other - i.e.
Jane Eyre:
1. Girl goes to live in man's ancestral home.
2. Girl meets man and falls in love.
3. Secret revealed about man's wife.
4. Ancestral home burns down.
5. Wife dies.
6. Girl marries man.
Where as in Rebecca the events happen in this order: 5, 2, 6, 1, 3, 4.
I didn't dislike the narrator - she just seemed to lack confidence. I don't really understand what you mean by victimizing.
Rebecca is great book. It was inspired with Jane Eyre, but personally I think it's much better.
Jane Eyre is just a romantic love story, often naive and rather shallow... I loved it when I was 13, but I found it really boring when I re-read it again at university.
Rebecca, on the other hand, has much better style, it's not so "girlish", and the story is developed much better. I had to re-read it for school, too - and I liked it as much as I liked it when I was in the 7th grade... even better, in fact. :)
I fully agree with Antiquarian. Honestly, I couldn't say which one is better, but Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel, and Jane Eyre, their source of inspiration, are treasures of Literature. The film was a decent attempt to create and communicate the spirit, the feeling of the book, and I think that it was satisfying enough.
what a wonderful book. the characters were good from start to finish the bad guys and the good guys. Mrs Danvers is so mean but well written and it's interesting how you never find out the main characters name and how a dead person can be in such a big role.
it's a slow process to begin with and is filled with interesting characters but the second part of the book is so exciting and good and a fantastic surprising ending that kinda leaves you hanging...
read it if you haven't, comment if you have
Quite an enjoyable read for me.
It's not bad. I skipped my NBA game for it, but ended up voting for "no reason to skip meals". Too whiny.
I must see the movie. Hitchcock is always good.
Is it essential that we emphasise with, or even like, any of the characters for a novel to work? Come to that, does a novel even need a plot to function successfully?Quote:
Originally Posted by papayahed
I read it ages ago, and remember liking it. I don't see anything more than a superficial resemblence to Jane Eyre, though.
Exactly. You don't need likeable characters for a novel to work- as long as they are interesting and you can empathise with them, which I think you can.Quote:
Originally Posted by Neely
I thought mrs Danvers was well written, even though I hated her I think many would get a bit annoyed in this position... but what I loved was how everything was described, he was holding her and touching her and she kept thinking this is how he pets Jasper. she was nothing more than a pet to him.and I love endings like this. not gonna say anything about it but I wouldn't have liked it any other way.
No, but you need to believe in them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Neely
Not necessarily - just think of Dickens! I thought the characters worked in this novel though, for the most part anyway.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neely
Not always but in this case I think yes. If I'm not sympathetic to, or interested in, any of the characters why do I care what happens and why should I read any further?
I think the film set me up for failure, in the film Mrs. Danvers was really creepy and a little scary and the narrator wasn't as anemic and way more likable.
You read partly because of the plot. And just the general theme- have you never felt overshadowed by someone impossibly wonderful?Quote:
Originally Posted by papayahed
I should have elaborated a bit. You need to believe in the characters WITHIN the novel, they don't need to be real.Quote:
Originally Posted by Neely
I found Rebecca un-put-downable and the film was teriffic too.
Yes, I see, they usually need to work within the frame of the text sure.
Yes I thought the book was good, though I've read a couple of others by Daphne Du Maurier and they were a lot weaker. I've read "The Birds" too, which is OK, it is only a short story, about 10 pages long, but again another good film from that one.
I also found Daphne du Maurier weak in Jamaica Inn which I read after having visited the inn some years ago. I haven't read Rebecca although I agree that the first line is a brilliant opening for a novel. Normally a film seldom measures up to the book but Hitchcock's film Rebecca is about as good as you can get in terms of telling a story that holds you from start to finish. I remember being on a train journey with a friend who had watched Rebecca the night before and he said: "Whatever happened to film making?" A scathing reference to what passes for such nowadays. Having read Jamaica Inn and seen Rebecca, I don't think I need to read the novel.Quote:
Originally Posted by Neely
I don't agree with your last remark, Brian. I think one should read the book and judge from there. The Hitchcock film was amazing and a real achievement in film suspense and intrigue; however, he did take liberties with the orginal story; the film is typical Hitchcock in construction, style and quirky characters. I saw a miniseries, which came closer to the original book; it stars Charles Dance as Maxim and a young woman as the second wife. I thought it was quite good. The b/w Hitchcock film can hardly be topped for suspense and style, charaters, film angles, etc; but as I said, the film is not totally true to the novel; even though it's a work of art. One aspect is that Joan Fontaine was criticised as being too old for the role of the second Mrs. DeWinter. She was good in the role but in the book version she is very young and naive.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Bean
I don't know how one can judge or comment on papayhed's original post or vote in the pole, if they have not actually read the novel. I agree with others who said the opening line was brilliant and the fact, that we never know the first name of the second wife; I thought that was quite original. I loved the book myself; I think I have read it twice now. I don't see but superfical resemblence to the story of "Jane Eyre". I had never even thought of any parallels before someone on here brought that up.
Yes I love the film, and I have seen the ITV drama starring Charles Dance and that is also a good effort, Dance is very good. I can see your point Brian about not needing to read the text, it is a good book, but not a great book (I gave it four stars) or anything that is high literature, but a good solid book nevertheless - I think I have read it at least twice. Incidentally Jamaica Inn is a Hitchcock film too, which you may know, but it is a very old one and difficult to really appreciate, poor sound etc. Yes, I am an Hitchcock fan, luckily I have got a collected Hitchcock with about 40 odd films, though they vary in quality, they do have the effect of holding your attention a lot longer than many of the films today as the guy on the train says.
Neely, I am a big Hitchcock fan as well. I finally broke down and bought "Rebecca"; I had to have it for my Hitchcock DVD collection. It's an incredibly well crafted film - a true classic. Interesting that you have seen the Charles Dance ITV production. My library owns it and I kept looking at the cover and could not imagine I would try like it; the cover was deceiving. I finally watched it and was surprised just how much I appreciated it; Charles Dance is fine in the role; the young actress was admirable as well and fit the role better than I thought she would. Now I would like to find Charles Dance's early "Phantom of the Opera" film. I was told several times it's the best version and closest to the orginial book. Have you ever had the pleasure to see it? Who stars in "Jamaica Inn"? I have the book here, but have not yet read it. I heard it was quite good from a friend.Quote:
Originally Posted by Neely
I've watched a bit of the ITV Rebecca but think the subject lends itself better to black and white.
In both versions, I believe, they have changed the nature of X's death.
No I've not seen the Phantom of the Opera. The actor who plays the lead in Jamaica Inn is Robert Laughton, who also plays in Hitchcock's Paradine Case. He won an Oscar in 1934 for The Private Life of Henry VIII. I wouldn't recommend the film though, as I say the sound is quite poor and it seems a very low budget affair, certainly there are other Hitchcock films I would watch before that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Janine
I think you're possibly mixing up 2 actors here Neely. Charles Laughton was the actor, but for some reason I was picturing Robert Newton, from Treasure Island, possibly as they are both fond of a bit of ham :lol:
Oh yes, I meant Charles. Why did I say Robert Laughton, I don't know?Quote:
Originally Posted by wessexgirl
Neely... maybe still hung over from New Years! :lol:....Quote:
Originally Posted by Neely
So was Charles Laughton - by the way, an incredible actor - in "The Paradine Case"?...I almost bought that film from Amazon before Christmas. I seem to recall Gary Grant or was it Gregory Peck on the cover of the DVD? I will go and check it out now.
Robert Langton was in "The DiVinci Code"...maybe you got your lines crossed if you read that book at one time or saw the film.
:eek::eek::eek: Argghhh! You see this is an example of Freud, I though I had repressed that knightmare deep down, but obviously even the most buried pain surfaces eventually. (Let's just say I am not a fan of the book, and I'll move on from there.)Quote:
Originally Posted by Janine
I can't remember much about his performance, I've watched so many they all seem to blur into one, if I saw the first five minutes it would all spring back. I'm sure it was a good one though, but there are many of his that are quality and hold your attention till the end.
Let sleeping dogs lie..in response to first part. :lol:...ok, second part about Laughton...cool actor...he played Quasimodo in "Hunchback of Notre Dame"...probably his most noted role. I watched the BBC miniseries set of "I Claudius" and I bet not many people know that, back in Laugton's heyday, he was to play the iconic figure. Apparently, the one lead woman actress got into a car accident and could not preceed with the film. The footage they had preserved was incredible...sad they didn't make the film afterall...Laughton would have been amazing in the role, although they say he was very shy and hard to direct. The sets they built were amazing looking, too. I know all this from the "Extra Features" on the DVD set. I think you can see excerpts on Youtube....well worth looking up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Neely
I remember his brilliant performance in "Hobsons Choice"
I can't remember much about his performance, I've watched so many they all seem to blur into one,
It's probably down to all that Belgian beer you've been drinking. Having said that, however, Laughton's performance in The Hunchback of Notre Dame is among the the truly great performances in cinematic history; but with a director like William Dieterle it really is not that surprising.
I like Jane Eyre much better than Rebecca.
The book wasn't that great, but I really enjoyed the musical. Anyone here seen it?
Absolutely!Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Bean
Annamariah, there is a musical of "Jane Eyre"? Are you serious?
I don't know, I meant Rebecca. Sorry about that, my last message wasn't that clear.Quote:
Originally Posted by Janine
I saw Rebecca musical last summer, in Finnish, and it was great. It's been done in German (in Austria, I think?), but I think there might be a version in English too. This is a trailer from the Finnish show, and this is the theme song in German :)
Unbelievable; there's a musical. Wow, they must make musicals out of everything nowdays. Who would have thought?Quote:
Originally Posted by Annamariah