Rebecca

In the spirit of Halloween, I figured I'd finally get around to posting a mood board for Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. This was the last BBC Booklist novel I read this summer before my hiatus. I had originally planned to keep reading novels throughout the semester, but that was before, when I was naïve and thought I could keep it up while writing three papers. All is not lost, I plan to resume the Booklist over Christmas break.

I had no preconceived notions going into Rebecca. All I inferred from the cover was that the novel was a romance thriller. I guess those words sort of describe the novel, but only in a very broad sense. The story was a little slow to get started, but once it did, it was hard to put the book down. I kept making up little scenarios in my head for how the mystery would resolve itself. I'm still a little creeped out by the fact that we never learn the narrator's name; it sort of made me feel as if I couldn't quite trust her. I was also convinced that the narrator would somehow end up becoming this sinister character with an evil twist to play in the plot.

There was such an eerie gothic feel to the novel, and it's incredible how du Maurier makes Rebecca's presence felt and have such a power or presence without using any supernatural apparition. The novel was brilliantly written, and it's clear to see why Hitchcock's take earned an Oscar for best picture. The film really complemented the book by filling in personality gaps for Max, and Mrs. de Winter. Honestly, the film made me like Mrs. de Winter a whole lot better!