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Summary: "...Rachel" is a buried gem sure to fascinate and entertain.
Review: This book (and the 1952 film, with Olivia de Havilland and Richard Burton) have haunted me since I first read the book over 20 years ago. It's a mesmerizing and artful tour de force, building high atmosphere, suspense and intrigue - and using relentless ambiguity. Du Maurier (12 or 13 years after "Rebecca" - and in my opinion the added maturity shows in more complex characters, circumstances and moral nuances) masterfully spins her tale, weaving in vivid images of a warm and fertile Italy contrasted against those of a cool green England with an economy of description. A naive young man (Philip) in his early twenties, raised by and adoring of his bachelor uncle (Ambrose), is plunged into suspicion on news that his beloved uncle has suddenly and mysteriously died abroad soon after marrying a previously unknown cousin (you guessed it - Rachel) in Florence. Ghastly fantasies mount as Philip awaits Rachel's arrival in England. But she turns out to be a worldly woman of unanticipated charms, who turns young Philip's head entirely. Is she a villainous murderess? Or merely a world-wise woman torn by affection for a dashing much younger man, bearing a marked resemblance to her husband of so few months? Delicious issues are raised, including what are the moral constraints of a woman in a world which allows her few ways to financial freedom. Does the fact that a woman understands finance necessarily mean that she doesn't love a rich husband? Is an Italian woman with a mastery of healing herbs necessarily a poisoner? Can a world-wise woman who has long since lost her innocence nonetheless be captivated by the dewy youthfulness of a young man? And, as with all du Maurier, all of the events occur in lush and beautifully described surrounding events and places. I'm a big reader, and this is one of my big favorites!
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Summary: Best of Du Maurier
Review: This book is great. I just happened upon the film version of this book a couple months ago and liked it enough to give the book a try. It was my first Du Maurier and I loved it. Since then I have read Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, and Frenchman's Creek. My Cousin Rachel is definitely the best of the bunch, with Rebecca at second. THe other two are very enjoyable but a little far-fetched. Before I read this book I had no idea what Du Maurier was like, I just assumed she was some trashy twentieth century writer like Agatha Christie (sorry AC fans). I would put "Rachel" on par with Thomas Hardy's work- its that good. It could be called a gothic novel, though it is more modern in approach. Overall somewhat similar to Jane Eyre or Tess of the D'Urbervilles. This book is a bit slower than her other works, but much more believable, in depth, and serious. It is a frustrating mystery at the end, was Rachel good or bad? I like to tell myself that Du Maurier herself never decided, never "knew", and that is why it is so ambiguous.
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Summary: A real life love drama
Review: This is one of the most fascinating and moving novels I have ever read. The story is not about pirates, smugglers or wildly romantic adventures. It is a real life love drama, in which an inexperienced young man falls in love with a woman of the world. A possible crime plays an important role, but the real story is about the feelings of Rachel and Philip for each other. For me, the most dramatic person is Rachel, whose character and way of life don't fit into the dreams of Ambrose and Philip. Not until the last page it becomes clear what kind of a woman Rachel really is, at least for me. (For some readers the questions remain.) At the end there are no winners, no bad guys, only victims. Even after I finished reading the book it kept me under its spell for days. I think this is because Rachel and Philip are so like real people, because the end is surprising in a very moving way, and because I couldn't help falling for Rachel myself. For me it belongs to the top of my favorite novels. If I could take five books with me to a deserted island where I had to spend the rest of my life, this one would be one of them.
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