Rebecca Book Summary

In 'Rebecca,' a young woman marries a wealthy widower, Max de Winter, and moves to his grand estate, Manderley. Here, she grapples with the haunting presence of his first wife, Rebecca, whose legacy looms large and threatens her fragile self-esteem. As she uncovers chilling secrets about Rebecca's life and death, the new Mrs. de Winter becomes ensnared in a web of mystery and jealousy. With psychological tension woven through stunning prose, the book explores themes of identity, insecurity, and the ghosts of the past. Will she ultimately find her own voice, or will Rebecca's shadow continue to overshadow her existence?

By Daphne Du Maurier

Published: 1997

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."

Book Review of Rebecca

With these words, the reader is ushered into an isolated gray stone mansion on the windswept Cornish coast, as the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter recalls the chilling events that transpired as she began her new life as the young bride of a husband she barely knew. For in every corner of every room were phantoms of a time dead but not forgotten—a past devotedly preserved by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers: a suite immaculate and untouched, clothing laid out and ready to be worn, but not by any of the great house's current occupants. With an eerie presentiment of evil tightening her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter walked in the shadow of her mysterious predecessor, determined to uncover the darkest secrets and shattering truths about Maxim's first wife—the late and hauntingly beautiful Rebecca. This special edition of Rebecca includes excerpts from Daphne du Maurier's The Rebecca Notebook and Other Memories, an essay on the real Manderley, du Maurier's original epilogue to the book, and more.

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Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.

Rebecca

By Daphne Du Maurier