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Rebecca Audiobook
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(4.00) - 141,649 listener ratings
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Plot Summary
Narrated by a young, just-out-of-school young woman who remains unnamed, the novel, Rebecca, follows her as she goes from working as an assistant for an overly demanding, wealthy and fault-finding woman to a whirlwind romance and marriage to the wealthy Maxim de Winter.
After an idyllic honeymoon in Italy, Mr. and Mrs. Maxim de Winter return to his estate in England. Mrs. De Winter knows her new husband is wealthy, but just how wealthy isn't apparent until she arrives with him at his family home, the enormous and overwhelming stone mansion called Manderley, located on the Cornish coast.
As she heads down the tree-lined drive toward the huge stone edifice, Mrs. De Winter begins to feel less and less confident about becoming mistress of such an estate. A sense of foreboding begins to envelop her. Her disease continues as she meets the cold and distant housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, who still keeps the house just as it was when Rebecca, the former Mrs. De Winter, Maxim's first wife, was alive.
Sinister forces seem to inhabit the house. Mrs. Danvers continually makes Mrs. De Winter feel she is inferior to the first Mrs. De Winter and inadequate for the duties of mistress of the manor. Even more disturbing is that it's almost as though Rebecca is still alive.
Secrecy and mystery surround the death of Rebecca, which the new bride determines to uncover. What results is one of the best-loved Gothic novels of all time and a book that has been dubbed the "Best Novel of the 20th Century" at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention.
Daphne Du Maurier was born in 1907 in London. Her father was actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier. Best known for her Gothic suspenseful and romantic style, she wrote "Rebecca" and "The Birds," which was produced by American horror film director Alfred Hatchcock.
"Rebecca is one of my favourite books of all time. It's possible I've read it 100 times, and I'm still not tired of it. I like everything about it - the romance that transcends social mores, the mysterious, worldly suitor who recognizes his mate in an ordinary working girl, the perspective of the shy young ingenue catapulted into a world of prestige, her piercing descriptions of her self-conscious struggles, the portraits of the imperious servants and the annoyingly jocular, ponsy relatives, the lavish, metaphorical descriptions of the house and gardens and forest and sea-scape and food at Manderley (the estate she finds herself mistress of), and the noir element of a creepy mystery she must solve to survive. It's a brilliant book but easy reading and I highly recommend it for a Saturday afternoon read in front of the fire when the blustery fall wind is blowing outside."
— Jennifer (5 out of 5 stars)
Publisher Summary
The classic Gothic suspense novel by Daphne du Maurier -- winner of the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the Century -- is now a Netflix film starring Lily James and Armie Hammer.
Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again . . .
The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives--presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave.
"Daphne du Maurier created a scale by which modern women can measure their feelings." --Stephen King
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Quotes
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“Daphne du Maurier created a scale by which modern women can measure their feelings.”
— Stephen King, #1 New York Times bestselling author -
“Du Maurier is in a class by herself.”
— New York Times -
“A work of immense intelligence and wit, elegantly written, thematically solid, suspenseful.”
— Washington Post -
“A brilliant piece of writing, with the atmosphere and suspense and pace that made Jamaica Inn an absorbing and thrilling story—and it has besides a depth of characterization and soundness of psychological conflict that makes it a finer and more penetrating book….A haunting sense of impending tragedy keeps one breathless to the end. It is fascinating reading.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“Anna Massey, an experienced British actress, reads smoothly, capturing the innocence and passion of the young narrator. She does a fine job shifting among the characters, changing voices enough to distinguish one from another, even the male characters.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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Winner of the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the Century
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A Kirkus Reviews Pick of 10 Classics That Never Get Old
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A New York Public Library Staff Pick of Favorite Books of the Last 125 Years
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A PBS Great American Read selection
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On the BBC’s Big Read Poll of the UK’s Best-Loved Books
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Winner of the 1938 National Book Award for Fiction
Rebecca Listener Reviews
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3/11/2023
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Marta Milczarek, 5/5/2021
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RKathryn, 4/10/2020
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" Daphne Du Maurier does a wonderful job in developing this novel. In fact, unless I missed it, she never tells us the name of the protagonist in this novel even though it is told in the first person narrative. It was so good and suspenseful that Alfred Hitchcock made a movie about the book. I highly recommend. "
— Chap, 10/9/2017 -
" What a wonderful book! And what a wonderful narrator!..Thank u very much! "
— Oksana, 5/12/2016 -
" I confess. I'm a Rebecca addict. I've probably read it a minimum of once a year for 39 years and watched the movie every time I can find it. The characters are fascinating, especially the evil Mrs Danvers and the cooly aloof Maxim. The rich description of Manderley has always filled me with a desire to find it in real life, walk the halls and smell the lilacs in the gardens. What can I say - if you are a Bronte fan or a fan or gothic novels, you must read this book at least once. "
— Bev, 2/12/2014 -
" An amazing book with tons of thrilling mystery,romance and horror, it will keep you turning the pages! "
— Lilycat65, 2/9/2014 -
" Good suspense, a little turgid at times, but beautifully written and descriptive. "
— Alice, 2/4/2014 -
" one of the few books assigned in high school that I loved- reading it wasn't a chore at all. Wonderful suspense! Way better than horror. "
— Leisa, 1/16/2014 -
" Truthfully it wasn't ,my favorite book when I began it, however, I did begin to enjoy it later on when I began to understand the actual point of the book. I would not recommend this for a person with a lower reading level. However, if a person has a reading level of tenth grade or higher, I think that they will enjoy this book. Just don't give up on it, because if you read it all the way through the end hits you like a ton of bricks. "
— Alexis, 1/15/2014 -
" A horror story of social awkwardness. Beloved by me, not for narcissistic reasons. "
— Rebecca, 1/12/2014 -
" Spooky from the first page. Manderley draws you in and keeps you there. A great rainy night read. "
— Gretchen, 1/10/2014 -
" It's my favourite by Daphne du Maurier. "
— Simona, 11/8/2013 -
" It's a more ominous Downton Abbey. "
— Karyn, 11/3/2013 -
" Probably the most odd love story I have ever read. Compelling but frustrating read. "
— Portia, 10/6/2013 -
" Everyone that I know who has read this book raved about it. It kept me reading only to figure out how it was going to end up. Mrs. Danver's sure got the last word in...LOL. "
— Melanie, 7/11/2013 -
" I have read this book twice. Once in high school and once as an adult. It is a wonderful piece of literture. "
— Tiffany, 4/22/2013 -
" Maybe a perfect book? Mrs. Danvers was such a closet case. "
— Mo, 2/8/2013 -
" Loved, loved, loved this story! It was such a fun, melodramatic read. The mystery! The plot twists! Also, it made me really excited that the season 3 premiere of Downtown Abby is almost here. It was easy to draw parallels between the two works. Can't wait to discuss it at book club. "
— Arielle, 1/3/2013 -
" Couldn't put it down, an excellent read "
— Jennifer, 8/31/2012 -
" "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again". Classic opening line for a classic book. "
— Mark, 8/14/2012 -
" Absolutely fantastic! So dark and macabre and told so exquisitely. A compelling narrative and a brilliant twist. Can't recommend enough "
— David, 4/12/2012 -
" This is one of my favorite books--the atmosphere is palpable, and the new Mrs. DeWinter is such a sympathetic character. She is one I will always remember. "
— Jennifer, 3/13/2012 -
" I've read this three times, starting at 15. it has held up and still one of the best novels I've ever read. "
— Morgana, 1/22/2012 -
" I don't know what else to say other then that I really enjoyed it. Rebecca was so oppressive she became a character in her own right. "
— Johanna, 5/22/2011 -
" All the characters keep me guessing of what is going to happen next and what secrets are being kept. If you have read don't tell me the ending I am still reading it! "
— Sarah, 5/21/2011 -
" a very good book, not a romantic like you would think. its about murder and mystery. it my be a challenge book but next to Frankenstein its one of my favorites yet. i recommend it to anyone with a want to read. Its a great book, glad i read it. "
— Ashley, 5/20/2011 -
" I got the twist, but not too early. Not a bad mystery at all except for wanting to punch nameless heroin for being such a helpless sooky lala throughout most of the book. "
— Naomi, 5/19/2011 -
" I always have a hard time enjoying a book when I don't like the main character, and that was the case with this one. I did like the mystery enough to keep reading, and the story did have some genuine surprises, but I was just so frustrated with the narrator. BTW, why doesn't she have a name? "
— Claudia, 5/18/2011 -
" Romantic suspense...just finished Jane Eyre before reading this book and couldn't help seeing so many parallels to it. Thought the book was ok but wouldn't recommend it strongly unless you really really enjoy romance with a lingering sense of dread and a slowly unfolding storyline. "
— Christina, 5/15/2011 -
" I adore this book. I'm not sure I'd teach it to freshmen again (especially not non-English major freshmen) because of its emphasis on language rather than plot and characterization, but I do adore it. "
— Christie, 5/15/2011 -
" One of my most favorite books - EVER! "
— Denice, 5/15/2011 -
" Thank you Mrs. Echevarria freshman English @ Fontbonne Academy for having us read this. AWESOME! "
— Rayna, 5/14/2011 -
" Mmmm lots of buttered crumpets! "
— Anne, 5/14/2011 -
" I listened to this as an audiobook from Audible. It took me a long time to get into it - the start was quite slow - but I really enjoyed the story once they returned to Manderley. "
— Verena, 5/14/2011 -
" I almost died reading this book, pure agony. This is not a classic that should be considered a classic. Pure dullness, it took me forever to finish it. :/ "
— Alix, 5/14/2011 -
" The sense of supernatural paranoia is so evocative as to be almost frightening. Nearly everyone who has loved understands the mysterious hold the dreaded Ex can have over us.<br/><br/>The ending is something else.... "
— Lauren, 5/14/2011 -
" I loved this book in 9th/10th grade, and used the opening scene as a monologue for a speech competition. "
— Margaret, 5/13/2011
About Daphne du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier (1907–1989) was born in London, the daughter of the actor Sir Gerald du Maurier and granddaughter of the author and artist George du Maurier. She has been called one of the great shapers of popular culture and the modern imagination. She began writing in 1928, and many of her bestselling novels were set in Cornwall, where she lived for most of her life. Besides novels, du Maurier wrote plays, biographies, and several collections of short fiction. Among her more famous works are The Scapegoat, Jamaica Inn, Rebecca, and the short story “The Birds,” all of which were subsequently made into films, the latter three directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
About Anna Massey
Anna Massey (1937–2011), the daughter of Hollywood actor Raymond Massey, was born in England and enjoyed an award-winning career on stage, in movies, and on television. Her stage roles earned her the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award, the London Critics’ Circle Theatre Award, and a nomination for a Tony Award for her only Broadway appearance, in The Reluctant Debutante. Her television awards include the UK’s BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress and the RTS Television Award. Her best-known film roles were as Helen in Peeping Tom, Babs in Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy, and more recently in The Oxford Murders and The Machinist. She received critical praise from AudioFile magazine for her narrations, especially of Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, and Wild Swans by Jung Chang.