Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

by Elisse Nibbelin
(Taylorville, IL)

Rebecca is a book of the classics. It amazes me how gripping du Maurier writes this story, especially because it is almost deceiving in the beginning. The book starts out extremely slow with nothing but description and scenery and almost makes you want to poke your eyes out. However, once the narrator meets Max and he whisks her away to Manderly, the story takes a sharp right turn and takes the reader on a ride and never lets them off until the last page. The story is mesmerizing and haunting and chilling and breathtaking all at once. The reader never knows what to expect and I personally never wanted to put the book down, each time I read it (4 times total). That to me is a great book- leaving the reader hungry for more. The most amazing part to me- you never know the narrator's name. The reader becomes so engrossed in the narrator's experiences and her life so much that you feel like you are right there by her side, but you don't even know her name other then Mrs. de Winter. It is truly an exhilarating tale of love, deceit, and the unknown. I recommend this novel to anyone that loves to read like I do, for I will probably read it several more times in my life. That is what I call a true favorite.