Welcome to the Historical Fiction Online forums: a friendly place to discuss, review and discover historical fiction.
If this is your first visit, please be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above.
You will have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.
To start viewing posts, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
If this is your first visit, please be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above.
You will have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.
To start viewing posts, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
Daphne du Maurier
The King's General is excellent and a most unusual love story. Don't put it off too long.
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be
...is the only place I want to be
-
Madeleine
- Bibliomaniac
- Posts: 5814
- Joined: August 2008
- Currently reading: "Black Run" by Antonio Manzini
- Preferred HF: Plantagenets, Victorian, crime, dual time-frame
- Location: Essex/London
[quote=""Susanna Kearsley""]
But I can practically recite Jamaica Inn. I fell in love with Jem at 12 and he still rates high on my list of heroes. The kiss in the marketplace...*sigh* And the part where he breaks through the window because she's been hurt. What a guy.
The House on the Strand is my next favourite of hers, followed by Frenchman's Creek. I own all her others (in hardback--I'm a terrible collector) and have read most of them and enjoyed them to varying degrees.
Just not Rebecca, for some reason...[/quote]
Oh yes, one of my all time faves and Jem is fabulous
But I can practically recite Jamaica Inn. I fell in love with Jem at 12 and he still rates high on my list of heroes. The kiss in the marketplace...*sigh* And the part where he breaks through the window because she's been hurt. What a guy.
The House on the Strand is my next favourite of hers, followed by Frenchman's Creek. I own all her others (in hardback--I'm a terrible collector) and have read most of them and enjoyed them to varying degrees.
Just not Rebecca, for some reason...[/quote]
Oh yes, one of my all time faves and Jem is fabulous
Currently reading "Black Run" by Antonio Manzini
[quote=""Madeleine""]I enjoyed Rebecca's Tale (didn't expect to as I'd read other books by the author and hadn't liked them), but disliked Mrs de Winter intensely - thought it was a re-hash of the original and I couldn't believe that Mrs de W would be stupid enough to take on Mrs Danvers as housekeeper after all that happened in Rebecca - she annoyed me intensely and I wanted to slap her![/quote]
I didn't feel it was a re-hash & I thought the author captured the atmosphere, period & voice (as mentioned below) quite well. Of course nothing will ever touch the original ... but isn't that always the case?
OK ... now I must read Rebecca's Tale although several of the comments here about Mrs. de W's lack of maturity make me question if I'll like it.
I didn't feel it was a re-hash & I thought the author captured the atmosphere, period & voice (as mentioned below) quite well. Of course nothing will ever touch the original ... but isn't that always the case?
OK ... now I must read Rebecca's Tale although several of the comments here about Mrs. de W's lack of maturity make me question if I'll like it.
Joan
My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter. ~Thomas Helm
My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter. ~Thomas Helm
-
Miss Moppet
- Bibliophile
- Posts: 1726
- Joined: April 2009
- Location: North London
- Contact:
[quote=""love_uk""]
OK ... now I must read Rebecca's Tale although several of the comments here about Mrs. de W's lack of maturity make me question if I'll like it.[/quote]
She's not in it very much, Joan. As I remember, she hardly features. The narrative is delivered by different characters in turn a la Susan Howatch, but Mrs de Winter isn't one of them.
OK ... now I must read Rebecca's Tale although several of the comments here about Mrs. de W's lack of maturity make me question if I'll like it.[/quote]
She's not in it very much, Joan. As I remember, she hardly features. The narrative is delivered by different characters in turn a la Susan Howatch, but Mrs de Winter isn't one of them.
I came across the attached cover of Jamaica Inn today. It's the quintessential Romantic Suspense cover.
I think my favorite Du Maurier so far has been The King's General. It edges out Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel which are close seconds. Hungry Hill is a dark horse, but I liked it -- probably more than a lot of other folks.
I still have Julius, The Scapegoat and Frenchmen's Creek to read in my TBR.
I think my favorite Du Maurier so far has been The King's General. It edges out Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel which are close seconds. Hungry Hill is a dark horse, but I liked it -- probably more than a lot of other folks.
I still have Julius, The Scapegoat and Frenchmen's Creek to read in my TBR.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Love that cover. Any chance you know the publisher and date it was published? I might be able to get the cover on Goodreads.
Besides the short stories, I've only Rebecca and The Parasites left. I'm going to skip Rule Brittania, I've heard it's bizarre as all get out.
I liked Hungry Hill but if anyone else had wrote it I'd have given the story three instead of four stars.
Julius is a very dark horse indeed.
Besides the short stories, I've only Rebecca and The Parasites left. I'm going to skip Rule Brittania, I've heard it's bizarre as all get out.
I liked Hungry Hill but if anyone else had wrote it I'd have given the story three instead of four stars.
Julius is a very dark horse indeed.
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be
...is the only place I want to be
-
Miss Moppet
- Bibliophile
- Posts: 1726
- Joined: April 2009
- Location: North London
- Contact:
[quote=""Misfit""]
Besides the short stories, I've only Rebecca and The Parasites left. I'm going to skip Rule Brittania, I've heard it's bizarre as all get out. [/quote]
My mother bought RB in hardback and was somewhat disappointed. I think I've still got it lying around somewhere but I'd have to read everything else DduM wrote before trying it.
I enjoyed The Parasites although it's rather different from the rest. It draws on her theatrical background, and it is very funny in parts, there's a priceless description of a country house weekend in the middle.
I recommend the Daphne du Maurier Companion ed. Helen Taylor and published by Virago. It has all the introductions from the Virago reprints and a lot of interesting articles. Oh and it's got rather a good early short story, 'And His Letters Grew Colder' - reprinted for the first time since it appeared in US Cosmopolitan.
Edited to say: Ludmilla, I adore that cover
Besides the short stories, I've only Rebecca and The Parasites left. I'm going to skip Rule Brittania, I've heard it's bizarre as all get out. [/quote]
My mother bought RB in hardback and was somewhat disappointed. I think I've still got it lying around somewhere but I'd have to read everything else DduM wrote before trying it.
I enjoyed The Parasites although it's rather different from the rest. It draws on her theatrical background, and it is very funny in parts, there's a priceless description of a country house weekend in the middle.
I recommend the Daphne du Maurier Companion ed. Helen Taylor and published by Virago. It has all the introductions from the Virago reprints and a lot of interesting articles. Oh and it's got rather a good early short story, 'And His Letters Grew Colder' - reprinted for the first time since it appeared in US Cosmopolitan.
Edited to say: Ludmilla, I adore that cover
[quote=""Ken""]Miss Moppet
What are you doing here? Don't you have an appointment at Buckingham Palace??[/quote]
I was just wondering when I was looking at latest posts why I would find Ken in a Du Maurier thread. Clearly he's having time travel story withdrawal 
What are you doing here? Don't you have an appointment at Buckingham Palace??[/quote]
I was just wondering when I was looking at latest posts why I would find Ken in a Du Maurier thread. Clearly he's having time travel story withdrawal
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be
...is the only place I want to be
[quote=""Misfit""]I was just wondering when I was looking at latest posts why I would find Ken in a Du Maurier thread. Clearly he's having time travel story withdrawal [/quote]
Hey! I belong here as I live only about 20 miles from Jamaica Inn and believe me even now, at dusk, it's a spooky place!
But. You're right. I'm missing my daily dose of our intrepid time traveller's adventures! What mystery will her rendez-vous in Buckingham Palace lead her to ???????
[/quote]Hey! I belong here as I live only about 20 miles from Jamaica Inn and believe me even now, at dusk, it's a spooky place!
But. You're right. I'm missing my daily dose of our intrepid time traveller's adventures! What mystery will her rendez-vous in Buckingham Palace lead her to ???????