Hello, and welcome to another #DDMreadingweek – I am really excited to spend another week thinking and talking about Daphne du Maurier with whom I share a birthday – this coming Thursday.
A friend recently asked me if I had read all the Daphne du Maurier books already – and the answer is absolutely not. I have read Rebecca and Jamaica Inn twice, nine other novels once and three of her story collections. So, I have a few books to go – enough for next year and the year after at the very least I should think.
This year I have chosen to read The King’s General – an historical novel set during the English Civil War and The du Mauriers a novel like biography of the du Maurier family – which at the time of writing I am thoroughly enjoying. I bought a copy of The Loving Spirit too, but now I realise I probably won’t get time to read it – and if I do I certainly won’t finish it until the middle of next week.
As ever I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else reads. I have a little less time now that I am back at work – so I would appreciate people using the hashtag #DDMreadingweek on Twitter – so I don’t miss your photos and blog links. I endeavour to read all the blog posts that come in – and comment where I can – please prod me if you think I have missed something, I genuinely love seeing all your posts.
If you would like to join in with #DDMreadingweek but don’t have time to read a whole book or don’t blog there are still plenty of ways to join in.
- Share some photos of your Daphne du Maurier book collection on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag.
- Listen to the brilliant Backlisted podcast about The Breaking Point
- Watch the BBC documentary with Daphne at home at Kilmarth – first shown in 1971. It is on BBC iPlayer for those of you in the UK.
- Watch one of the Rebecca films – I have yet to watch the Netflix adaptation – I have fears I won’t like it.
- Watch the film of My Cousin Rachel – another I haven’t seen yet.
- Read one short story.
- Read the blog posts that will be popping up over the next week or so – and get inspired for later in the year or even next #DDMreading week.
I am hoping to take some of my own advice there, as this year I simply won’t have time to read and review as much as I did this time last year. I have my review of The King’s General scheduled for tomorrow – and I am planning to review The Du Mauriers toward the end of the week. I am also planning to look back at some favourite Daphne du Maurier reading later this week. I have now deleted last year’s DDM reading week page – and have set up a new one. So, here is where you can drop links to your posts – or let me know about what you are reading (or watching), or of course you can comment on any of my DDM posts that come out during the week.
So, happy reading everyone!
heavenali 
I’m looking forward to it Ali! Hopefully I’ll join in but my blogging is pretty slow at the moment. I’m really looking forward to seeing what people read this week.
Don’t worry about blogging, you can always just talk about what you’re reading on Twitter or something. No pressure at all. 😊
Looking forward to seeing what people read! Over the weekend, I finished Not After Midnight – so will review soon.
I will look forward to your thoughts, I think that is the collection that got renamed as Don’t Look Now isn’t it?
It is! And I once owned both by mistake 😀
Here is my review: http://www.stuckinabook.com/not-after-midnight-and-other-stories-by-daphne-du-maurier-ddmreadingweek/
Ha ha oops. That’s the problem when collections are given different titles.
I’m hoping to share my review of My Cousin Rachel tomorrow and also read the Breaking Point in time (fingers crossed). Looking forward to everyone’s reviews.
Ooh lovely, two excellent choices. I will look out for your review.
Thanks for hosting this again! I should have a review of Myself When Young ready later in the week, but today I have posted a list of my favourite Daphne du Maurier books:
A great list of previous reading there. Looking forward to your thoughts on Myself when Young.
That’s a lovely list of ideas for joining in with this week’s celebrations, Ali. I’ve just reposted my archive review of The Breaking Point from last year and will endeavour to listen again to the Backlisted podcast – a very engaging discussion IIRC. Plus, the Hitchcock adaptation of Rebecca is always a pleasure to rewatch. Very much looking forward to your reviews, too. You’ve done brilliantly with your preparations, especially considering you’re back at work!
Thank you. Yes that film of Rebecca is every bit as much a classic as the book.
I’ve just finished reading My Cousin Rachel so should have the review out on Wednesday. What a page-turner!
It really is a page turner! Looking forward to your thoughts on it.
I noticed that my film set for September is Don’t Look Now, so I’ve swapped it for May and hopefully will watch and review in time! I haven’t see the documentary so many thanks!
Oh brilliant, I haven’t seen that film, I expect it will be good though, I loved the short story.
Halfway through The Scapegoat and loving it! I do enjoy this week.
Ooh great. I was absolutely gripped by The Scapegoat last year. So glad you’re joining in again.
I’ve just started the memoir Myself When Young, and it’s fantastic! I love reading about from the age of four she was already a storyteller.
That memoir sounds excellent, it’s definitely on my radar for another year.
Some great ideas there, Ali. I don’t know how the week will work out for me time-wise, but I will try to *something*!!!
Completely understand what you mean about time. No pressure, just do what you can. 😊
[…] by her every year. I’ve also taken part in the Daphne du Maurier reading week (#DDMreadingweek), which is host by Ali, since 2019 and this year is no exception. It has started on Monday and ends next Sunday (it runs […]
I’m going to try and read The Flight of the Falcoln, one of her lesser-known novels (and it will count for a couple of other challenges I’ve signed up for, so win-win). I hope it’s a forgotten treasure like The House on the Strand which I just loved but nobody talks about.
I read The Flight of the Falcon last year and I really liked it. I think lots of people love The House on the Strand, I did. Glad you enjoyed it so much.
[…] #DDMreadingweek with Heavenali […]
[…] it would be rude not to, wouldn’t it! Here’s my contribution to Heaven-Ali’s Daphne du Maurier reading week and it’s SUCH a page-turner of a book – I started it on Saturday evening and there I […]
I think WordPress ate my previous comment, which I am sure was brilliant but now escapes me. Here is my review of The House on the Strand:
http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-house-on-strand-by-daphne-du-maurier.html
Thank you, I will add you in to my event page when I get chance.
I enjoyed the memoir Myself When Young and posted my review to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3996699280
Thank you, I will add that into the event page.
Love your ideas of quicker ways to join in with the event, rather than reading a whole book. Having said that, I’m aiming to read a whole book and have started Mary Anne (which you might have seen in Twitter today too). I can’t remember if I listened to that ep of Backlisted, so I’ll have to check. And I share your trepidation about the new film version of Rebecca, but I kinda want to see it, to see what other people did NOT like about it. (I remember thinking, though, that it sounded like I wouldn’t appreciate their take on it either, even if now I can’t remember the specific objections…perhaps just as well!)
I haven’t got around to watching that film this week after all. I too saw poor reviews which definitely put me off.
I really liked Mary Anne, hope you enjoy it.
Last night I dreamed I went to war again: why Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca is a classic study of post-traumatic stress disorder (warning – this is an unorthodox interpretation): https://hipscritiques.wordpress.com/2021/03/03/last-night-i-dreamed-i-went-to-war-again-why-daphne-du-mauriers-rebecca-is-a-classic-study-of-post-traumatic-stress-disorder/
Thank you for the link to your fascinating post.
My pleasure. I’m glad you found it interesting.
[…] that I know are Rebecca (of course), Jamaica Inn, and The House on the Strand. HeavenAli’s annual reading week was the excuse I needed to pick up the copy of My Cousin Rachel that I grabbed from the closed-down […]