On this day May 13th in 1907, Daphne du Maurier was born in London, the middle daughter of the actor-manager Gerald du Maurier, grand-daughter of the Punch cartoonist George du Maurier. So, today is her birthday, and mine!
They are a fascinating family, and my review of her novelistic biography The Du Mauriers is scheduled for tomorrow.
In the meantime, and because I have been only able to read two books this year, I want to take a quick look back at some favourites. Personal favourites aren’t always the same as the most critically acclaimed – our reaction to books is so personal it can’t always be fully explained. It’s a feeling sometimes isn’t it?
So here, are my top five du Maurier books to date – I may need to update this as I read more of her books. So far I have read eleven novels, three collections of short stories and a biography by her. She is very underrated as a writer I feel – something I think her fans already know.
Rebecca was my first experience of Daphne du Maurier – I read it in my teens and later saw that classic Hitchcock film. I re-read it in 2006 and was sorely tempted to read it again this year but didn’t get the chance. From its spine tingling opening first line the reader is enthralled – some books are classics for a reason. Not a novel that needs much introduction – it is psychologically pitch perfect, full of gothic suspense – truly impossible to put down.
The only other du Maurier novel I have read twice is Jamaica Inn here again I was captivated in my teens by the brooding, melodrama, the romance of Cornish smugglers. I re-read it 2013 – and realised what had drawn me to it in my teens – the desolate moorland, those desperate men – it just the kind of thing you love at that age. When I re-read it, I realised how well du Maurier had portrayed those desperate men, how actually she in no way romanticised them in this novel – yet it is that very dark and brooding atmosphere that makes it so compelling. It was another of du Maurier’s novels that Hitchcock went on to adapt for film.
Daphne du Maurier was an excellent short story writer. Hitchcock adapted one of them – he must have been quite the fan. The Don’t Look Now collection was the first collection of du Maurier short stories that I had read – and the quality of the stories absolutely blew me away. This is a collection of five, long, short stories – stories of a really satisfying length that the reader can really get their teeth into. Many of her stories across the three collections I have read are really very dark – but I rather love that. This collection is truly excellent.
I don’t usually go for novels where the reader must suspend their disbelief – and yet with du Maurier I absolutely can and enjoy doing so. The House on the Strand utterly enthralled me from the first page – it made my books of the year list two years ago – and I have recommended it to all sorts of people since. Her evocation of the landscape here is just beautiful, Du Maurier blends the past and present beautifully – we become aware of how landscape may change over centuries – yet the basic shape of the land on which we live is essentially unchanged. In this time-travel novel – time travel du Maurier style – she celebrates the landscape she so loved in its past incarnation and the present. It is immensely compelling – so brilliantly imagined I got totally sucked into the world of this novel.
When preparing this post, I came up with the first four books on my list easily enough, but there were three books tied for that fifth spot. I have opted to talk about The Flight of the Falcon – one of the books I read last year. Something of a slow burn of a novel I felt – and yet it is really an excellent novel – with a stunning sense of place. It has a very filmic quality with its Italian setting; it has a very sixties feel to it. It is less melodramatic than many of her novels, though there are plenty of simmering resentments, petty jealousies and family secrets played out in a town steeped in history. The more I thought about this novel after I finished it, the more I liked it, I actually think it is quite brilliant.
So those are my top five du Maurier books – though it is quite hard to choose. So, now of course I want to know yours!
Confession time – I’ve not read Rebecca! I felt I knew the story so well from the film that the book would be too familiar. Am I wrong?
I would definitely recommend reading Rebecca, the story will probably be familiar, but I think the book is superior to the film.
Happy birthday Ali! Hope you have a lovely day planned.
Those recent hardback Virago editions are gorgeous.
Thank you, seeing my mom and sister after work for Pizza.
Happy Birthday to you!
I’ve read 6 of her books so far, two read twice, Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel; the others I’ve read are Jamaica Inn, The King’s General, Frenchman’s Creek and Rule Britannia; have enjoyed them all in different ways, though least of the lot Rule Britannia. Haven’t attempted to put them in order. Of course, am reading The Breaking Point now which I am also enjoying a lot.
Two that I really want to read are The Scapegoat and The Infernal World of Branwell Bronte,
Thank you. Glad you are enjoying The Breaking Point.
So far I think my favourite is My Cousin Rachel, but as I near the end of The Scapegoat, I might have to rethink that!
My Cousin Rachel is great, so glad you’re enjoying The Scapegoat so much, I read it last year. Such a good read.
Happy Birthday, Ali! How lovely that you share your birthday with one of your favourite writers, Daphne du Maurier – that’s very fitting, I think.
It’s interesting to see your top 5 DdMs, with one or two surprises alongside the big hitters. The Flight of the Falcon sounds wonderful – not a novel I’m very familiar with (other than your review), so I shall have to take a closer look. Like you, I love Rebecca and have read it twice, but my favourite DdMs are her short story collections, especially Don’t Look Now. Her style seems particularly well suited to the short form, the concentration of atmosphere and tension can be very effective.
She is definitely very well suited to the shorter form. Her short stories are pretty dark often, but I have loved those I’ve read so far.
I have not read them all but the five I like most are
The King’s General
Rebecca
My Cousin Rachel
The Scapegoat
Gerald
The Infernal World of Branwell Bronte
Enchanted Cornwall
Vanishing Cornwall
Don’t Look Now
Frenchman’s creek has a haunted opening and is powerful in the way of Scott’s Kenilworth.
She is much better than an adventure or love story; e.g., she explores true evil.
Her letters are a disappointment because she hide herself. Margaret Forster’s biography is almost as good as one of DuMaurier’s books
If I could ever get myself to stop teaching — or at least stop writing reviews for professional periodicals I could get to her DuMaurier family.
Another blog:
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Ellen
Thanks for that. I imagine Gerald is a very interesting biography. One to look out for another year.
Happy birthday! Rebecca has to be number one, doesn’t it – I think The Scapegoat is number two for me.
I think Rebecca is just brilliant, it has all the ingredients of a great, escapist read,but well written.
Happy Birthday! How lovely that you share your birthday with Daphne du Maurier! That must be a very special feeling!
It’s hard for me to pick a favorite but my top three are Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel and Jamaica Inn. I feel Jamaica Inn is an under appreciated gem. I re- read it recently and discovered so many layers to the story.
Jamaica Inn really is a gem, it has an atmosphere that is mesmerising from the start.
Wishing you the happiest of birthdays! and a thank you for your gift to us of du Maurier reading week which I always enjoy following and finding out what everyone has to say about the books they read. Especially this year when you’ve been so busy.
It’s been fun to do, I just had a lot to do for it last weekend.
I have read and much enjoyed ‘Rebecca’ and ‘Jamaica Inn’ quite awhile ago. It appears that my next must be ‘The House on the Strand’.
House on the Strand is a great read, really hope you enjoy it.
Happy birthday! Rebecca and The House on the Strand are in my top five too, along with My Cousin Rachel, The Scapegoat and The King’s General. I do love her short story collections as well, though!
It’s wonderful to see what books everyone likes best. It’s impressive how times Rebecca gets mentioned.
I’ve only read three so far so I’m still getting to know her but I’m amazed at how different they are. Actually I hadn’t even heard of The House on the Strand so I must put that to the top of the list – Happy Birthday Ali!
Ooh I hope you do read The House on the Strand, it’s great.
Happy Birthday! Mine was yesterday. A day too early to share it with Daphne (and you!). I was born the day after Mother’s Day (US). Always off a day, I guess!
Aww happy birthday for yesterday.
Happy birthday Ali! It’s lovely to share a birthday with an author, isn’t it? (Mine is the same as Jane Austen!) So nice to hear about your favourites, and you’re right – the books we like best aren’t necessarily the same as the ones reckoned to be an author’s best, but all that matters is that we love them.
Thank you. Sharing a birthday with Jane Austen is pretty great actually. Favourites will always be very personal and subject to change.
Happy Birthday! Hope you are enjoying some lovely treats and are up late enough to receive these well wishes. 🙂
I think I’ve read exactly five, so choosing a top five wouldn’t feel like the same kind of exercise, but I enjoyed reading about your selection process.
Thank you. I did get some treats once work was over for the day.
I recently re-read Flight of the Falcon and was surprised how much I enjoyed it. It really builds and builds as you read through.
Also Happy Birthday!
Thank you.
Yes the excellence of Flight of the Falcon sort of creeps up on you I think.
I never liked Jamaica Inn much, it had a kind of Wuthering Heights feel (a book I’m not a fan of) – my top ones are Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel, The Parasites, The House on the Strand and one of the story collections – Don’t Look Now or maybe The Rendevous.
Ah interesting, I can see that. Though, I also dislike Wuthering Heights, but I think the relationships in that one were more destructive and obsessional than in Jamaica Inn, though Jamaica Inn is certainly very dark.
I absolutely loved The House on the Strand. It’s so well done, and all the themes cohere so well, that I was amazed to realize, at the end, that I had just read science fiction. What happens fits in so well with the characterization of the protagonist that I easily overlooked the fact that it involved time travel.
I know, it’s so compelling, I found myself accepting the time travel stuff so easily. Testament to DDM’s storytelling ability. So glad you enjoyed it.
I only read her Rule Britannia and so I don’t have a top five.
You have a lot to look forward to with Daphne du Maurier then. Rule Britannia is quite a strange one, though I liked it.
Yes, but maybe that’s why I read it… I’m not really into most of the psychological thriller type books that she wrote.
Happy belated birthday, Ali! 🥳 I am not sure I have read enough of du Maurier for a top five but my top three would be Rebecca, The House on the Strand and My Cousin Rachel. 😍
That’s a good top three. You have plenty to look forward to with Daphne du Maurier if you want to explore more.
And happy birthday to you (again: fortunately I’m not as behind on my friendships as I am on my blog reading!). An excellent post and I’ve really enjoyed taking part and reading all the other posts, too.
Thank you. So glad you enjoyed joining in again this year.
So hard to choose a top 5. Rebecca, House on the Strand, Jamaica Inn (due a reread) Castle Dor, and Gerald :A Portrait perhaps. Always influenced by the quality of the one most recently read so The Doll and Other Stories is nudging to be let in! Thanks for hosting this week. I will be carrying on for a bit!
I really want to read The Doll, among others. At least I have things I can read in future years.