Résumé :
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Rebecca is a mystery novel published in 1938 by Daphne Du Maurier that tells the story of a nameless young protagonist and her marriage with an aristocrat named Maxim that is overshadowed by his previous wife, the mysterious yet powerful and influential Rebecca. A suspenseful, captivating story, Rebecca makes for good reading for those who appreciate mystery.
Rebecca begins with a flashback: the nameless young protagonist (I’ll be calling her “Nichola” for the sake of convenience) goes back to her previous home, Manderley, a large mansion located in the woods which has mysteriously burned down (the exact cause is not given). Nichola says that she will never forget her experiences in Manderley. Her story begins with her as a servant/companion that belongs to Mrs. Van Hopper, a wealthy old woman from America. Although Nichola’s living standards are met, she’s still dissatisfied, as she finds Mrs. Van Hopper’s activities (ex. talking with other people) to be boring. It is revealed in conversation that Nichola’s parents had died when she was young, her father from disease and her mother from heartbreak. She accidentally meets her future husband while staying at a hotel, Maxim, who seems to be grieving over the death of his previous wife. They become relatively close (though Maxim talks to her condescendingly as if she’s a child) and get married in only a few weeks. Mrs. Van Hopper lets her go, but is concerned nonetheless, as Maxim is significantly older than her, not to mention he still seemed to be stuck in the past when it came to his former wife. After traveling abroad for a few weeks for their honeymoon (for some context, remember that this was published when WWII was just about to begin: the war in the Pacific had already begun - while Nichola was worried and insecure about her marriage, millions of people were going to die in bloodshed due to the maliciousness of other humans), they go to Maxim’s house, the mansion Manderley that is situated deep in the forest.
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