Pubblicato in Italia con il titolo Rebecca. La prima moglie. Un classico, un thriller psicologico pieno di suspense che ha ispirato film e adattamenti (incluso Alfred Hitchcock).
“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”
This is the first line from Daphne du Maurier’s classic novel and also one of the most known in literature. The protagonist is young woman. We don’t know her name and throughout the novel she will only be known as (the second) Mrs De Winter. She is in Monte Carlo as a companion for a rich woman when she meets Maxim De Winter. After a quick wedding and a honeymoon in Italy, they travel home. Home is Manderley, “secretive and silent”, in Cornwall. She thought everything would have been fine, that she could be the lady of the house, but the ghost of the first Mrs. De Winter is always present. Rebecca had died a year before in a boat accident, but her presence is still felt, especially for the loyal housekeeper Mrs Danvers. Constantly compared to Rebecca, the new Mrs. De Winter becomes obsessed with her.
I don’t know why I waited so long to read this book. It is a classic of gothic novel, dark, suspenseful, and chilling. I loved it! The writing is brilliant and addictive and the protagonist is incredible. There have been many adaptations and movies (recently on Netflix), but the original is a must-read!
