Rebecca (novel)

Rebecca is a celebrated Gothic novel written by English author Daphne du Maurier. Published in 1938, it is a psychological and macabre tale centered on themes of jealousy and memory. The story follows an unnamed young woman who marries a wealthy widower named Maxim de Winter.

She moves to his grand estate in Cornwall, known as Manderley. There, she finds herself living in the overwhelming shadow of Maxim's first wife, Rebecca. The novel is famous for creating a heavy, thick atmosphere. Du Maurier's editor even noted that the estate of Manderley felt like an atmosphere rather than just a building of stone and mortar.

The narrative begins with a dream of returning to the ruined Manderley. In the present story, the narrator is a timid, middle-class woman in her early twenties. While working in Monte Carlo, she meets the 42-year-old Maxim de Winter. After a brief, two-week courtship, they marry. The narrator then travels to Manderley, where she encounters the cold and overbearing housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers. Mrs. Danvers had previously served as Rebecca's lady's maid. She remains obsessed with her former mistress and uses psychological tactics to undermine the new Mrs. de Winter.

As the narrator settles into her new life, the tension increases through several stages. First, she feels isolated by the reverence the local society holds for the deceased Rebecca. Second, she becomes convinced that Maxim is still in love with his late wife. This reaches a peak during a costume ball, a custom Rebecca had started. When the narrator wears a dress similar to one Rebecca once wore, Maxim reacts with anger. The psychological pressure becomes so great that Mrs. Danvers encourages the narrator to end her life. However, a nearby shipwreck interrupts this moment and changes the course of the story.

A diver investigating the shipwreck discovers the remains of Rebecca's sailing boat. Inside the boat, they find Rebecca's decomposed body. This discovery shatters the mystery of her death, which was previously thought to be a simple accident. Maxim confesses that his marriage to Rebecca was a sham. He reveals that Rebecca was a cruel, selfish, and manipulative woman. On the night of her death, she taunted him by suggesting she was pregnant with another man's child. Enraged by this provocation, Maxim shot and killed her. He then placed her body in the boat and sank it at sea.

Further investigation brings more complex layers to the truth. An inquest initially delivers a verdict of suicide. However, Rebecca's cousin, Jack Favell, attempts to blackmail Maxim. The narrator eventually discovers that Rebecca had seen a doctor in London shortly before she died. The doctor reveals that Rebecca had cancer and would have died within months. Furthermore, a malformation of her uterus meant she could never have been pregnant. Maxim realizes that Rebecca likely manipulated him into killing her to avoid a lingering death from her illness. Following these events, Mrs. Danvers disappears, and Manderley is destroyed by a massive fire.

Daphne du Maurier faced many challenges while writing this masterpiece. In 1937, she signed a three-book deal with publisher Victor Gollancz for an advance of £1,000. The writing process was difficult and slow. She once described her early attempts as a "literary miscarriage" and felt ashamed of her slow progress. While her husband, Tommy Browning, was stationed in Egypt, she worked to finish the manuscript. She spent Christmas in 1937 writing intensely and delivered the completed book less than four months later. Some believe the themes of jealousy were inspired by her own life and suspicions.

The success of Rebecca has been immense and lasting. The novel sold 2.8 million copies between its publication in 1938 and 1965. It has never gone out of print.

The story has been adapted into many different formats. In 1939, du Maurier wrote a stage play based on the book. In 1940, Alfred Hitchcock directed a film version that won the Academy Award for Best Picture. More recently, Ben Wheatley directed a 2020 remake for Netflix. The story has even been adapted into a musical, proving its enduring appeal across different eras and media.

Rebecca connects to a broader tradition of Gothic literature. Many commentators have noted its parallels to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. Du Maurier's other works, such as Jamaica Inn, also share connections to the works of the Brontë sisters. The novel serves as a deep study of human psychology, specifically the destructive power of jealousy. It explores how a person's reputation can live on long after they are gone. Through its complex characters and haunting setting, the book remains a significant piece of English literary history.