Dame Daphne Du Maurier — Rather a Mystery
Dame Daphne du Maurier Lady Browning was an English author and playwright. Although classed as a romantic novelist, her stories have been described as distant with overtones of the paranormal. Born on 13 May 1907 in London, she began writing short stories and articles in 1928. But it was in 1931 that her first novel, ‘The Loving Spirit’, was published.
Even though Maurier has written quite a few novels, it was the novel — ‘Rebecca’ (1938) that engraved her name on the literary stratosphere and made her one of the most popular authors of her time. In 1951, her first mystery romance, ‘My Cousin Rachel’ was published and the short horror story ‘The Birds’ was first published in the 1952 collection The Apple Tree.
In 1932, Du Maurier married Major Frederick Browning with whom she had three children. Du Maurier spent much of her life in Cornwall, which also serves as the setting for most of her works. When she died on 19 April 1989, Margaret Foster wrote, ‘No other popular writer has triumphantly defied classification. She satisfied all the questionable criteria of popular fiction yet satisfied the exacting requirements of ‘real literature’, something very few novelists ever do’.
Dame Daphne du Maurier has been a legend in the literary world and her works resonate with her personality. Three of her best books that will leave you baffled and would want you to indulge in her writings are:
REBECCA
‘’Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.’ — Mrs. De Winter
Published in 1938, Rebecca is a genre mixed with crime, gothic, mystery, and romance. She used Psychological Realism fused with a romance to bring out the effect it has on its readers. This novel is credited to her massive success in the literature circle and her literary career. It was one of du Maurier’s most successful works, with an immediate hit, selling nearly 3 million copies. The novel has still never gone out of print.
Du Maurier won the National Book Award for the ‘Most Favourite Novel of 1938’ by the members of the American Booksellers Association and was listed at number 14 of the ‘Nation’s Best-Loved Novel’ on BBC’s 2003 survey The Big Read.
Synopsis
Rebecca is the story of a mysterious woman named ‘Rebecca’ who, though, is already dead yet has a significant impact on Maxim’s life. The nameless narrator of the book unravels some of these mysteries whilst being in love and married to Maxim De Winter. This story is set in Manderley, which is based on a mansion in Cornwall called Menabilly where Maurier lived.
Adaptations
Rebecca has been adapted for both the stage and screen several times. The most notable one is by Alfred Hitchcock in his 1940 film ‘Rebecca’. In 2020, Netflix brought Rebecca yet again on the screen and the fans were left speechless by the performances from the entire cast who let them relive this beautiful gothic story again.
“Imagine if you could bottle a memory-like scent. Then, whenever you wanted, you could open it. It’d be like living the moment all over again” — Rebecca (The movie, 2020)
MY COUSIN RACHEL
“The point is, life has to be endured and lived. But how to live it is the problem.” — Philip
Published in 1951, My Cousin Rachel is a dark old-fashioned mystery-romance, which is set on a large estate in Cornwall. Daphne du Maurier was obsessed with the past and she loved researching the lives of people in the history of Cornwall. It is also believed that Daphne got inspired by the life of Rachel Carew of Anthony House in Cornwall and the character of Rachel is based on her. This book is the third highest-rated book by Maurier.
Synopsis
The plot is that of a simple revenge story where a young man plots revenge against the woman he believes murdered his cousin. But the real plot starts to shape when his plans are shaken and he comes face to face with the enigmatic beauty of a lady. When Philip Ashley’s much-loved and rich cousin Ambrose, who raised him to the man he was, dies. Phillip finds himself enchanted by Rachel and soon forgets his earlier suspicions about Rachel being a potential link to Ambrose’s Murder. Until…
Adaptations
In April 2012, a dramatic adaptation of My Cousin Rachel by Joseph O’Connor premièred at the Gate Theatre, Dublin. The movie starred Hannah Yelland as Rachel.
The first film adaptation was Roger Michell’s My Cousin Rachel starring Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin, and Iain Glen, which was released in June 2017.
“One moment middle-aged and forceful, the next simpering and younger than Louise, my cousin Rachel had a dozen personalities or more and each one more hateful than the last.”
THE BIRDS
“Each householder must look after his own.” — Narrator
Published in the 1952 collection ‘The Apple Tree’, The Birds is a short horror story set in du Maurier’s home county shortly after the end of World War II. By the end of the story, it is clear that all of Britain is under aerial assault. Du Maurier’s inspiration is believed to be the sight of a farmer being attacked by a flock of gulls as he ploughed his field. The story has a gradual layering of horrifying details while focusing on the characteristics of the family.
Synopsis
The story is about a humble farmer named Nat Hicken and his family, who are attacked by a flock of killer birds. Nat’s attempts to board up his house against the attack are vain as the birds break in and kill him. Defenseless, alone, and doomed, the family seems to be the last people alive on earth or perhaps they are. It is the story of a farmhand, his family, and his community attacked by flocks of birds in kamikaze fashion.
Adaptations
The story inspired Alfred Hitchcock once again to make the film, The Birds which was released in 1963. In 2009, an Irish playwright Conor McPherson adapted the story for the stage which premiered at the Dublin’s Gate Theatre.
“You had to endure something yourself before it touched you.”
― Daphne du Maurier
This segment of ‘About the Author’ tries to provide its readers an insight into the life and works of a remarkable writer of her times — Dame Daphne Du Maurier. Her writings have inspired artists, people alike all around the world leaving a lasting impression on them through the remarkable stories and their narration to the readers. The life of Daphne du Maurier seems like a fairy tale but her stories depict a different genre filled with complexities. Hope you loved reading about the adventures she embarked on in her books and stories.
