When I first picked up Rebecca I was expecting it to be some sort of romantic novel between at least three people. Well after reading it I realized that I was completely wrong. Rebecca is anything but a romantic novel-unless you consider Mr and Mrs de Winter’s marriage anything to go by. Instead it is a novel which possess a new level of darkness which was very rare in those times, especially it coming from a female author. The story is about Max de Winter who brings his new bride to his home Manderley. Although we see she is quite excited at the prospect of being Mrs de Winter she has a lot to get used to as Max’s first wife, Rebecca of the title, with her death left behind a lot of shadows that haunt the house.
Mrs de Winter’s vulnerability in comparison to Rebecca’s unholiness is what makes this novel memorable. One of the characters that is worth noting is Mrs Danvers. An ally of Rebecca’s, she would stop at nothing to get rid of Mrs de Winter. She even suggested to her to jump from a window. Although her grief is understandable and sympathetic as she was very close to Rebecca, her attitude towards the new Mrs de Winter is not and she comforts herself by causing Mrs de Winter pain.
The ending is quite vicious and definitely unexpected but I couldn’t think of a better ending that matches perfectly with the rest of the novel which clearly demonstrates the author’s precision and the level of thought that she had put on her book. In short, though it is quite a feminine book, I know that it will be enjoyed and appreciated by both genders. Like Stephen King’s Carrie, it is definitely a classic.