"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." So begins one of the most subtlely suspenseful and dramatic mystery novels of the 20th century.
It's one of my personal favorites (I think I've read it seven times) and number 9 on the Mystery Guild of America's list of Top Mystery Novels of All Time. It's also the subject of a classic Alfred Hitchcock movie of the same name, the winner of the 1940 Academy Award for Best Picture.
Meeting Mr. DeWinter
Rebecca begins in the South of France, in "Monty" as Mrs. Hopper, the companion/employer of the story's heroine and narrator (who is never named), calls Monte Carlo. The story is a kind of modern-day Cinderella story. A young girl, orphaned and forced to play secretary/companion to an over-bearing matron, meets a wealthy, sophisticated, and mysterious (tragic?) older widower. They meet, fall in love, and agree to marry -- all in the span of a week.
Manderley
Maxim DeWinter, our heroine's new husband, is the lord of a palatial, and legendary, estate in Cornwall. The newlyweds return to the estate after a whirlwind European honeymoon. The entire staff -- dozens of them -- are turned out to greet the young and meek bride. Chief among them is Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper and personal maid to Rebecca, the first Mrs. DeWinter. As Maxim's new wife tries to learn the duties and routines of the lady of the manor, it seems the glamorous and flamboyant Rebecca is around every corner. There is her stationary in the desk, her handkerchief in the pocket of a coat grabbed from the hall closet, and her things in the west wing bedroom, arranged carefully by Mrs. Danvers as if the former Mrs. DeWinter had just left the room.
Despair
All of this becomes too much for the timid bride. She begins to compare herself (unfavorably) to Rebecca and teeters on the edge of depression and madness. She is drawn, encouraged by Mrs. Danvers, to learn all she can about Rebecca and to emulate her. How can she know that the very things that make the young girl feel inadequate are the very traits that attracted Maxim to her? Will she realize her folly in time to save her marriage and her sanity?
Rebecca is a must-read for any mystery fan. The timeless tale is suspenseful without being overwhelming and builds gradually to its awful conclusion.
The Hitchcock movie, his first American film, enhances rather than detracts from the book. It stars Laurence Oliver as Maxim, Joan Fontaine as his new wife, and features a chilling performance by Dame Judith Anderson as Mrs. Danvers. The black and white footage adds a degree of mystery to the story and Hitchcock's clever camera angles serve to increase the tension.
