Who Does Gothic Better than Du Maurier? No One!

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	• My Cousin Rachel Daphne du Maurier Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2006 - 374 pages average customer review:based on 5 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Who Does Gothic Better than Du Maurier? No One!

My Cousin Rachel is by Daphne du Maurier (288 pgs) and was written in 1951. There is something about the way du Maurier writes that makes it hard to put one of her books down. And this is no exception. From the opening sentence, I was utterly and completely enthralled!!

The story is told by Philip Ashley, a young orphan who was taken in to raise by his cousin Ambrose, a young man not much more than a boy himself. And it was just the two of them for many years. No women around at all....not even on the staff. There was never a need, when the men could get along so well without them! When Ambrose's health starts to falter a bit, he is pushed to spend the cold, damp winters in a warmer climate. Imagine Philip's surprise when, one winter, Ambrose writes that he has married a woman from Florence! Her name was Rachel, a widow that was struggling to survive the debt her first husband had left. Not only was Philip surprised, he was jealous. Ambrose had always been his and his alone. He never had to share him with anyone.

When Ambrose decides to stay in Florence to help settle some estate problems for Rachel, Philip is upset. And when Ambrose's correspondence starts falling behind, he even starts to get worried. About this time a letter arrives for Philip that is shaky and completely unlike Ambrose. Philip quickly decides to make the trip to Florence. Ambrose complains of being sick and is having doubts about Rachel, his torment. But when Philip arrives at the villa in Italy, Ambrose has already passed away, and Rachel has left the country. With revenge on his mind, Philip goes back to England to find he will inherit the entire Ashley estate on his twenty-fifth birthday, which is only 6 months away. No provisions at all have been made for Rachel, Ambrose's widow. This is just how Philip would have it, until the day that his cousin, Rachel arrives in England. She is not at all the type of woman he expected.

The thing about this book is that once you read it, you will have more questions than when you started!! Is Rachel the sweet, innocent angel she seems to be? Flirty, but naive? Or is she a calculating, evil temptress, who only uses men for her personal gain? And what about Philip? Is he driven mad by jealousy and obsession? Or is there something else at work? The ending is anything but straightforward, and the reader is left to his own to answer these questions. The mystery surrounding Rachel unravels slowly, but in such a way as to keep you on the edge of your seat. I actually liked this book far more than I did Rebecca, du Maurier's more popular work. Excellent, Gothic read for a stormy and dark night!!

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This is a very good book!

My Cousin Rachel is one of my favorite books of all time. As I dived into its pages, I found myself being led through the emotions of the narrator. Daphne du Maurier wrote the book in such a way that every new emotion is perfectly believable--the narrator's reaction is real and understandable. I eagerly read on, wishing to know the truth behind the mystery surrounding the widow Rachel. Finally, I got to the end. It forced me to think and speculate. I had to draw my own conclusion from the facts--which, I think, is what partly made the book so unforgettable.

If you want mystery, an interesting plot, content for not only eating but digesting, or just plain enjoyment, you'll like this book.

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Simply Could Not Put It Down

Like the previous reviewer, I am also a writer, tho not a mystery writer. When people ask me what kind of books I write, I answer, "Good ones." When they ask me what kind of books I read, I answer the same.

This book is no exception. I fell in love with it from the first sentence and was blown away by the ending. Only a master of the craft could have been so clever!

As a teacher of fiction, I use DuMaurier often in my examples. Is it any wonder?

Eva Marie Everson

Rachel, My Torment

"They used to hang men at Four Turnings in the old days. Not any more, though...."

I'm a mystery writer, and Daphne du Maurier was one of my earliest inspirations. REBECCA is her masterpiece, followed by two other novels, THE SCAPEGOAT and this 1951 bestseller. The opening sentences of MY COUSIN RACHEL (above) are second only to the immortal opening line of REBECCA.

In 1840s Cornwall, young Philip Ashley inherits the fortune of the cousin who raised him, who has recently married abroad (Italy) and died under mysterious circumstances. Philip's pleasant life is disrupted by the sudden arrival of his cousin's beautiful widow, Rachel. Initially planning to send her on her way with a generous pension, he soon finds himself falling in love with her--even as he begins to suspect that she murdered his cousin and may be planning the same fate for him.

Rarely have I read a novel in which the tension and suspense arise almost exclusively from character. Who is this woman? What is she doing? How is the young hero going to respond to her? These questions have haunted readers since the book first appeared, and they will continue to do so for a long time to come. Reading the book again after all these years, I was amazed by du Maurier's plotting, her use of language, and the way she can create an atmosphere of foreboding that is almost palpable. Writers can learn a lot from this master, and RACHEL is a must for anyone who loves the very best in suspense.

PS: The 1952 film version, with Olivia de Havilland and an incredibly young Richard Burton in the leads, is also excellent.

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Flooring

England, 1840s. Philip Ashley has known many hardships since childhood. He lost his parents and has lived life as an orphan. However, his young cousin Ambrose was always there for him. Ambrose, not much older than Philip, took care of his young cousin, and growing up hadn't been so difficult, all thanks to his cousin. But then Ambrose goes to Italy, and Philip learns that he had married a woman named Rachel in Florence. Before he knows it, Rachel travels to England, and delivers the news that Ambrose died. Rachel is a mysterious creature. At first, Philip is somewhat annoyed. She tells Philip about the financial difficulties she and her husband were facing due to his many debts. Philip has a good income, and he figures he could settle her with a generous pension so she could move on. But then the unthinkable happens -- he falls in love with Rachel. And it is only while this love is blossoming that doubts begin to seep in. How did Ambrose die? And was Rachel the one responsible? More important, what is she after and will she murder Philip as well? Is he in love with his worst nightmare?

My Cousin Rachel is filled with Victorian gothic suspense that, like Rebecca and Jamaica Inn, makes you want to turn the pages. Daphne Du Maurier had a gifted way of adding mystique and intrigue in the characters more than with the story or gothic elements themselves. She really had a way of making the characters -- especially the creepy ones -- come alive with her unique language. This is the first novel of hers that I read that is told from a male character's point of view, and I was enthralled with the story. Like Rebecca, I was able to picture everything in my head as though it were a horror film, more entertaining and far more intelligent than a film, in fact. I couldn't put My Cousin Rachel down. I still have The Scapegoat and I look forward to giving that one a whirl. In the meantime, I recommend this one. If you have read Rebecca and never picked up any of Maurier's other novels, then it is time that you do. You can start with this gem and Jamaica Inn.

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