I recently read an amazing gothic novel, Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, and I am still reeling. I know when some people hear “gothic novel” they think something like Dracula, or Frankenstein then cringe, but seriously, this novel is great and way easier to read than either of those books. This novel is also way more relatable than those books. It has a young female narrator who experiences anxiety and shyness. Like most people her age, she makes really questionable decisions, and can seem kind of stupid to readers, but that’s also what makes her relatable. Here are all the reasons this should be the next book you read!
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There’s a spooky house.
With this month being October, spooky season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than with a book about a haunted house! The novel starts with one of the most iconic opening lines for a novel, “Last night I dreamt of Manderley.” The house isn’t haunted by real ghosts, but more the memory of someone. Without giving too much away, imagine what it would be like to marry someone, and have to live in his house that was completely decorated and run the way it was when his dead wife was still alive. You’d feel pretty haunted too.
2. A crazy love story
The book begins with the main character living with an older woman as a companion, when she meets a mysterious and handsome older man. They begin spending time together over a period of a couple weeks, then just when we think they’re not going to see each other anymore, he proposes! Of course our young and naive narrator says yes despite hardly knowing this man at all. Their honeymoon goes well, but as soon as they get home, the husband begins acting odd. It looks like they have a loveless marriage, but after some twists and turns, we start to believe the main characters can make it.
3. A depiction of anxiety and depression
The main character has what appears to be severe anxiety, almost to the point of delusion. She has many fantasies in which she plays out how she thinks situations could go (usually badly). She also becomes so depressed about her failed marriage that she briefly considers suicide. The narrator never actually deals with her anxieties or depression and just relies on her husband to convince her that she is happy, so she is not a good model for those dealing with similar issues, but still relatable.
4. Creepy old lady who runs the house
Mrs. Danvers is quite possibly one of the creepiest women in literature. She is the maid who runs Manderley, and from the moment the is introduced we see her as a dead looking person. She is described as having skeletal like features and has a cold deathlike grip when she shakes hands with the narrator. As if these descriptions weren’t enough, she begins acting very strangely and smiles creepily at the narrator every chance she gets. Honestly she really adds a lot to the creepy, haunted house aspect.
5. The plot twists!
I went into reading this book expecting to be able to figure out the ending easily. I even thought I figured out how it would end before I was even halfway through, but I was proven wrong. Everything I thought I knew about this book turned out to be false. This book really exceeded my expectations and kept me enthralled with plot twists all the way to the last sentence.
Even if you think gothic novels aren’t for you, Rebecca is for you. This novel really has it all as far as spooky gothic novels go, and more. This book is amazing and such an easy read, that there is no excuse to not go to your local Half Price Books and pick up a copy to immediately curl up in bed and start reading.
And as soon as you finish reading you can see the Alfred Hitchcock directed movie!