Dame Daphne Du Maurier

My Cousin Rachel

The cypress trees closed in upon us, and the shuttered villa, like a sepulchre, waited at the further end

I saw things, not in hazy fashion, but with the clarity of the very drunk

Daphne du Maurier

Daphne du Maurier's classic novel of lust, suspicion, and obsession that inspired major motion picture starring Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin. Orphaned at an early age, Philip Ashley is raised by his benevolent older cousin, Ambrose. Resolutely single, Ambrose delights in Philip as his heir, and Philip grows to love Ambrose's grand estate as much as he does. But the cozy world the two construct is shattered when Ambrose sets off on a trip to Florence. There he falls in love and marries a mysterious distant cousin named Rachel -- and there he dies suddenly. Jealous of his marriage, racked by suspicion at the hints in Ambrose's letters, and grief-stricken by his death, Philip prepares to meet his cousin's widow with hatred in his heart. But when she arrives at the estate, Rachel seems to be a different woman from the one described in Ambrose's letters. Beautiful, sophisticated, and magnetic, Philip cannot help but feel drawn to Rachel. And yet, questions still linger: might she have had a hand in Ambrose's death? And how, exactly, did Ambrose die? As Philip pursues the answers to these questions, he realizes that his own fate could hang in the balance.

Daphne Du Maurier

Sarah Sammis

The very first du Maurier book I ever read. I carried that book around with me everywhere while I was reading.

Laura Mauler

Seeds of misgiving, planted sparingly but purposefully, grow into vines of doubt and dread. They slip out of the pages and twine around the reader's hands, binding the book into place so that one absolutely cannot put it down.

Colleen

4 Stars
 
*An atmospheric and eerie tale of obsession and revenge*


Daphne du Maurier is one of those authors that I honestly can't say why it took me so long to read. I read my first book of hers, Rebecca, last year and loved it. Since I've been on a bit of a Gothic kick lately, I knew I had to check out more of her work. I chose My Cousin Rachel because it is one of her other popular works.

While I didn't love My Cousin Rachel as much as Rebecca, it was still an excellent novel. My main reason for giving it four stars is that there is a section in the middle where things are at a bit of a stalemate that goes on a bit too long. Although admittedly, that is done to build up the emotional tumult of the characters. 


  “We were dreamers, both of us, unpractical, reserved, full of great theories never put to test, and like all dreamers, asleep to the waking world. Disliking our fellow men, we craved affection; but shyness kept impulse dormant until the heart was touched. When that happened the heavens opened, and we felt, the pair of us, that we have the whole wealth of the universe to give. We would have both survived, had we been other men.”

Du Maurier's work has some elements that don't usually work for me. Frankly, it's a bit angsty. Both of her books that I've read so far were slow, languid explorations of boiling cauldrons of emotion. Yet, I was inexplicably drawn in. Her writing is so atmospheric and vivid. I just love it!

Particularly at the beginning, My Cousin Rachel reminded me of The Woman in White which I also recently read. They both have that wonderful Gothic atmosphere of a character telling the story of how their lives were irrevocably changed by unforeseen events.


  “How soft and gentle her name sounds when I whisper it. It lingers on the tongue, insidious and slow, almost like poison, which is apt indeed. It passes from the tongue to the parched lips, and from the lips back to the heart. And the heart controls the body, and the mind also. Shall I be free of it one day?”

This isn't a story that will appeal to everyone. It is slow and character-driven. It is also ambiguous. But like The Turning of the Screw, the ambiguity strikes the perfect balance where either side can be reasonably argued. I enjoyed looking at both sides, and I'm still not sure which I believe. But this is a story that is best without spoilers, so I won't say any more about that!

A couple of days after finishing My Cousin Rachel, I was watching a livestream of Katherine Arden where she mentioned Daphne du Maurier. She had some interesting points about how several of du Maurier's books are variations of young woman goes to mysterious manner house then bad things happen. Yet how each of those stories explores that premise in different ways. And that is so true of what I've read so far. The settings and themes of Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel are so similar, and yet they are completely different books. The themes of insecurities (both emotional and financial), obsessive love, and madness are clear. The settings obviously similar although My Cousin Rachel is historical fiction and Rebecca was more contemporary. But they are totally distinct stories from each other. It's like Monet painting water lilies over and over. They're all water lilies but they are so many distinct works. I look forward to reading more of du Maurier's variations on the theme. It just goes to show all those naysayers of troupes, that it isn't the troupes themselves that are worn-out. It's all in the execution of them.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 5 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 4 Stars
Level of Captivation: 5 Stars
Originality: 4 Stars

Cheri McElroy

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Phillip is 24 when he inherits an estate from his guardian, Ambrose. Ambrose went to winter in Italy, married Rachel, and died over a year later.

Enter Rachel into Phillip’s life. Did she try to poison Ambrose, or was he ill and delusional? 

No one creates a gothic atmosphere like du Maurier. The ending that leads to a conclusion, but not definitively. Also, her prose is top-notch. I loved this book.

'Du Maurier is a storyteller whose sole aim is to bewitch and beguile. And in My Cousin Rachel she does both, with Rebecca looking fondly over her shoulder' New York Times Orphaned at an early age, Philip Ashley is raised by his benevolent cousin, Ambrose. Resolutely single, Ambrose delights in making Philip his heir, knowing he will treasure his beautiful Cornish estate. But Philip's world is shattered when Ambrose sets off on a trip to Florence. There he falls in love and marries - and then dies suddenly in suspicious circumstances. Before long, the new widow - Philip's cousin Rachel - arrives in England. Despite himself, Philip is drawn to this beautiful, mysterious woman. But could she have masterminded Ambrose's death?

Alesha ponomarenko

It’s a clique love story in the way of lover obsession. Would not read again.

Sally Beauman

I threw the piece of paper on the fire. She saw it burn . . . Orphaned at an early age, Philip Ashley is raised by his benevolent older cousin, Ambrose. Resolutely single, Ambrose delights in Philip as his heir, a man who will love his grand home as much as he does himself. But the cosy world the two construct is shattered when Ambrose sets off on a trip to Florence. There he falls in love and marries - and there he dies suddenly. In almost no time at all, the new widow - Philip's cousin Rachel - turns up in England. Despite himself, Philip is drawn to this beautiful, sophisticated, mysterious woman like a moth to the flame. And yet . . . might she have had a hand in Ambrose's death?

Jade Flynn

du Maurier had the gift of combining page turners with beautifully written langauge. Her novels are the equivalent of sitting by an open fire in a ridiculously comfy chair, on a stormy evening, whilst hearing distant claps of thunder. When all of a sudden, you hear a slight rustle from the next room and you aren't too sure if it was the wind, your imagination or something more sinister.

Daryl Houston

I liked this one quite a lot. It was an easy read that made the old gears turn as I thought about the central mystery. I didn't care about the resolution of the mystery itself, but thinking about Du Maurier's stance here on the dynamics between men and women was very satisfying.

Linn 

honestly keep the first few chapters and the last few chapters, the rest just bored me 

(2.5/5)

Sonia Flores

Una lectura desesperante. En todo sentido. La cantidad de emociones vertidas en cada página me sofocaba al punto de detestar cada minuto leyendo, aunque la narrativa me mantuvo constantemente atada a la curiosidad por el desenlace de la historia. Desde el principio se respira tragedia, malas intenciones. Desde el principio sabes que algo (o todo) saldrá mal.

A medida que se avanza, no se hace más que confirmar las sospechas, y esa espiral en la que cae nuestro ingenuo protagonista nos abruma y nos hace sentir más rechazo por la causante de todo. Tan calculadora, tan misteriosa, tan... oscura. La aversión que sentí fue inmensa. Ya había perdido toda esperanza de mejora.

Por momentos, sentí que daba demasiadas vueltas, que la autora nos contaba más de lo que nos interesaba saber, pero más adelante cambié por completo de parecer. Creo que esa perspectiva surgió ante la ira de leer una y otra vez la manera de manipular que tenía Rachel. Pero poco a poco, me di cuenta de que nada se decía sin un motivo. Todo es clave, y cuando empecé a predecir lo que sucedía, fue que noté que nada era un cabo suelto. Creo que lo que me ayudó a sobrellevar las injusticias aquí narradas fue el pesimismo. Sí, el pesimismo, la resignación, la idea de que todo acabaría mal, que para qué esperar lo mejor si desde el principio se notaba que no había esperanzas para Philip.
Mis expectativas respecto a un buen final fueron sobrepasadas y debo decir que me sorprendió muchísimo. Fue como un corte súbito. Como la interrupción brusca de algo que funciona sin prestar atención a su entorno y sin recibir ninguna influencia hasta que, de pronto, algo que ha estado ignorando cae sobre él y lo detiene, sin aviso previo.

Draculelle

Would I read this book again? Yes. Do I think Phillip Ashley is the single most infuriating protagonist ever? Yes. This is the second novel of Du Maurier’s that I’ve read and both have been so atmospheric and suspenseful. The open ended conclusion is what I really loved the most about it, as it forces the reader to decide, and I think that itself is what it makes this book a classic. Although I don’t think this one is as good as Rebecca, it’s definitely worth reading!

My Cousin Rachel

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