Read: Rebecca

Rebecca: A Romantic Gothic Novel.

To describe a book as such would certainly stimulate one’s curiosity.

I happen to see this book haphazardly lying in the bookstore.  With its unappealing cover, I opened it to browse the first sentence and I was hooked.

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me”.

Published in 1938, Rebecca quickly became a bestseller and even won Du Maurier won the National Book Award for favourite novel of the year.

A great example of gothic literature that explores the concept of romance, mysteries and intriguing secrets,  you can feel the suspense as you hang on to every chapter.  

Note: Do not read this book if you do not plan on staying up all night.

It starts with an almost love story of a young girl who is swept off her feet by a much older and richer man.  After several weeks, she agrees to his proposal and becomes Mrs. De Winters, a mistress to a sprawling Manderley estate. 

Then the story  adapts a different tone filled with intrigues, nightmarish dreams and whispers of murder.

Told from the narrator’s perspective, the pace of the story hooks to reader’s attention because it’s hard to figure out what will happen next.  And then, the surprise and unbelievable ending.

So if you find yourself with some spare time, best read in bed on a cold rainy night, get yourself a copy of this book.  And I promise you, you won’t get sleepy until you finish it.