Gothic Classic: Rebecca
Sep. 15th, 2005 11:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dangermousieOne of my all-time favorite books is a rather cliche choice: it's Daphne du Maurier's Gothic classic Rebecca. Now, I am not a big Gothic fan. In fact, the only two I've managed to finish and enjoy are "Rebecca" and the mother of them all: Ann Radcliffe's "The Mysteries of Udolpho" (though the latter was more for the atmospherics and the gorgeous 18th-centuriness of it all). But somehow, "Rebecca" captivated me.
I first found it through an abridged audiobook. I was still in high school and working during the summer. The work was dull but the place I worked allowed us to use headphones. So I kept borrowing books on tape from the public library. One such was "Rebecca" and I was immadiately hooked. Then, I had to find the proper version to read, of course...
The plot (for those who don't know) involves the nameless narrator (abbreviated here as NN because I am lazy). She is a young timid paid companion to a vulgar, horrible rich woman in Montecarlo. There she meets and falls in love with the older, haunted widower Maxim de Winter, who is still recovering (they say) from his adored wife's Rebecca's death. NN never thinks to have her feelings reciprocated and is shocked when she finds herself married to Maxim and going back to Mandeley, his English estate, with him. But how can she ever compete with the dead Rebecca? Rebecca who was beautiful and accomplished, and poised and polished and witty and beloved and most of all dead, so impossible to shake from her pedestal. How will the country genry accept her? How will she learn to run the huge house? How will she be able to deal with Mrs Danvers, the old housekeeper who is fanatically devoted to the dead woman? And most importantly of all, how will she ever eclipse Rebecca in Maxim's eyes?
To say any more will be to ruin it, so I will instead talk about the wonderful movie version of the book. It's made by Hitchcock and won him his only Best Picture. It's a perfect adaptation, and the casting is impeccable. Laurence Olivier plays Maxim, every bit as charming and wounded as Maxim is in the book. Joan Fontaine plays NN, and she is wonderful as the lost young woman. Judith Anderson freaked me out as Mrs. Danvers. *shudder* And George Sanders is all untrustworthy charm as Rebecca's cousin.
I really want to discuss gender roles and reversals and how the very qualities that made NN uncomfortable at Manderley are what made NN attractive to Maxim but that would be making a long post even longer.
Maxim in a stylized drawing of the movie:
Movie poster:
NN dressed for a costume party:
Seeing more evidence of the former mistress of the house on the pillowcases:
Mmmmm, I love the fact that everyone wears suits:
And I love the 1930s styles:
Maxim and NN pics:
Moody:
Dapper:
Breakfasty:
Scared:
In tweed:
Poor NN and Mrs. Danvers:
Poster with NN, Maxim and Mrs. Danvers:
I first found it through an abridged audiobook. I was still in high school and working during the summer. The work was dull but the place I worked allowed us to use headphones. So I kept borrowing books on tape from the public library. One such was "Rebecca" and I was immadiately hooked. Then, I had to find the proper version to read, of course...
The plot (for those who don't know) involves the nameless narrator (abbreviated here as NN because I am lazy). She is a young timid paid companion to a vulgar, horrible rich woman in Montecarlo. There she meets and falls in love with the older, haunted widower Maxim de Winter, who is still recovering (they say) from his adored wife's Rebecca's death. NN never thinks to have her feelings reciprocated and is shocked when she finds herself married to Maxim and going back to Mandeley, his English estate, with him. But how can she ever compete with the dead Rebecca? Rebecca who was beautiful and accomplished, and poised and polished and witty and beloved and most of all dead, so impossible to shake from her pedestal. How will the country genry accept her? How will she learn to run the huge house? How will she be able to deal with Mrs Danvers, the old housekeeper who is fanatically devoted to the dead woman? And most importantly of all, how will she ever eclipse Rebecca in Maxim's eyes?
To say any more will be to ruin it, so I will instead talk about the wonderful movie version of the book. It's made by Hitchcock and won him his only Best Picture. It's a perfect adaptation, and the casting is impeccable. Laurence Olivier plays Maxim, every bit as charming and wounded as Maxim is in the book. Joan Fontaine plays NN, and she is wonderful as the lost young woman. Judith Anderson freaked me out as Mrs. Danvers. *shudder* And George Sanders is all untrustworthy charm as Rebecca's cousin.
I really want to discuss gender roles and reversals and how the very qualities that made NN uncomfortable at Manderley are what made NN attractive to Maxim but that would be making a long post even longer.
Maxim in a stylized drawing of the movie:
Movie poster:
NN dressed for a costume party:
Seeing more evidence of the former mistress of the house on the pillowcases:
Mmmmm, I love the fact that everyone wears suits:
And I love the 1930s styles:
Maxim and NN pics:
Moody:
Dapper:
Breakfasty:
Scared:
In tweed:
Poor NN and Mrs. Danvers:
Poster with NN, Maxim and Mrs. Danvers:
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no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 03:49 pm (UTC)BTW, the BW adaption Kohraa with Waheeda Rehman is interesting as well. Sadly they were obviously lacking a Laurence Olivier, but they had a wonderful actress for the Mrs. Danvers role.
What on earth?!
Date: 2005-09-15 04:11 pm (UTC)AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I'm totally watching it ASAP.
Re: What on earth?!
Date: 2005-09-15 04:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 05:28 pm (UTC)Oh yes. She is so sweet and loving and innocent. It's also interesting how the movie subtly shows they were perfectly fine until they returned to Manderley.
Didn't know re: BW version. I am not too inclined to seek it out, but fascinating!
no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 03:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 05:27 pm (UTC)I love the beginning of the book "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." Best opening line ever. or close.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 04:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 05:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 04:10 pm (UTC)I didn't even know there was a movie, I"m definitely going to watch it now.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 05:24 pm (UTC)I didn't read the sequel. I actually tend to stay away from continuations by other authors. Besides, it's not as if "Rebecca" is like GWTW that was open ended...Hmmmm....
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Date: 2005-09-15 04:18 pm (UTC)Are you a fan of Jane Eyre? I think one of the only reasons I managed to read the whole thing was that I amused myself constantly thinking of parallels between Jane and the second Mrs. DeWinter.
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Date: 2005-09-15 05:23 pm (UTC)I adore Jane Eyre. Of course, JE has much more of a spine. I can't see Mrs Danvers getting anywhere with her...
no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 04:28 pm (UTC)You have awesome taste-- did you know that? ^_~
-Meredith
no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 05:21 pm (UTC)Oh yes...so freaky. I always felt weird watching Judith Anderson in any movies after this...
Re: first wife/second wife. Oh yes...I especially love NN's feeling that how can she compete with Rebecca? Rebecca is dead and frozen in her perfection.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 04:48 pm (UTC)It's the total opposite, but have you ever read Northanger Abbey, the sendup of gothic novels? Brilliance.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 05:20 pm (UTC)Of all the Rebecca versions, the Olivier-Fontaine one is by far the best, IMO. Avoid the Charles Dance one because...ugh. Maxim is supposed to be older, but not a grandfather!
I would watch the movie first. Then read the book for the extra details the movie had to leave out.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 05:29 pm (UTC)She's supposed to be dumb as a box of rocks, unfortunately.
I'll go pull the Hitchcock version of Rebecca to the top of the queue. Let's see how far I can watch before I think of the Carol Burnett skit...
no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 05:33 pm (UTC)Re: Catherine. Tilney is really too wonderful a hero to end up with her. If I was into UC shipping, I'd definitely ship him with Lizzy.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 05:41 pm (UTC)The skit was hilarious as I recall, and utterly over the top. Basically, he gave her a necklace that spelled R-E-B-E-C-C-A, the name was written onto the wallpaper, there was a flashing neon "REBECCA" sign outside...
no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 05:06 pm (UTC)Rebecca is one of my favorite classic movies. The story is intriguin and the revelation about Rebecca was too good!
How old is the book?
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Date: 2005-09-15 05:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 06:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 07:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 06:55 pm (UTC)I hated that book the first time I read it. I don't know why--I think the main character annoyed me. I wrote a blistering journal entry for class on how much I hated it (though I read it of my own volition). I wish I still had that notebook so I could see what I said! I like it a lot more now.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 08:01 pm (UTC)Plus I think a lot of people can identify with feeling out of place. Maybe not to such an extent, but then most of us aren't uprooted innocent girls married to a mysterious older man of a different social class with a psycho staff...
no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 08:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 07:01 pm (UTC)I rented it once, never got around to watching it, and now must rent it again. My life is so hard.
no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 07:56 pm (UTC)ROFL!
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Date: 2005-09-15 09:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 10:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-15 11:42 pm (UTC)I saw the movie on TV but it was so late that I fell asleep :(
no subject
Date: 2005-09-16 02:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-16 04:10 am (UTC)The movie's fantastic as well.
Here be spoilers. Major ones :)
Date: 2005-09-16 04:18 am (UTC)And yes, the movie is wonderful. Olivier has one of those rare voices to die for and I love how his Maxim is still a very uncertain man, really...
Re: Here be spoilers. Major ones :)
Date: 2005-09-17 01:23 am (UTC)