Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca by Charles Bryant

One of my very favourite women novelists is Daphne du Maurier. She published 'Rebecca' in 1938 and it is a most intriguing work. On the surface it appears to be a simple story, but for me it has great depth and resonance. Daphne was herself a most intriguing person and very far from being the artless lady novelist some have supposed. This poem gives some hints of what I think about her and this particular novel. The clips are from Hitchcock's wonderful film of the book and the music is by Liszt.


DAPHNE DU MAURIER'S REBECCA

Manderley: shut gate and snaking drive.
Psychodrama of a young girl's soul.
Daphne's interior dialogue with Self.
Locked gates; her entrance barred; the world within
unavailable to conscious thought.
One possible approach: through mythic dream;
stage-play of the novel; mythology
of the later nineteen-thirties: sports cars; servants
little less than gods; a stupid heroine
bumbling about the landscape, terrified
of her own lengthened shadow on the grass;
Rebecca, malignant image in the glass.
Below the world of nicety, the vortex
of uncomprehended meaning. Mrs Danvers
the solemn psychopomp, the key to unlock
the ever-potent mystery; the clue
to escape the snaking labyrinth within.

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• daphne
• du
• maurier
• rebecca
• charles
• bryant
• psychodrama
• alfred
• hitchcock
• liszt
• spoken
• word
• performing
• arts
• 1930s

[silentnightjbj]

is there a continuation to this novel? it looks like there should be a sequel because...well..manderley burned up...right? it reallly looks like this must continue.

[brychar66]

No, it ended there. In fact, the ending of the novel is very very abrupt, almost like a slap in the face :)

[tuetuesday]

sorry, i'm all lost here... the videoclip, is it from a movie based on the book rebecca?? and you yourself wrote the poem out of inspiration, am i right? i love everything about this clip, by the way, it started me on a feeling, except i dont know anything about Rebecca =/

[brychar66]

the poem is by me, the film is by Hitchcock. you can watch the whole film on You Tube - it's great! the novel is by Daphne du Maurier.

[6celery8]

Mrs. Danvers emerging from the shadows of her Mistress Rebecca's bed chamber...it doesn't get much more spooky than that.

Your words and the imagery are a perfect coupling...Wonderful!

[brychar66]

Thanks Marc. Was just looking at your website. 'Misty view of the Canopus at Tivoli' is great, so atmospheric. Did you take it yourself?

[TheMajaaristo]

I love this. Thank you for putting this up. It's beautiful, dark and captures all the essence of the novel and the film.. This is my favorite novel and film.

I just wrote a dark gothic romance novel myself.

Again, many thanks.

[Witch1993]

There's a sequel called "Mrs. de Winter" written by a different author

[mosea70]

i love this novel

[andrewnorris1]

Your videos are always an education to watch, not to mention a real pleasure. Great clip full of mystery and tension.

[5513011]

...And it all went up in flames!! How sad! Thanks for your thoughts Charles. Sam.

[6celery8]

Thanks for visiting my page. I'm afraid that I've never been to Tivoli...someday maybe.