Perhaps I was raised cynical or turned that way by TV, but I guessed the "secret" by page 120, well before it was even alluded to, and finally, by the end on page 380, I summed up the book in the following way: It basically follows the same exact path as Jane Eyre. Spunky, yet reserved underling female finds an older, immensely wealthy mansion-owner, who is immeasurably attractive in his ability to brood and unwittingly distress his female companion. They are somewhat happy for a little while, but something comes between them. It certainly isn't what the heroine believes is affecting their relationship, and it has to do with his former wife. I found it a good read, but thought the unnamed narrator's "reactions" were a bit trite, especially when the "shocking" secret is revealed. My mind kept drawing "Jane Eyre" parallels and found this to have only a smattering of Bronte's lyricism and insight; I also enjoyed Jane Eyre more because Bronte had the grace to make her anti-hero physically unattractive and punished him severely and Oedipally, whereas the question of meting out justice here was a stretch ("Justice," in terms of court proceedings, was never done, and Max's ensuing heartache may count as punishment, but barely). However, this is probably one of the better romances following in Bronte's Gothic vein. 3.8/5 stars because it's a decent yarn and a page-turner, but several stars off because it lacks credibility and lyricism of prose.

I'm not an obsessive fan of mysteries or romances but this book has just enough of both to keep it interesting. It's the story of a young woman who marries a widower and discovers, too late, that overcoming his memories of his deceased wife will be a real journey.

This book will suck you right in! I still cannot believe it's not a contemporary book--it's filled with mystery and intrigue and feels very current, though a classic.

After reading so many of the predictable murder mysteries of today, this was a breath of fresh air.

One of my favorite classics and a great read. Gets better with each time.

Great book! It kept me hooked from beginning to end.

Its a classic!!

A good story, full of suspense.

One of the bestselling novels of all time, this is a classic romantic suspense story.

A classic novel of love.

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The novel begins, as does a Sherlock Holmes story, with a hint of the denouement. It bodes of tragedy. As I read, I find that her writing rivals that of the Brontes. Rebecca de Winter is an unusual protagonist. She has a secret. Unfortunately, she cannot disclose it, as our heroine has been dead for at least a year. Little by little, we learn about her from the narrator, the next Mrs. de Winter, as she interacts with a host of supporting characters. Rebecca is a maven, and it seems to me as if she is a forebear of Martha Stewart. The deeper that I get into this novel, I return to the title page to verify that I am not reading Jane Eyre. No, wait! It cannot be! They are zipping around in motorcars. At the onset, we are told the fate of Manderley, the de Winter estate. It is similar to that of ?????? Will Du Maurier’s characters share a common fate with those of Charlotte Bronte’s? I am intrigued by the enigmas. Rebecca is loved by everyone, but what is her secret? What is the next Mrs. de Winter’s given name? Her husband never mentions it; to all else she is Mrs. de Winter. I wait while the narrator peels away the layers that reveal the true Rebecca. Finally, the end sends us back to the beginning. Holmes again. But, certainly not quite Finnegan’s Wake.

have not read book

(from the back)
"Last Night I Dreamt
I Went To Manderley Again."
So the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter remembered the chilling events that led her down the turning drive past ther beeches, white and naked, to the isolated gray stone manse on the windswept Cornish coast. With a husband she barely knew, the young bride arrived at this immense estate, only to be inexorably drawn into the life of the first Mrs. de Winter, the beautiful Rebecca, dead but never forgotten...her suite of rooms never touched, her clothes ready to be worn, her servant -- the sinister Mrs. Danvers -- still loyal. And as an eerie presentiment of evil tightened around her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter began her search for the real fate of Rebecca...for the secrets of Manderley.

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderly again..." With these words, the reader is ushered into an isolated grey stone mansion on the windswept Cornish coast, as the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter recalls the chilling events that transpired when she began her new life as the young bride of a husband she barely knew. For in every corner of every room in the immense, foreboding house were phantoms of a time dead but not forgotten-a past devotedly preserved by the sinister housekeeper, Mr. Danvers: a suite immaculate and untouched, clothing laid out and ready to be worn, but not by any of the great house's current occupants. With an eerie presentiment of evil tightening her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter walks in the shadow of her mysterious predecessor, determined to uncover the darkest secrets and shattering truths about Maxim's first wife - the late and hauntinly beautiful Rebecca.

One of the great classics of suspense and romance.

gothic romance. considered the unsurpassed modern masterpiece of romantic suspense and one of the best-selling novels of all time.

The quintessential romantic suspense novel. This is a classic! A must-read!

A bit slow moving for my taste.

So the second Mrs. Maxin de Winter remembered the chilling events that led her down the turning drive past the beeches, white and naked, to the isolated gray stone manse on the windsweot Cornish coast. With a husband she barely knew, the young bride arrived at this Mrs. de Winter, the beautiful Rebecca, dead but never forgotten...her suite of rooms never touched, her clothes ready to be worn, her servant-the sinister Mrs. Danvers-still loyal. And as an eerie presentiment of evil tightened around her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter began her search for the real fate of Rebecca...for the secrets of Manderley.

excellent! an all time favorite.

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