rebecca

Last night I read Rebecca again... Oh, what a great book. I hadn't read it in years and loved the spooky Gothic atmosphere, the surprising twists, the descriptions of living in such a colossal house, the constant taking of tea. You just sink into the story, wrapped up in the narrator.

In my editon, the introduction by Sally Beauman was all spoilers. It kind of ruined my fun a little bit even though the insights about identity and gender-blurring were valuable. It should have been placed at the end of the story.

Here's a photo of Milton Hall, the supposed inspiration for Manderley --


Seriously - to live in a house like that I'd marry a murderer!



"Rameau's Niece" by Catherine Schine was comic and light - repressed academic goes on sexual odyssey - but ultimately tiresome. It took too long for the story to get started and had a thousand overblown descriptions of how amazing her husband was. There were funny bits though - a discussion between friends where one thinks the topic is Art (as in Art History) and one thinks they're discussing Art (as in the friend's husband Arthur).

I loved loved loved Schine's book "The Love Letter" and remain convinced that's her best work.