Miss du Maurier’s sensitive words flutter to her gentle service as birds, used to being fed with crumbs, gather in a garden when they hear breakfast being cleared away. The Daily Herald revels in du Maurier’s departure from other contemporary writers’ ‘rough use’ of words, and praises her ‘high degree of story-telling craftsmanship:’ Indeed, many of the first reviews of Rebecca praise du Maurier’s use of prose. Woodham writing for the Sheffield Independentwas ‘held…breathless’ by the novel, impressed by du Maurier’s use of ‘fine, sensitive language.’ The Dundee Courier writes how Rebecca promises to be ‘the outstanding novel of the year,’ whilst the Leeds Mercury predicts it to be ‘one of the hits of the year.’ Meanwhile, H.S.
Released in the August of 1938, the first responses to Daphne du Maurier’s new novel were overwhelmingly positive ones. Register now and explore The Archive ‘Perfect Specimen of a Best-Seller’ So read on to discover more about the initial critical reaction to Rebecca, how it was adapted for the stage, and how it was turned into an Oscar-winning film – using newspaper pages taken from the British Newspaper Archive, and don’t worry – if you haven’t read the book or seen the film, we won’t be including any spoilers! ‘Study of an Author – Daphne du Maurier’ | The Bystander | 10 August 1938Īn immediate publishing success du Maurier went to on adapt her story for the stage and it was then picked up by Hollywood, directed by none other than Alfred Hitchcock in his first Hollywood film.
Published in August 1938, Rebecca was Daphne du Maurier’s fifth novel, the author having already had success with her 1936 work Jamaica Inn. The daughter of Sir Gerald du Maurier, a famous actor, and the granddaughter of George du Maurier, a cartoonist and novelist, Daphne du Maurier had an immensely creative background which was to bear fruit with the publication of Rebecca. To celebrate the release of Netflix’s new film Rebecca, starring Armie Hammer, Lily James and Kristin Scott Thomas, in this special blog we will be looking at the publishing phenomenon that was, and still is, Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca.
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