Classic Readalong 2012


Join in with our Classic readalong for 2012. New chapters will be posted each Monday - everyone is welcome to join in with our discussions



Rebecca

© Daphne du Maurier

Chapter One




“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again”




An unseen narrator opens the story, and flits like an abandoned ghost through the imagery as we see Manderley through the eyes of this, as yet unknown storyteller.
A sense of loss pervades, the neglected garden, overgrown with weeds, and the debris that has accumulated in absence, and yet this decay cannot overwhelm entirely the beauty that surrounds the house. The perfect symmetry - “like a jewel in the hollow of a hand”, with lights in the windows and softly blowing curtains, and a room with the ghosts of occupants nearby, a collection of books, a beloved dog, Jasper – all seek to emphasise the spirit of people lingering, but no longer present.
This dream like state persists, memories surface and linger, and we are not yet sure where the story is taking us ...but we are drawn into the idea of Manderley.
And the narrator waking in a bare hotel room, many hundreds of miles away, decides not to share the dream with their companion - “For Manderley was ours no longer. Manderley was no more.”



• Most literature analysts suggest that a book is won or lost by its opening line. The opening line to Rebecca is one of the most iconic opening lines in contemporary literature. What impact did this have on you?
• The story starts retrospectively -and yet we are unsure of time and place, how is time recreated in this opening chapter?
• A sense of loss pervades, the mood is sombre, almost funereal – and yet, did you get a sense of anticipation?
• - Did you want to read on?




Looking forward to discussing this classic book with you all...

Happy Reading

Sassenach, what a beautiful chapter summary!

I am so excited to be re-reading Rebecca; it has been many, many years since I last read this wonderful book. I kept it in my mind all these years as being a favorite, though I have forgotten much of its content - it will be like reading it for the first time, and after reading the first chapter I can't wait to read more. I don't think I will read ahead, but just take one chapter at a time.

The first line draws me from the perspective that the narrator was, obviously, once at the place called Manderley and since it is important enough to occupy their dreams, would indicate a desire to return for some reason. It begs the question, why? It was interesting that in the dream the gate to Manderley was barred to the narrator, and yet their strong desire to revisit the place enabled them to pass through the *barrier*. It makes me wonder what the *barrier* could possibly be to make a return difficult or impossible in an awake state.

Time is recreated in the beautiful, but haunting, descriptions of how nature has taken over the grounds, which indicates a passage of time. At one point, the take-over of the plants is likened to an army, creating an image of the unstoppable force of nature. Maybe the overgrowth symbolizes the events that occurred to eventually cause the demise of Manderley. The dreamer views the house as living and breathing as it had before, which may show the dreamer's desire to have things as they once were. This illusion is shattered and the reality of a *desolate shell* emerges. The narrator describes: "The house was a sepulchre, our fear and suffering lay buried in the ruins." To further indicate that there is no possibility of return - "There would be no resurrection."

The anticipation seems to be in the narrator's desire to remember Manderley as it was, causing the reader to want discover the cause of the desolation. "Manderley was no more." How can you not want to read further to find out why?

I listened to Rebecca last June, so about 7-8 months ago, so I don't remember all the details, but I hope to be able to participate at least some in the discussions.

I remember being very curious about what happened to (and at) Manderley that brought the narrator to this place. And, how much time has passed. I know natural changes can happen quickly (after the huge fires at Yellowstone that burned many, many trees, the next spring there were grasses and flowers and some sections didn't look desolate as one might expect, though there are still burned trees as evidence years later), but I'm not clear on how long it's been since Manderley became "no more." I was also very curious about the narrator. Who is she and what is her relationship to Manderley? It's somewhat unusual to have a first person narrator whose name we don't know and who seems less described than an estate that is no more.

I must have been about 11 the first time I read Rebecca. This novel remained on of my favorites for a long time. I am revisiting this story after a long time! The first chapter set the tone of the book. A true Gothic Novel! The wonders of Manderley described from memory of someone who was once there and knew the place before it was lost. To what? And why? So foreboding and forbidden. How can you not want to read more? The image congers up the ghosts and sadness. Seems almost unbearable to our author. The images are beautifully detailed.

Like many of you, it has been years since I've read the book. Well before my daughter was born,and she is 29.
To me the first chapter felt very dark. The fact that the gate barred her from entering seemed very prophetic. And while the narrator comments oh so briefly about the beauty of Manderley the entire chapter is fraught with language the gives rise to unpleasant images: white naked limbs, parasites, malevolent, prisoners, sepulchre. The descriptions that tweak your interest in Manderley are not sufficient to make me want to stay here, my flight or fight responses kick in!
I also thought it was interesting that the narrator concludes the chapter with "I will not tell my dream" and "Manderley is no more," for it seems Manderley is very much alive affecting the lives, emotions and dreams of this narrator.
Raelin

This is my first reading of Rebecca. I have seen the movie with Olivia de Haviland and Lawrence Olivier, which is wondeful, several times so I am looking forward to seeing how the two renditions compare.

Chapter one is very short, but nonetheless portrays Manderley as having a life of its own. It is an ominous presence indeed. I can't help being reminded of the house in the animated children's movie Monster House, where the house is also a main character in the story. I for one would not want to enter Manderley's gates, but I am interested to know what happened to it for it clearly still haunts the narrator. I can't wait to continue with Chapter 2.

This is also my first read of the book and have never seen the movie although it was available at the library but I was worried that it would spoil the book for me. I'll watch it after the read through. Not knowing what is happening or happened here, I had the feeling that the narrator was returning to the place but there was a sense of "You can't go home again" to her story. Something happened here long ago and her memories of the place were fond but somehow turned tragic. When she talks about the 'blown lilac'...They were memories that cannot hurt", you know that you will be drawn into this hurt along with the narrator's remembrances.

I did want to read on but the style takes some getting used to, don't you think?

Pauline - I've answered your question over Here


Just so I can go off topic a little ....

Thank you for the summary Sassenach.

This is the first time that I heave read the book and to be honest, I don't think I had heard of it before.

I found the first chapter to be dark and forboding. The narrator intentionally wants to enter a place where she appears not to be welocme. The property is in a state of chaos and turmoil. The overgrowth that is taking over the property is consuming and smoothering.

"trees that thrust themselves from the quiet earth"
"trees had thrown out low branches, making an impediement to procress; the gnarled roots looked like skeleon claws."

However the narrator contiunes to describe that despite ominous description there is still the impression of the life that ws once there, referencing light in the windows and the pressences of Jasper and that despite the darkness it would not sullen the memory

A description that did intrige me was
"Manderely was a sepulchre, our suffering and fear lay buried in the ruins. there would be no resurrection. When I thought of Manderley in my waking hours I would not be bitter. I should have think of it as it might have been, could I have lived there with out fear."

This is where I really started to become curious of what had happened and why if the narrartor had lived in fear, why want to return or even to remember. My curosity didn't lead to anitcipation though. I wasn't excited, but I wanted to know what happened, what was Manderely and who was telling the story, I am not sure if I was more curious about the narrator or about what actually happened?

I've been away from the forum for some time and was glad to see this book. It has been on my to be read list for awhile. so thanks for the push to read it finally.

I was drawn to the imagery immediately like a painting in my mind. I am very curious as to what happened and who the speaker is.

Mary Pat

Thanks for all your great comments

- I'm sure that as the story progresses we will have lots more to discuss and please remember you can come back at any time to any of the chapter summaries....they remain open for input all the way through the book....

Chapter two opens on 30th January....