Book Review: Rebecca

Rebecca
By Daphne du Maurier

After completing my Weekly Reads post on Monday, I quickly got to work finishing Rebecca. It was over much quicker than expected. It was a bittersweet moment when I realized the last 30 or so pages were the Author’s Note. Of course, I excitedly read the Author’s Note, and, while I appreciated the ending of Rebecca, it was just over a quicker than planned.

Review

As I reflected on the book today, I also started the short We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. It made me think about the length of a story and its depth. I’m not far enough into Castle to know if it’s too short or not deep enough, but I’ve definitely read books that were too short and some that were too long with writing that should have been cut to tell a better story. I don’t believe a single word should be cut from Rebecca. At almost 400 pages, I believe there’s still an economy of words that tells a thoroughly intriguing story. Without the extra bits, the story wouldn’t have the suspense or the creepiness it has.

With all that said, it probably goes without saying that I loved this book. But let me tell you more about my love. I was riveted; I wanted nothing more than to have a few spare minutes to read this book. A 12-hour round trip to my parent’s house this weekend provided plenty of time to read. One aspect of the book that kept my attention was the general iciness that lent a creepy air. I could just picture Mrs. Danvers’ and Mrs. de Winter’s confrontations with a sharp chill between the two.

Quotable

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” – Page 1

“A new confidence had been born in me when I burnt that page and scattered the fragments. The past would not exist for either of us, we were starting afresh, he and I.” – Page 61

“I had an uneasy feeling we might be asked to spend the approaching Christmas with Beatrice. Perhaps I could have influenza.” – Page 181

“Sometimes I wonder if she comes back here to Manderley and watches you and Mr. de Winter together.” – Page 176

Rating

Writing 5 out of 5 stars

As I said above, there wasn’t a word wasted in creating an icy atmosphere that also really fit the period.

Character Development 5 out of 5 stars

A character that grows, changes or shows his/her faults is a realistic character. du Maurier excellently developed her characters throughout the story.

Plot Structure 5 out of 5 stars

Starting at the end, the main portion of the book is a flashback to a matter of months in the narrator’s life. I always think that using this format is in and of itself interesting. The story also builds to a climax that’s relatively unexpected.

Storytelling 5 out of 5 stars

du Maurier proves herself to be an excellent storyteller with this book. The story itself is intriguing, but it’s also told in a fascinating way.

Total 5 out of 5 stars

Have you read Rebecca? What were your thoughts?

Book Review: Dracula

Dracula
By Bram Stoker

Although not the first vampire novel, Dracula is the most famous original, the one that really seems to have influenced a certain awe with vampires for nearly a century and a half. And as most of us know, vampire culture is huge in the US. I wouldn’t consider myself a huge fan of vamp culture, but I’ve definitely read some of the books and watched some of the TV shows and movies. I’ll admit right here that I’ve seen two of four Twilight movies, and I’ve already admitted in the past to reading all but the latest Sookie Stackhouse book.

Review

I really enjoyed this book. From the vampire story to the epistolary nature in which it’s told, I was riveted. In the beginning we’re told that the manner in which the story was accumulated will eventually be revealed, but before then, we’re treated to first person accounts of Count Dracula in Jonathan Harker’s journal, concerns about her loved ones and wishes for their future in Mina Harker’s journal, a few bits and pieces about her sleepwalking ordeal in Lucy Westenra’s journal and a few memorandums and notes from other characters. Eventually, the journals all focus on one thing: Count Dracula.

I found the themes of the book–the role of Victorian women in society, immigration and more–interesting as well. In regard to the role of women, that’s mostly addressed by the back and forth the group of men has with Mina. Will she be allowed to help or won’t she? At times, she seems to be emotionally stronger than the men, going so far as to continue to encourage them and support them as she’s dealing with her own issues. But, yet, the men still aren’t sure how much involvement she should have.

On the matter of immigration, I think Count Dracula sums it up quite well when he explains to Jonathan Harker why he’s taken years to perfect his English before moving:

“But a stranger in a strange land, he is no one. Men know him not, and to know not is to care not for.”

For a time, that almost makes me feel sorry for Dracula but only for a short time.

Quotable

There are so many good quotes in this book, so here are a few of my favorites.

“I am all in a sea of wonders. I doubt. I fear. I think strange things, which I dare not confess to my own soul.”

“The last I saw of Count Dracula was his kissing his hand to me, with a red light of triumph in his eyes, and with a smile that Judas in hell might be proud of.”

“Though sympathy can’t alter facts, it can make them more bearable.”

“He was a good fellow, but his rejoicing at the one little part in which he was officially interested, of so great a tragedy, was an object-lesson in the limitations of sympathetic understanding.”

“I know what sorrow you have had, though I cannot measure the depth of them.”

Rating

Writing 4 out of 5 stars

See my quotables section above. I found the writing in this story to be almost top notch.

Character Development 4 out of 5 stars

The epistolary approach allowed Stoker to more than adequately develop his main characters.

Plot Structure 3 out of 5 stars

The structure of the plot was good, but I felt it a little lacking. There were many times when I was a little confused at the passage of days and each characters’ activities.

Storytelling 4 out of 5 stars

Really this is a great story.

Total 3.75 out of 5 stars

Have you read Dracula? What did you think?

Book Review: We’ll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down

We’ll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down
By Rachael Hanel

The story of my life is bound up in the story of my parents, their life in the cemetery.

Described as macabre and lyrical, Rachael Hanel’s memoir is about life, death, cemeteries and her father’s unexpected and timely death.

When Rachael was young, her father Paul began a career as a gravedigger. While talking about her father she writes about how he’d grown up as one of 14 children. Her grandparents worked hard just to feed their children. College and eventual careers weren’t in the equation. While his siblings found jobs, Paul build a career. As Rachael put it:

A career brings enjoyment, is closely intertwined with identity; it’s who you are. It’s not easy to separate career and life, whereas job and life have clear deliniations.”

While he took his responsibility to the dead and their loved ones seriously, Paul’s sense of humor showed in his business’ tag line: We’ll be the last ones to let you down. Rachael recalls him putting that tag on tons of promotional items. As a marketer, that makes me very happy.

Once her dad embarked on his career, death and cemeteries became a part of him, his life and his family’s lives. After spending countless hours riding her bike through the cemetery as her parents worked, she became very fascinated with macabre books of all kinds–true crime, ghosts and the like. She spent hours finding books in the library and devouring them and asking her mom to tell and retell stories about the deaths of their county’s citizens.

Review

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Writing a memoir is a popular thing right now. To be successful, the book has to be compelling and Hanel’s is–from her lifelong fascination with the macabre to her ability address the philosophical issues of death:

Some say we can’t see time, that it’s an invisible fourth dimension. But we can see its evidence–the gears of a clock, the swing of a pendulum, the aging of a face.

Rating

Writing 4 out of 5 stars

Storytelling 4 out of 5 stars

Cultural Impact 3 out of 5 stars

Total 3.67 stars

What’s your favorite macabre story?

Book Chat: 10.1.2013

It’s October! I’m very excited about the many great things this month has to offer: my 5th wedding anniversary, my birthday, Halloween, Practical Magic on TV, the Twin Cities Book Festival and my gothic horror/suspense/general creepy reads!

I’m not a fan of today’s torture porn horror movies. There’s nothing appealing to me in the terror that is someone being tortured. So that’s why I gravitate towards creepy rather than all-out-terrifying. (And probably why Practical Magic is one of my favorite things about October!)

As you know, I’m already reading Dracula by Bram Stoker. Up next will be Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson.

I have some fun Dracula- and literature-related Halloween posts planned. I hope you join me!

Do you enjoy extremely terrifying books or movies? What’s your favorite gothic horror, suspense or just plain creepy read?

Check out my review of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein costume ideas and some scary books to read from last year.

The Scariest Books Ever

I generally don’t like to be scared. There’s not much to it that’s appealing to me, so I don’t often seek out horror movies and books. Sometimes, though, something appeals to me. For example, I heard so many great reviews of American Horror Story last year that I decided I should give it a shot this year. So far, so good, but I’ll have to wait and see.

When I was 13 or 14 I decided I should read the Exorcist…at night…in our farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. It goes without saying that I couldn’t sleep well at all until I finished the book. But something slightly more surprising is that the movie, and in particular the head turning all the way around scene, didn’t scare me. I must have prepped myself for the scary parts with the book.

So for this Halloween, here’s a list of horror books I probably won’t be reading.

The Shining by Stephen King

It by Stephen King

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

I am Legend by Richard Matheson

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

The Omen by David Seltzer

So you wanna be Frakenstein’s Monster for Halloween?

Well, if you didn’t already know, Halloween is approaching quickly! After posting yesterday’s Frankenstein book review, I thought it would be fun to share some interesting takes on Frankestein’s monster costumes for Halloween, or whenever you’d like to wear them because costumes are awesome and we should rock them all year like toddlers.

Here are my favorites (and I mean favorites in the toddler way of “This is interesting”):

Bride of Frankenstein or just odd sexy Frankenstein’s monster?
You decide, either way, I’ve decided that it’s weird.

“Heavy” metal Frankenstein’s monster is a little more my pace.
I do find the face to be what I imagine the monster to look like from the book.

I find this female Rockabilly version of Frankenstein’s monster oddly endearing.

Book Review: Frankenstein

By Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Just in time for Halloween I read Mary Shelley’s landmark Frankenstein for an online book club.

I really enjoyed this book, but at shy of 200 pages, it still took me a long time to read. I believe my main problem was getting in the right frame of mind to absorb the language of the early 1800s.

I was very curious about the plot of this book. After all, I have seen Young Frankenstein! The story of how Victor Frankenstein created his monster and his eventual undoing was interesting.

This was a great Halloween read. It’s not scary, but very intriguing. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good, thrilling classic.