My Cousin Rachel
Books | Fiction / Psychological
3.9
(732)
Daphne du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier's classic novel of lust, suspicion, and obsession that inspired major motion picture starring Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin. Orphaned at an early age, Philip Ashley is raised by his benevolent older cousin, Ambrose. Resolutely single, Ambrose delights in Philip as his heir, and Philip grows to love Ambrose's grand estate as much as he does. But the cozy world the two construct is shattered when Ambrose sets off on a trip to Florence. There he falls in love and marries a mysterious distant cousin named Rachel -- and there he dies suddenly. Jealous of his marriage, racked by suspicion at the hints in Ambrose's letters, and grief-stricken by his death, Philip prepares to meet his cousin's widow with hatred in his heart. But when she arrives at the estate, Rachel seems to be a different woman from the one described in Ambrose's letters. Beautiful, sophisticated, and magnetic, Philip cannot help but feel drawn to Rachel. And yet, questions still linger: might she have had a hand in Ambrose's death? And how, exactly, did Ambrose die? As Philip pursues the answers to these questions, he realizes that his own fate could hang in the balance.
Mystery
AD
Buy now:
More Details:
Author
Daphne du Maurier
Pages
352
Publisher
Little, Brown
Published Date
2013-12-17
ISBN
0316252964 9780316252966
Community ReviewsSee all
"Wow! This is a better DuMaurier than ‘Rebecca,’ full of longing and female sexual power and the ways in which men are confounded by it. #gothic #mystery"
E S
Elizabeth Stewart
"The horror of romantic obsession. The innocent young hero grows concerned when his beloved older cousin marries suddenly in Italy then becomes deathly ill. Who is this woman, cousin Rachel, who has had such a terrible effect on him? and what will happen when she comes to England? Is she a monster, and a murderess? Or is the evil in the eyes of the beholder?"
"One of my favorite books"
L B
Lori Bickford
""Good women very possibly, who through no fault of their own impel disaster. Whatever they touch, somehow turns to tragedy."<br/><br/>Overall, I loved this book and had difficulty putting it down in order to go to sleep at a reasonable hour. Du Maurier's writing is beautiful - the syntax, diction (I'm still wondering if she meant to use 'furtively' as an anaphora or just happened to repeat it every other page), descriptions, the circular ending mirroring the introductory and final lines, and just... everything. The most frustrating part was that as I read, I wished I could grab Phillip by the shoulders and shake him out of his dazed trance with Rachel. But based on the writing, I understood and almost felt his infatuation with Rachel so I could not be entirely mad (but, seriously Philip?!). Although you could argue the ending is vague, we all know she is somewhat guilty - at least with Ambrose."
Similar Books
4
4
3.8
3.6

4
3.8
3.7
4.1
3.7
4
4
4
3.6
3.7
4.3
4
4
3.8
4.1
3.6