Product Description
In this ominous novel of the future, Daphne du Maurier explores the implications of a political, economic, and military alliance between Britain and America.

Emma wakes one morning to an apocalyptic world. The cozy existence she shares with her grandmother, a once-famous actress, has been shattered: there's no mail, no telephone, no radio—and an American warship sits in the harbor. As the two women piece together clues about the "friendly"military occupation on their doorstep, family, friends, and neighbors gather to protect their heritage. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Alternative history of England
One of Daphne du Maurier's lesser-known books, Rule Britannia envisages an alternate history of England in the 1970s.In this alternate universe, plunged into economic depression and soaring unemployment, England decides not to join the European Economic Community (forerunner to the European Union).Its residents wake up one day to find communications cut, an American warship in the harbour, US marines setting up roadblocks and news that Britain was joining forces with the United States to form the USUK.

A group of Cornish villagers becomes increasingly unhappy with the take-over of their land and start a shadowy rebellion, centring on an 80-year-old former actress, his brood of adopted troubled boys and her neighbours.The story is told through the eyes of her 20-year-old grand-daughter.A fascinating read.

What was Daphne du Maurier thinking?!
What if Britain and the US were to become one nation?What if the British government were to cease to exist and be just an extension of the US government instead?Could you imagine a world in which the Queen of England spent periods working at the White House and the President of the United States living at Buckingham Palace?That is what happens in this alternate universe.Emma is eighteen, insecure about her future and her place in the world.She feels like she is nobody without her grandmother, a famous retired stage actress, and all she does is help look after her grandma's six rather eccentric adopted children.But that is the least of her worries when she wakes up to chaos one morning.The streets have been barricaded, the telephone lines are dead, and there's no radio or TV reception.And what is that war ship doing in the harbor?What are all of those American soldiers doing in Britain?The unthinkable has happened: the UK and the US have formed an alliance.In order to avoid riots, the US government has the country in lockdown.Everything has been taken from the locals, and while most Brits seem happy with the alliance, most of the people in the eccentric Cornish community are against it.It is up to them to do something about it.

Yikes!What an odd choice for a plot!What's worse is that the plot is not only silly, but also uninspired.Rule Britannia is a satire.It is very funny in some areas -- I laughed out loud several times.And while the writing itself is good, the plot is too over the top for my taste.You'd have to suspend a great deal of disbelief to get through it.(And I just about got through it.I admit I had to force myself to finish it.In fact, I read it fast just that I could move on to something else.)The language is bitingly sharp, typical in modern satires (this was published in 1972), and various things might offend some people.Daphne du Maurier decided to write some rather outlandish storylines during the last stages of her writing career (The Scapegoat and The House on the Strand spring to mind), and while her other ventures were quite successful, this one fails to deliver what we've come to expect from her.This is the first time I give a du Maurier novel two stars.I cannot believe this is her last novel.Why she decided to write this and not end her novel-writing career with a bang is beyond me.(Then again, she probably thought she was.)Alas, if you feel you can appreciate the author's somewhat nonsensical political views, then by all means give it a whirl.But, to me, this is a big, fat pass.

Dark Humor and Timely
The premise of the United States "helping out" another country by invading them isn't new, but since we're invading somebody at the moment, I found this book timely. There is much symbolism here that could easily be overlooked if you were inclined to read it too quickly. From time to time, I found myself going back to re-read a particular passage, just because it was so wickedly funny. Some of it almost begs to be read out loud.For instance, the combined nation of the United States and the United Kingdom is referred to as USUK. (read as You Suck.) Stuff like that kept me laughing. There's also a description of a cake being sliced and served "like Shylock's pound of flesh" that is hysterical.
This novel was the first satire I've read by duMaurier. I usually associate her with chilling stories that don't quite resolve and leave the reader feeling a little creepy. While I don't think this is her best, I do think it's heads above virtually anything being written today in fiction and that this book is one that could be read a few times and still be enjoyable. duMaurier uses words that well.

Occupied Britain
This 1972 novel by Daphne DuMaurier is a departure from her better known style of suspense (REBECCA or The Birds) it is a tale set in the 'near future', ie the late 1970's, and centers on 20 year old Emma living in a small Cornish fishing village with her eccentric grandmother 'Mad', a housekeeper and Mad's six adopted sons.As the day begins Emma is considering leaving the household but her plans are put on hold when the US Marines invade the village, killing a neighbor's dog in the process.As the story progresses we see Emma, her family and community cope with the occupation of their country.Each must examine their own beliefs, decide whether this new country is the best or worst thing that has ever happened to them personally or to their country and whether they are a 'Them' or 'Us'.

If you are looking for a moody gothic romance, or a suspenseful thriller then this is not for you.This is a thought provoking novel that will probably remain with the reader long after the last page.

Orwell meets Cold Comfort Farm
After reading The Scapegoat, and The Flight of the Falcon, set in France and Italy respectively, it is good to be back on familiar Cornish ground with this good-humored yet pointed and poignant work.However, Travanel and its inhabitants are a world removed from the Gothic romance of Manderley or Jamaica Inn.This, Du Maurier's final novel, comes across more as an Orwellian style cautionary tale set in Stella Gibbon's Cold Comfort Farm.While her usual bounds of propriety are never overstepped, she doesn't shrink away from the occasional vulgarity; the bits where the youngest boys in the adopted family are learning to use profanities by way of faltering Spoonerisms are actually charming; and the acronym for the United States teamed with the United Kingdom - USUK - has been appropriated as an epithet by a younger generation(at least in America).Though the mood of hi jinks and good humor is maintained throughout the novel, many serious ethical and political issues are touched upon.It's a pity that this very enjoyable, extremely well-written, and still quite topical book isn't better known! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (13)

not just poorly written but plot (if you can call it a plot)inconsistencies
I can't believe I slogged through this awful book but the library was closed and I had to read something. Just as many other reviewers have said, the writing could be used in a college writing class as an example of how NOT to write. But in addition, there were inconsistencies in the story--like when Lianne says "she was alive last night" and you scratch your head and go back to check and she was actually killed two days ago and Lianne knows that--huh? I should've stopped there. So I returned it to the library but stuck a post-it note on the first page warning readers and directing them to Amazon reviews before they invest any time on this dreadful pap.

This is the just about the worst..............
This has to be the worst book that I've started to read in a very long time, the only one that rates so poorly is another book by the same author. MURDER ON THE CLIFFS sounded good in a review (not Amazon) so I bought it and an earlier book by Ms Challis.What a mistake and what a waste of money! I started the other book first but did not finish it;I hoped that MURDER ON THE CLIFFS would be better.It isn't, and I didn't finish it either. I'm reluctant to give either book to the local Library for the free shelf because someone might actually think that these are how mysteries are meant to be written.

The reviews of MURDER ON THE CLIFFS on Amazon, particularly the negative ones which I should have read before puchasing, barely scratch the surface of how poorly written this book really is. Further no one has commented about Ms Challis's use of Daphne du Maurier's name, some of her characters and places (thinly veiled) and even circumstances of her life. This should qualify as identity theft as well as theft of intellectual property.I'm surprised that the estate of Daphne du Maurier hasn't sued;they should.While the writing is truly awful (plot, characterization, descriptions, development of story, grammar, syntax, etc.), the editing -- or lack there of -- is even more egregious.How did this book get published? How did any of her books get published?Don't waste your money on buying them, or the proposed sequel to MURDER ON THE CLIFFS.Ms. Challis should not be encouraged.

I wouldn't give this book even one star but the system won't work unless you do.

I enjoyed this book and its writing...
I'm way behind in my posting of reviews on Amazon, and when I came to this title, I was surprised to see so many negative reviews of this book! I sincerely enjoyed Murder on the Cliffs and was swept away by this story. I am admittedly embarrassed to admit that I've never read anything by Daphne Du Maurier, but reading Challis' mystery has made me strongly desire to remedy that.

I could not put this book down. The writing was breezy and flowed beautifully and I couldn't help but get wrapped up in the mystery and the characters involved. Challis has painted vivid scenery, emotions, and characters in Murder on the Cliffs. The mystery, though not particularly suspenseful, is well-done, with the blame shifting to and from the various suspects until the very end, when the real murderer is finally revealed. I enjoyed Challis' portrayal of Du Maurier as an amateur sleuth and her interaction with all of the characters. I was equally impressed by Challis' full-bodied, well-developed characters. Love them or hate them, they all played a key role in this story, be it large or small.

What really shines about this book is the element of historical fiction and the idea that this story led Du Maurier to writing her most famous work, Rebecca. Combined with Challis' talent for characterization and vivid descriptions, you have a book that will sweep you away into another world. If you enjoy mysteries, amateur sleuthing, and quality writing, I urge you to pick up a copy of Murder on the Cliffs. I truly don't think you'll be disappointed.

ON THE ROAD TO MANDERLEY
In her attempt to capture the mood and impact of the romantic gothics produced by Daphne du Maurier, Joanne Challis has given us a rather flimsy and shadowy imitation of one of Ms. du Maurier's more famous works, REBECCA.....which itself was Ms.du Maruier's reworking of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre.

All of the ingredients are there.The young Daphne, enamored with old buildings and ancient history, unwittingly pulled into the lives of the Hartley family whose grand mansion holds a plethora of secrets ranging from suicide to madness to murder.

The rest of the characters are there too and are fairly well developed.Present are the ravishing beauty whose suspicious death is the basis for the mystery.Then we have the devastatingly handsome lord of the manor, his controlling mother "the lady of the house", the mysterious and sometimes threatening housekeeper, the dotty nursemaid, the strange sister who has been befriended by Daphne, a mother in mourning, an irate brother, all the village gossips, and a mysterious stranger, not to mention a majestic manor house that draws the young Daphne to it like a magnet. You would think with all that potential there would be plenty to keep the reader engrossed but the book never quite lives up to its promise and the story just slogs along and can't seem to get off the ground.There is a decided lack of tension between the major players and even the more "threatening" characters never really pose a serious threat to dear Daphne.Perhaps the story itself is just suffering from a malady that has proven fatal to many apromising tale...............the stiff upper lip brand of "British reserve". Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt need have no fear of losing their readers to Ms. Challis.2 1/2 stars

Terrible...
Twenty-year-old Daphne du Maurier goes on vacation to research the town's history.One day, she encounters a young woman standing over a dead body.The woman identifies the body as that of her brother's fiancee.Speculation abounds.Is it suicide or murder?If it's the former, why would she want to kill herself?And if it's the latter, who would want her dead and why?There are motives, of course.Victoria, the dead woman, used to be a kitchen maid, and her betrothal hadn't been accepted.So all we have to do as readers is take in the not-so-subtle clues throughout this train wreck.

Never in my life have I seen such bad writing.Well, maybe I have, but when you use a talented author's name for a book, you expect something at the very least presentable.Not so in this book.The purple prose is horrible, the dialogue laughable, and the "twist" predictable.But that's beside the point.The heroine in this story is NOT Daphne du Maurier.She may have the same name, but it is not Daphne.Didn't this author read du Maurier's bio?The author of this book made Daphne sound like Mrs. de Winter.What a lost opportunity to flesh out the real life enigmatic author.Do you want something well written that is based on Daphne du Maurier?Read DAPHNE instead.Skip this if you know what's good for you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

An interesting twist on an old legend
Begun by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch and completed by Daphne du Maurier, Castle Dor is a retelling of the legend of Tristan and Iseult, set in 19th century Cornwell. Linnet, the young wife of a much older wealthy tavern owner has a chance encounter with a mistreated sailor Amyot and the pair throw caution to the wind, drawn together as if by a mystical force from a former time.

While it is impossible to identify the exact point where du Maurier took over the writing, there is no doubt that the second half is far more readable and faster moving than the first and made me wish she had written the entire book. An interesting twist on an old legend.

"Not in your world.....but in some borderland of buried kings and lovers"
Linnette Lewarne, married to a much older man, meets Breton Amyot by pure chance and their fates are forever sealed as they begin to relive a past that has happened time and time again through the centuries - that of Tristan and Iseult. Doctor Carfax watches from the sidelines as he puts the pieces of the puzzle together with that of the legends and ends with a race against time to stop the legend from repeating itself into tragedy once again - all culminating in a on a very foggy Cornwall All Hallows E'en. Is the good Doctor in time or not?

Well you know me, I don't tell. Castle Dor, unfinished at the death of author Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch ("Q"), was completed by Du Maurier at the request of his daughter. A bit slow and dry at the start (I've not read anything from "Q" before, nor am I all that familiar with the legends of Tristan and Iseult), but a good finish, albeit not the strongest. If you're big into the legends of T&I I'd go for it, but Du Maurier fans will probably be disappointed - the parts she contributed at the end are minimal and not her usual style. 3/5 stars.

Good but not great
I'm a big fan of Daphne du Maurier which is why I read this book and while I thought she finished it fairly well, as would be expected from her, I felt it lost some of the atmosphere created by Quiller-Couch. Quiller-Couch's style, at least in this book, I haven't read anything else by him, reminds me a little of Thomas Hardy, in his descriptions of the English countryside. I think Q-C's descriptions of the country, landmarks and history were a crucial part of this story and not sustained by du Maurier. Q-C made me feel that the land itself was alive with the legend of Tristan and Isolde, he brought me there and made me see and feel it, while at the same time creating a feeling of mystery, whereas du Maurier broke through the mists, breaking branches and exposing everything to the light. I could also clearly tell where du Maurier picked up the story, Chapter 23 I think it was, by my reckoning. Her style was so different and though she seemed to get more comfortable as she wrote, at first it seemed strained and falsly cheerful, and there was a clear demarkation between Q-C's masculine style and her feminine one. She also didn't get Johnny's character right. And while I found du Maurier more 'readable' and breezed through the rest of the book, I preferred Q-C's style. I also thought the nonchalant ending was disappointing, as if to say, well, we're hear at the finish, you know how it ends.

But, we wouldn't have this book if du Maurier didn't agree to finish it and it can't be easy for a successful writer to finish someone else's book. While I'm dissapointed Quiller-Couch couldn't finish it--I would have loved to see how he did it, I do think it's worth the read.

An overlooked Gem!!
This book was given to my by my uncle when I was 10, for he knew it would appeal to me.It did and still does.I have reread this many times, and was just pulling it out to do it again and thought maybe I would pass on my love for this book.

The original manuscript was done by Arthur Quiller-Couch but never finished, so the great Daphne Dumaurier picked up the baton and carried on to give us a haunting tale of Auld Souls, star-crossed lovers shrouded in the mists of Cornwall.A simply country doctor recognises the signs and moves to keep the doomed lovers apart so the ancient pattern will not be repeated. But the more they try to keep them from each other, the more Fate steps is so prove the pattern cannot be broken.

A stunning gem, one I am surprised is not reprinted more or made in a movie.

DuMaurier's overlooked gem
Castle Dor's 19th-century Cornwall and its Arthurian mists have kept me coming back since I was a "in love with love" teenager.Like all of DuMaurier's work, it's either the first step -- or surely the determining step if you're already on the path -- to total Anglophilia (the only "philia" I think I care to own up to!).

The original manuscript was started by Arthur Quiller-Couch, and completed with remarkable seamlessness by DuMaurier upon his death.Written from the perspective of a quiet and respected country doctor, it's also an unusual lens for an author known best for her heroines.

A solitary "man of science," Dr. Carfax recognizes the pattern of an ancient and eternal doomed love being replayed in his era, and is pulled into it ... as are we, inevitably, with the coincidence of names and circumstance hinting at one of the greatest tragedies of Morte D'Arthur.

This is a lovely book; haunting, and a guaranteed keeper for devotees of the bittersweet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

It's a book stupid...
It's a book.Good shape, good reqading.Required reading in many high schools.

rebecca
this book came in a timely manner and was in such good shape.thanks

Gorgeous story
Rebecca.Where to start.Rebecca is the late wife of Maxim de Winter and takes place for the most part on the Manderlay estate.The readers only meet Rebecca through the eyes of the characters.The story is masterfully told.Mr. de Winter takes another wife and brings her to Manderlay and because of all that the second Mrs. de Winter hears and sees and for that matter doesn't hear she is left to speculate her own purpose and existance in the shadow of the late Mrs. de Winter.The story builds slowly and steadily, and by the time you get wrapped into the story you are in so deep you just HAVE to finish it.

Breathtaking prose.Great book.

Just as described.
The book was shipped quickly, was just as described, and was just right for what we needed: a hardback version for a school summer reading list. ... Read more

Product Description
'Perhaps we shall not see each other again. I willwrite to you, though, and tell you, as best I can, the story of yourfamily. A glass-blower, remember, breathes life into a vessel, givingit shape and form and sometimes beauty; but he can with that samebreath, shatter and destroy it'Faithful to her word, Sophie Duval reveals to her long-lost nephew thetragic story of a family of master craftsmen in eighteenth-centuryFrance. The world of the glass-blowers has its own traditions, it'sown language - and its own rules. 'If you marry into glass' PierreLabbe warns his daughter, 'you will say goodbye to everythingfamiliar, and enter a closed world'. But crashing into this worldcomes the violence and terror of the French Revolution against which,the family struggles to survive.The Glass Blowers is a remarkable achievement - an imaginative andexciting reworking of du Maurier's own familyhistory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Daphne's ancestors
Daphne du Maurier wrote this novel as a fictionalized history of her own forebears. As best I can tell, the famous author is a descendant of Robert Busson, who added the "du Maurier" to the end of his name as part of his aristocratic pretensions. The Bussons were a two generation family of glass blowers in France, who were master craftsmen, but no aristocrats.Simply stated, Robert was a gambler, a risk taker who threw everything into his quest for prestige. He spent time in prison because of bad debts, emigrated to England to escape his creditors, and abandoned his children from two marriages. When the side he supported failed, he merely turned his coat.All of this took place in the era of the French Revolution, and while the book contains scenes of local riots and insurrections, of starvation and murder, The Glassblowers lacks the tension so characteristic of Rebecca and some of her other fine works.

An Elderly Woman Reflects on her Family
The Glass Blowers, like DdM's Frenchman's Creek, immediately grabbed my interest, then finished with a poignant ending that rescued the book from too much of a "first this, then that" diary-type tempo that stalled the main body of the story . Protagonist Sophie's interaction with her four siblings and eventual maturation into a woman similar to her ("never reactionary, never pig-headed, only most blessedly sane") mother was described in outstanding detail. GB takes a different tack from many historical novels in that it is basically a single (vs multi-generational) family's life experiences. If you are a du Maurier fan, by all means read it to complement her other works.

"Somehow, we no longer seemed to preach the brotherhood of man"
In this book du Maurier recounts the tale of her forebears, the Busson family of master glass-blowers leading up to and through the French Revolution. Told through the POV of Sophie as she looks back on her life, daughter of master glass-blower Mathurin Busson and his formidable (in a good way) wife Magdaleine and her siblings Robert, Pierre, Michel and Edmé.For Robert, the eldest working his craft in the countryside is not enough and he dreams of greatness in Paris - but unable to manage his spending he always ends up in financial disaster and bankruptcy and he depends on his family to bail him out time and again.

The countryside where the Busson family lives is not greatly affected by the first stirrings of the revolution in the cities, but that soon changes when Michel and Sophie's husband Francois become National Guardsman and find themselves slowly being caught up in the nationalist fervor sweeping the country. At first Sophie is horrified at the behavior of her brother and husband as they join others in sacking the manor houses and churches -

"The people were mad. They had to have a victim. No single one of them was to blame, it was like a fever sweeping them."

Eventually she too finds herself buying into the revolutionary ideals as the madness continues to grow and suspicion and rumor grip the countryside. In the end a new and "stable" government takes control but it is never enough. Eventually Sophie and her family are swept up in the War in the Vendée, a little known but horrific footnote in history (do go to Wik and read up on it). Once The Terror is over the Busson siblings rebuild their lives and eventually things come full circle with the return of Robert - who fled to England as an émigré to avoid the debts of his last business debacle.

While this novel is a bit slower paced at times (although the scenes from the Vendée were downright unputdownable) and might not appeal to all readers, I enjoyed it a great deal. A refreshing change seeing the Revolution from the countryside - major events such as the taking of the Bastille, the Women's March on Versailles and the executions of Louis and Marie were events that happened far away. As maddening as he was in his doomed financial efforts, Robert was great fun and I loved the way the author worked in the "birth" of the family name in England - du Maurier. Definitely recommended for du Maurier fans or those interested in the history of the Revolution. ... Read more

Product Description
Containing her best-loved work, including "Rebecca", "Jamaica Inn" and "Frenchman's Creek", this is the definitive audio collection of Daphne du Maurier's novels. The wonderful evocations of the Westcountry landscape and the tense intrigue of the plots are as vivid now as they ever were. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A Unique Set up but Brillaint story from my favorite Author
What I find most surprising is all the dissapointment from the readers here on this work. This was one of the very first reads by Ms. DuMaurier that I read and I must say I found it immesnly worth while. I know quite a bit about her and I can tell that this was a personal work and yet, I can also say that her characterzation is flawless. I have never read a book where I did not like all of the main characters, and yet did at the same time. They are annoying and selfish and yet relateable. The story set up is odd, but I liked it. I found the ending most powerful and once again DuMaurier is skilled at an intricate frame of complex relationships. Well done. If you are a first time DuMaurier reader, wait though, get used to her for a while.

"For whom the caps fit....."
...is how Du Maurier dedicated this novel and one has to wonder how personal this story is for her, she herself being a child of famous entertainers. I understand her relationship with her father was a bit unusual to say the least.

"Parasites affect their hosts by feeding upon their living tissues or cells, and the intensity of the effect upon the hosts ranges from the slightest local injury to complete destruction." The Encyclopedia Britannica (quoted from the book).

My, my, another highly ambiguous ending from Dame Du Maurier and I'm still scratching my head wondering what to make of it. The three Delaney siblings are Maria the actress, Niall the song-writer and Celia the only child parented by Maria's father and Niall's mother (Niall and Maria thus being step-siblings). One day Maria's husband accuses the three of being parasites who have spent their lives feeding off of others and thus begins a series of flashback on the lives of the children and their famous parents as they try to ascertain which one of them is the parasite Charles refers to - or is it all of them?

Maria can be anyone she wants to be and is she truly the woman her husband thought he married? Niall loves to make up popular tunes in his head, but he relies (uses) others around him to put pen to ink. Niall adores Maria but at the same time he has what might have more than *brotherly* feelings for her. And Celia, she is dedicated to protecting and caring for her "pappy" who is IMHO the worst parasite of the lot of them. Oh that family visit to the country estate of Charles' parents - truly guests from Hell.

The flashbacks were a tad confusing, and you never do know who is actually narrating the story (is there just one narrator or different ones?), and I really didn't get *into the groove* until the last 100 pages or so. And that ending - she sure can leave you hanging in ambiguity wondering what really happened. While Du Maurier's writing is top notch as always, this was a very different novel with very unlikable characters and might be best for die-hard Du Maurier fans only. Four stars, but if it had been written by anyone else it would've only got three.

All the world's a stage...
Parasite: an invertebrate animal preying upon the body of another animal.

And that is what Charles thinks of the Delaneys.They have inherited their parents' talents and have done nothing else with their lives.But Charles wasn't specific.Who among the three Delaney children is the parasite?Is it his wife Maria?After all, he knows her better than the rest.And he knows that she is a great actress, so great that she can develop a new personality on cue.And that is precisely her problem.Who is the real Maria?Or is he referring to Niall?Niall is a natural-born talent, a great musician.But his unresolved issues with his mother and his own brooding feelings for his stepsister has stopped him from living his own life.Then there's Celia.Sweet, spinsterish Celia, the only daughter of both Mama and Pappy Delaney (Maria is Pappy's daughter, Neill is Mama's, children borne from a previous relationship).She's the least talented one, not as pretty, and always the mediator.She's also given up on having a husband and children of her own to look after Maria and Charles's kids.She had also looked after her father after her mother died.After Charles's verbal assault, all three of them ponder his meaning, going back to the events that have brought them to where they are today.Are they happy?Could they be anything more than just the Delaneys?Is there a life beyond the entertainment world?

Daphne du Maurier dedicates this novel to "Whom the Caps fit."You soon realize that this story is very personal.Du Maurier's parents were both entertainers, and perhaps that part of her life had left some feelings that ran deep for her.She wrote various memoirs and short stories with this same theme.The Parasites, while not the author's best work, is an entertaining and poignant tale of love and loss.I like the way the author uses a rather interesting second-person narrative.All the reader knows is that one of the three Delaney children is the narrator, but which one?And do we get to find out whom it is?That is all I will reveal on the matter.Suffice it to say that the unique narrative style draws you in from the beginning.Another interesting thing is the relationship between Maria, Neill and Celia -- especially the first two.There is a Cathy and Heathcliff feel to them that is quite noticeable from the start.This is especially clear in Maria's selfishness, their unnatural clinginess toward each other since childhood (Maria used to pick on Neill when they were kids) and Neill's jealousy when Maria meets Charles.Their relationship is not as dark or as morbid as Emily Bronte's couple, but the similarities are there.And that is all the information I will supply.Don't want to go all book club discussion-type on you.You will have to read this magnificent book to know the rest.First published in 1949, The Parasites is a nice, quick read from Du Maurier, falling into a lighter cateogory, somewhere between Frenchman's Creek and The King's General, only that it's contemporary and more poignant.I recommend it.

Disappointing
I've read most all of Daphne DuMaurier's books and loved them.This one had an interesting title and I picked it up expecting a good read or at least some redeeming quality to the book.Instead, it turned out to be a most depressing book about shallow, inconsequential, trivial people.The only one who makes any personal change at all is Niall.This is a book about wasted lives and was a waste of that portion of my life that I spent reading it.Even her writing did not seem to be up to its usual quality.Personal recommendation?Don't waste your time!

I must agree
I read Rebecca and adored it - the subtle darkness and drama, the nuances that one only picked up on the second and third readings, the intense yet always likeable characters, the delectable prose...

I hardly even glanced at "Parasites" when I bought it (thankfully, I only spent adollar at a used bookstore) and eagerly sat down to read it. Two hours later I tossed down the book, feeling depressed and cynical about humanity in general.

This books follows the lives of three siblings, the children of equally self-absorbed actors, who are "parasites." Each one has the capacity for greatness, given their respective talents, but each wastes them on cheap, unnoticeable books, music, and stage plays.

If you're a fan of flashbacks you might like this - their lives in the 20s to 40sare covered over a massive number of pages, after a look at them in the "present"day. But this book hadn't DuMaurier's other books' sparkling prose and intense dialogue, or any of the spinetingling atmosphere that sucks you in.

It also wasn't helped by the fact that the main characters ARE parasites, living off whoever they are nearby. Their whininess and complaints augmented their selfish personas. I spent much of the book wanting to slap them. There don't really seem to be ANY likeable characters, and while I didn't expect the ending, I felt even more depressed when I read what one of the characters did.

I advise you to read "Rebecca" or "Jamaica Inn" for a first book. Had this been my first Du Maurier book, there would have been no second. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

One among others of du Maurier's books
I can only agree with one of the reviews here, by Mark Meadows, saying it's a dull book. However, even if I read more than half of it and was rather fed up, I went through the end. *** sigh*** Why? Because of duMaurier's way of writing. Her descriptions are fabulous! And she probably kept me curious to find out the ending of this highly improbable story...
One thing I couldn't get rid of while I read: Fabbio, the principal character, is emotionally very flat, or cold, compared to all the other characters who are passionate, full of life and believable. You almost never get in his shoes and that doesn't help to fire our interest in this book.
Finally... As I adored Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel, I believe in reading as many books as I can from an author I like to recapture the pleasure and/or make a better judment of her/his writings. I don't regret reading Flight of the Falcon. So, I recommend this book ONLY if you love this author.
(For a smiliar «duMaurier feel», you should read Harwood, The Seance&Sarah Waters, The Little Stranger.)

Not Bad, Not Great but Not Bad
Even a modest effort (as measured against many of DdM's other works) by this wonderful writer more than sustains my interest. This novel takes a while to kick into gear. Even then, it's a bit labored. However, DdM's character development and descriptions of Italy more than rescue any shortcomings so that fans come away satisfied.

"He was my god, he was my devil too."
Armino Fabbio is a thirty-two-year-old courier in Genoa.He is short (at least shorter than most men), baby-faced and pleasant enough.His work at Sunshine Tours provides him a satisfactory if predictable life.But all of it comes to an end when he spots a peasant woman on the street.There's nothing unusual about a peasant roaming aimlessly on the streets of Rome, but this woman is his former servant Martha.Her death follows her unexpected reappearance, and Fabbio, afraid of police interrogation, flees to his old hometown of Ruffano.This leads to unexpected events.His new job as assistant at a university library, the same university where his late father had once been the superintendent, provides him a temporary position at the school.There he meets some interesting characters, including students from the new Commerce and Economics curriculum.He also gets reacquainted with the past.His brother Aldo, once presumed dead, is now a highly respected professor and leader of a rather strange cult.Aldo is also in charge of an annual festival.This year he intends to reenact the five-hundred-year-old legend of Duke Claudio, known as The Falcon, and he wants to make the festival as lifelike as possible.In a series of twists and turns, Armino discovers just how fantasy and reality, good and evil, play part in his past and present.

At first, The Flight of the Falcon is rather dull.It starts out well, but the storyline is very slow-paced and you have to have some patience with it.It is nevertheless a fascinating novel.Character study is big in this story.The author develops the psychological aspects of the characters so well that their complexity is wonderful.I won't discuss what these complexities are, for that would ruin the fun of reading it for yourself.Another great thing about this book is the atmosphere.The portrait of The Temptation of Christ (which I think isn't based on a real portrait) and its implications play a major role in the story, only as backdrop.It is, in truth, the main theme in this book.The beautiful descriptions of Italy, deep character study, and the sinister and suspenseful plot turn this into an amazing gothic tale.I think this is one of Daphne du Maurier's most accomplished if underrated efforts, a reminder of why I've enjoyed her suspense novels the most.(Her other novels are great and not to be missed though.)So what at first was a near miss to me became a fascinating and unputdownable read.This would cover a number of book club discussions.If you love Daphne du Maurier, then you cannot miss this book.

"No one could walk by night for fear of the of Falcon's sudden descent into the city
....when, aided by his followers, he would seize and ravage...."

Oooh, I just love Du Maurier, she always delivers the goods. Armino Fabbio is working for Sunshine tours and while in Rome with his beef and barbarians (Americans and Brits) he comes across a down and out woman at the steps of a church, a woman who reminds him of someone from his childhood. Taking pity he slips her some money, but she later ends up murdered and Armino blames himself - if it hadn't been for the money no one would have robbed and then murdered her - or so he reasons. Distraught over the woman's identity he takes a holiday from his job and heads north to the city where he was born and where he recalls the murdered woman - Ruffano. Once there he finds himself and everyone around him being manipulated by a master puppeteer, who like Lazarus has returned from the dead.

Outside of that I'm not going to tell much more as I'd ruin it for the rest of you - read it for yourself. Du Maurier slowly builds her story into one heck of a climax as Armino finds himself in the midst of rival student factions and campus politics, all of which culminates in the final plot to recreate the "flight" of The Falcon, the first Duke of Ruffano, for the city festival - but will this flight end as disastrously as the first one? Despite a bit of a slow start, the finish was a nail-biter and she keeps you guessing until the very end. 4/5 stars.

You either get her or you don't....
I don't mean that to sound judgmental--there's nothing wrong with you if you don't like her, but she's kind of got her own gestalt that either you love or just leaves you cold.

Some of her books I don't care for: I found _Rule Britannia_ downright dopey in parts.And I do prefer her historicals to her more contemporary settings--such as _Scapegoat_ and this one.

However, she has this gift of being able to completely immerse you in the world of the story, and that counts for high marks in my book.Armino is a bit of a rootless drifter, but that's part of the theme of the novel--return, roots, identity. Another theme to be followed with profit to the reader is that of reliving history, both personal and larger.Armino discovers his brother, whom he'd thought dead, is in fact very much alive, and apparently plotting mass riots at the University in his hometown (another thematic debate--modern business majors versus ancient liberal arts).What to do when you suspect your dearest brother is unhinged?

There's a mystery to piece together beyond the hook--who actually killed the old lady on the church steps, and the climax keeps you nearly breathless. And it passed my own personal 'cry test' (I cried at the end).While '60s Italy isn't my favorite place to visit in fiction, I'd follow DuMaurier anywhere, and know that I'll turn that last page with regret. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Spooky and suspenseful
"Classics of the Macabre" is a collection of the (supposedly) Daphne du Maurier's best short stories packaged very nicely - multiple colored illustrations, gorgeous paper. As far as such collections go, it is very strong. Although the stories are satisfying to various degrees, all of them are equally spooky and suspenseful. I am amazed how well du Maurier laces her stories with so much thrill and foreboding.

My favorite in the bunch is definitely "The Birds." Having never watched Hitchcock's movie adaptation, I do not know how the two mediums compare, but this apocalyptic story about birds suddenly turning on people is thrilling and scary in a Stephen King way.

Close second favorite is "The Apple Tree" about a man who one day sees an apple tree in his garden which strongly reminds him of his recently deceased nagging wife. Love how the perception of the dead wife changes throughout the book and how the apple tree embodies her essence.

"Don't Look Now" is very strong as well. A husband and wife are taking a vacation in Venice after the death of their daughter. They come across a couple of weird old ladies who tell them that their dead daughter wants them to leave Venice immediately or something bad is bound to happen. My favorite part of the story is that it raises an interesting question: can we actually change the course of our destinies?

The other three stories are a little weaker. In "The Blue Lenses" after an eye operation a patient suddenly starts seeing people around her as animals. In "The Alibi" a man decides to spice up his boring life by ... killing somebody. And finally, my least favorite story "Not After Midnight" about a man who acquires a mysterious malady after taking a vacation in Greece and encountering a strange American couple there. This story basically over-promises in terms of suspense but under-delivers in terms of resolution.

Even though the stories are not all equally good, they maintain a pretty consistent high quality. On the other hand, I was not at all impressed by illustrations.

Daphne Du Maurier's Classics of the MacAbre
I read this book as a teenager and loved the strange stories.I only rediscovered that I wanted to read it again is because of the Johnny Depp movie "Netherland"The "Sylvia", Peter Pan's mother in Netherland story is a close relative of Daphne Du Maurier's.Probably Sylvia's niece. I can't currently recommend since I read the book 25 years ago, but I still remember the stories.I'm buying it again.

Eerie...Creepy...Great Stuff!
Daphne du Maurier was a favorite of the late great Alfred Hitchcock.Most famous, perhaps, for her psychologically intense novels (e.g., REBECCA), her short stories often rose even more to the level of true masterpiece.This book contains six of these, made ever more atmospheric by Michael Foreman's wonderfully unsettling watercolors.It's a perfect combination.Du Maurier's tales are a kind of literary level Twilight Zone.Included in this collection is the all-time classic "The Birds," though the others (every one) are equally as good.If you've never read the original story, "The Birds" offers an additional treat in that we're able to see both du Maurier's own gift of imagination AND Hitchcock's ability to adapt and change a story in creating a film.This book is a treat on both the verbal and non-verbal levels.And, since all great writing is (ironically) about creating an essentially non-verbal experience, this book is a success.Check it out! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Multi Generation Family Saga
Well-written stories that cross several generations of family usually leave me with a satisfied touch of melancholy. You really absorb the full range of emotions by following the births, lives and eventual deaths of the great grandparents down through the great grandchildren. And so goes "Hungry Hill," which has more than its share of heartaches, but also showcases Daphne du Maurier's ability to not write from a formula, which is why I keep gobbling up her books.

On a critical note, there were many family members whose stories simply weren't told. And to some extent, each next-generation main character was less developed than the preceding one. Add in the fact that several years may have gone by between chapters and you realize that DdM obviously decided not to develop the 400-page story into a much longer novel - which was too bad because I longed for more detail. The book clearly did not finish as strongly as it began. Still, 4 stars, albeit a weak one.

"I have the silver, you have the land"
Du Maurier recounts the lives of several generations of the Brodrick family, landholders in Dunhaven Ireland starting in 1820 when "Copper John" Brodrick cements a deal to start a copper mine at the base of Hungry Hill. John's main priorities are the business and its profits, with little concern for the day to day welfare of the miners and their families - enflaming a long-standing family grudge that leads to a curse on the Brodrick family. The story of the family continues with subsequent generations as Copper John's sons and his grandsons battle to maintain the mines and the family fortune with the fluctuating price of copper and tin, along with their own personal and mental battles. The story finally culminates in 1920 as the last of the line John-Henry returns from the Great War in 1920 to reclaim the family estate and finds himself unwittingly involved in the Irish rebellion with unexpected consequences to him and the family home Clonmere.

Overall, this was quite a good read despite a stereotyped character or two (it was written in the 1940's) and a storyline a bit on the predictable side. While it might not appeal as much to those readers used to Du Maurier's usual fare, i.e. Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel, her writing is superb and understated as always and IMO raises this from a three to a four star read as the reader sees the viewpoint of both the Landholder and the difficulties of the Irish tenants. Still tops with me in multi-generational family sagas is Susan Howatch's Cashelmara- don't miss it.

Stereotypes hard to ignore in 19th century Anglo-Irish family saga
Far from Du Maurier's best, this multi-generational tale follows the rise and fall of the Brodricks, an Anglo-Irish clan based in the vicinity of Cork (which here masquerades as 'Slane,' not to be confused with the actual Slane situated north of Dublin). 'Copper John,' on the verge of reaping untold wealth from his copper mine on Hungry Hill, is cursed by Morty Donovan, an Irishman whose family was displaced by John Brodrick's English antecedents and who has deeply resented the family ever since.The old curse plays out in a reasonably entertaining chronicle of untimely death, familial misunderstanding, and ultimate destruction in the space of a century, ending in the 1920s at the time of the Irish Civil War. Du Maurier's depiction of the Irish population ("irresponsible . . . their heads full of nothing but dogs and horses," according to Copper John) displays uncomfortable prejudice, and although the Irish are the survivors at the end of her tale, her portrayal of the proud Brodricks as progressives contrasted with the shiftless local folk demonstrates a lack of sympathy for the Irish perspective which strikes the contemporary reader as narrow and dated.

Not as good as "Rebecca."
This was a great family saga!This had been sitting on my bookshelf for years.I knew the setting was Ireland so that's why I wanted to read it.I was hoping for more about the history of the times in Ireland, like the potato famine.I found it a little strange that the word "Ireland" was never mentioned in the book.(I think du Maurier had a reason for that.)The first half of the book is better than the second half.At least, I enjoyed those characters more.It's a great book but if I didn't know I never would have guessed du Maurier wrote it.It's nowhere near as good as "Rebecca."(I am a huge fan of "Rebecca.")The descriptions just aren't as good.But, it is a great read, especially if you like family sagas.

An unexpectedly great read!
Or perhaps I should say "an expectedly good read" as it is by Daphne Du Maurier!I picked this book up in a log cabin in the Adirondacks, it having thoughtfully being left there by a previous vacationer, and couldn't put it down! While at some points in the novel you feel Du Maurier is being an upper-class patrician, there's an ironic twist to the tale that proves a thought-provoking dessert. Following the travails of a wealthy, landed Irish family, the Brodericks, the book is a critique of how the energetic, entrepreneurial founder of the family fortune left a mixed legacy to his descendants. The family's wealth does not leave it immune to the less attractive traits created by nature and nurture nor to the changing times. The story of this compelling clan (and their rivals) is a reminder that, no matter how fortunate, there is a very great limit to the control we have over our destinies. ... Read more

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First Edition stated. DOUBLEDAY, DORAN & CO., NY 1942. The wild Cornish coast is the backdrop of this love story between a famous pirate and an aristocratic lady. Made into a movie. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Frenchman's Creek
I am a fan of daphne Deu Maurier and love her books.I had read this book before but thought I would enjoy it the second time arround. This book was not quite at par withRebecca which is one of her best books.The main character was very well developed but I was a bit disappointed with the development of the male characters in the book. On the whole,it was a good read.

Intriguing Read
A pretty quick read that's wonderfully written. Interesting characters brought an endless stream of emotions and a twisting storyline leaving you to question the ending and thoroughly enjoying the ride. One of my favorite books, definitely worth the time.

Frenchman's Creek
This may be one of Du Maurier's best books and is not as well knows as some others.I found it an easy gentle read without an insult to intelligence.I am not a romance reader and generally prefer history and non-fiction books.However, I read this book several years ago and was captivated.I still remember the gentle yet bitter/sweet feelings from reading this book. When I meet people who enjoy reading romance, I recommend this book. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Recollections of an unusual childhood
Not quite a "Mummy Dearest" book, Flavia Lang's recollections of growing up as the child of one of the most famous authors in the world still makes for disturbing reading.As I read the book, I wondered what her siblings, particularly her older sister, felt about the revelations.

Lang has obviously inherited some of her mother's talent, and it is in some ways an easy and often funny read of a very unusual childhood.The unwanted second daughter of somewhat remote and aloof parents, she is despised by her pretty sister, who suffered greatly from the isolation of their upbringing, but develops a very close and loving bond with her beloved and clearly favoured younger brother.

Both her parents are extremely successful in their chosen career - her mother is a great novelist, her father one of the youngest and highest ranking military officers, extremely intelligent and charming, but somewhat self-absorbed and withdrawn from family and friends.But their focus is generally on their careers, with the children a definite after throught.

Amusing insights into the personal life of Daphne DuMaurier
This book made me laugh out loud many times at the antics of Flavia and her sister and brother, the children of Daphne DuMaurier. The stories presented here give a picture of Daphne's great sense of humor, an aspect not often known or remembered about her. Flavia's honest look at Daphne as her mother reveals a whole and loving, though imperfect, person. A great read and a must for hard core DuMaurier fans. ... Read more

Product Description
Story of the 2nd Mrs. de Winter who followed the man she loved from Monte Carlo to his lavish country estate Manderley, only to be drawn inescapably into the brooding passions of a romance long dead but unforgotten. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great bookseller
The book arrived promptly and was in better condition than I expected from the description online. Great job! ... Read more

Product Description
Daphne du Maurier's second work of fiction—an amazingly vivid coming-of-age novel set in 1930s Europe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Technically brilliant writing but marred by unlikable narrator
Daphne du Maurier's second novel is written in the voice of Dick, the only son of a famous but cold father, who at the age of 21 is determined to kill himself until caught by Jake, a slightly older man who has just come out of prison for killing a former friend. The pair immediately bond and form an unlikely friendship and begin the ultimate road trip, finding passage as sailors on a boat to Scandinavia and travelling across the Swedish mountains on horseback.

While the book is very well-written, Dick is ultimately a self-absorbed and unlikable character with no real redeeming qualities. It is difficult to understand why Jake, who has the maturity and wisdom that come with the passing years, puts up with him. When Dick moves onto Paris and begins a self-absorbed love affair with a talented musical student, he demonstrates all the selfishness and faults of Jake's former friend.

While I'll Never Be Young Again is a fantastic example of the technical skill and quality of Daphne du Maurier's writing even at a very young age (she was only 23 when she penned this book), I found the storyline and main character too unlikable to fully enjoy this book.

Growing pains for a young man...
Richard is twenty-one, and feels his life has no meaning.He would like to become a writer, but he can't measure up to his father, a well-respected poet, and has no idea where to go from here.And so, just when he has given up on everything, Jake comes along.Jake is older, mysterious and philosophical.He lost his youth through some rather rough circumstances, and mourns the fact that he will never be young again.However, he is determined to live youth through Richard.And when they embark upon a journey through Europe, Richard goes through a journey of his own -- one of self-discovery.But during this journey, he will have to put up with the same things others had once had to put up with him.

Most early efforts are somewhat autobiographical.I have a feeling that this novel was very personal for Daphne du Maurier.As I read this book, I couldn't help but wonder if she, like Richard, had difficulty finding her own voice as a writer.I also wonder if she'd felt she didn't measure up to her grandfather, George du Maurier.I haven't read any of her autobiographies and memoirs, so I don't know.I'll Never Be Young Again is a coming-of-age story.It was also Du Maurier's second novel -- her first featuring her "male alter ego."The relationship between Richard and Jake is interesting, to say the least.And there are similarities between that relationship and Richard's later relationship with Hesta, only in reverse.(You'll see what I mean once you read this.)And if you read it and think that Richard is whiny and insufferable... you're not alone.As for the novel itself, while it lacks the wonderful writing of later works like Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel, Mary Anne and The House on the Strand, it is quite good nevertheless.It isn't great though.The narrative lags in certain parts.However, I don't think Daphne du Maurier was capable of writing a bad book, and an average effort from her would be a masterpiece for somebody else.I look forward to reading Du Maurier's remaining backlist.

"But then dreams are apart from the business of living; they are things we shed from us gently as we grow older"
Du Maurier's second novel begins in London as Richard (Dick) is snatched from attempting to take his own life by wanderer Jake. The two men strike up an instant friendship and begin a devil-may-care look at life and jump on the first ship leaving town and head for Sweden. They trek the mountains and party with tourists as a steamboat cruises the fjords until they finally end up in a brawl that sends them catching the first boat out of Stockholm - although that boat is destined for a fate that forever separates the two friends.

Adrift again but no longer suicidal, Dick leads a shiftless life in Paris drifting from job to job as he dreams of becoming a writer like his famous father, until one day he meets young music student Hesta and they settle into a relationship - although Dick still shrugs responsibility and puts off writing his "great book".Dick eventually begins to mature through his relationship with Hesta, but the relationship becomes strained as Dick's influence in her life changes her from a sensible grounded student into a carefree partying drifter no longer interested in her music lessons.

Ironic, isn't it? But so true to life - didn't we all hate our parents and do really stupid things when we were young? I believe this is the first time Du Maurier used her famous "male voice" and she shows remarkable insight into Dick's not so very likeable character (I did want to smack him on Hesta's behalf a few times). While not up to what she wrote in her later years, if you're a fan of Du Maurier's you might want to give this one a whirl - It's one that will definitely stay with you for a bit as you reflect back on your own misspent youth. I almost gave it three stars, but then it _is_ Du Maurier after all. 4/5 stars.

A classic Du Maurier, if not her best
"I'll Never Be Young Again" is Du Maurier's second novel, and as such shows both her strengths and weaknesses.One of the many things I love about her novels is her unparalleled ability to get into the heads of her characters.The protagonist here, Dick, is no exception.I didn't find him to be sympathetic character at all, especially in the second part of the novel (set in Paris)--but this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book, because it is precisely Du Maurier's skill in forming her characters that made me dislike him so.And to think she was only about 23 or 24 when she wrote this book!(In part, I think her being the same age as Dick and possibly feeling and experiencing some of what he feels and experiences is largely what made his character so believable.)While "I'll Never..." doesn't have the suspense and narrative pull of some of her later books, most notably Rebecca, Frenchman's Creek and My Cousin Rachel, it is still a strong book by an excellent writer.For those new to Dame Du Maurier, I'd recommend starting with one of the books I previously mentioned, but for her fans, "I'll Never..." is a must-read.

Satisfying!
Although described as a "sensitive portrait of a young man in love", Daphne du Mauriers "I'll never be young again" is much more than that. It is the unassuming mental journey of a young man, rescued from suicide, as he rediscovers joys and beauties of the world and regains a place amongst people and society.

Richard, leaving an unhappy childhood and a cold family behind him, moves on in life, trying to understand himself and what he wants from life. He makes journeys through Europe, treks through mountains and drinks in cafes in cities, until finally settling down with Hesta, a Parisian girl. Through his narrations and stories we go through his mind, understand people, psychology and social behaviour. The book is so beautifully and gently written that while the narrator himself doesnt make loud proclamations about whats going on around him, we feel at times we can understand more of whats happening than he can.

While it isn't as much as a story as a study in psychology, this book is definitely a must read. ... Read more

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A girl is haunted by her own imagination and by the ghost of Rebecca De Winter in this reading of Daphne Du Maurier's novel. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A girl loves a man with a past, but reveals his secrets
A girl,Rebecca meets a men when she is in a hotel.They fall in love and marry.Then they go to his house,a beautiful house.But all the time she has the feeling he has secrets for her,things that have happened in his past.Rebecca finds out these secrets,and after fights,love and passion they can open up to eachother and live happily ever after,thoough their house has been set oon fire by their housekeeper. ... Read more

Product Description
A chilling story of ambition, Daphne du Maurier's third novel has lost none of its ability to unsettle and disturb.

Julius Lévy has grown up in a peasant family in a village on the banks of the Seine. A quick-witted urchin caught up in the Franco-Prussian War, he is soon forced by tragedy to escape to Algeria. Once there, he learns the ease of swindling, the rewards of love affairs, and the value of secrecy. Before he's twenty, he's in London, where his empire-building begins in earnest. Driven by a lifelong hunger for power, he becomes a rich and ruthless man. His one weakness—his daughter Gabriel... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

"Something for nothing - something for nothing..."
...is the mantra that governs the life of Julius Lévy. The story begins in 1860 in France as a young half-Jewish Julius learns the ways of selling in the local market place - always getting more than you give away - "something for nothing." As the Prussians invade France the Lévys head for the relative safety of Paris, although unforeseen events send Julius and his father heading for the relative safety of Algiers. Now orphaned Julius learns to steal, manipulate and swindle his way until he saves enough to strike out for England and the empire he feels destined to build - no matter what the cost to others around him - including his morbid obsession with his daughter.

That's about all I'm going to tell, anymore and I'd be spoiling the story. Suffice it to say that Julius is a wholly despicable, unlikable character void of any knowledge of right or wrong . If he can't have it then no one else can - whether it be the pet cat he drownedas a child rather than let someone else care for it.

While this third book of Du Maurier's is still far from the excellence of her later books, it is a fascinating and disturbing read and quite amazing when you realize that she wrote this when she was all of twenty-six years old. Just be warned, Julius has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, so if you're a reader who wants it all tied up with a pink ribbon and an HEA at the end, this probably isn't the book for you. However, if you want a look at something besides the "romantic suspense" of Du Maurier's later works I'd look this one up. 4/5 stars and highly recommended.

Julius Levy: the man without a soul (4 1/2 stars)...
"His first instinct was to stretch his hands to the sky.The white clouds seemed so near to him, surely they were easy to hold and to caress, strange-moving things belonging to the blue space of heaven."

Sky is the limit for Julius Lévy.He is a half-Jew born in France.His grandfather is a vegetable merchant, a fine salesman who teaches Julius the value of getting "something for nothing," creating the illusion that he is offering the better bargain.His father, Paul Lévy, is gutless and uninspired, caring for nothing other than his flute.After Julius's grandfather dies when the Prussians invade Puteaux, and further tragedy befalls his parents, he turns tricks to make a quick buck in Algeria.For a while, Julius had dreamed of becoming a rabbi, but felt that spirituality was not for him.Instead, he moves to London and, through hard work and ruthless ambition, becomes one of the richest men in England.One café establishment becomes several, and he continues to fatten his purse with speculation and other schemes.He has everything -- a wife, a child, respectable society -- indeed, sky's the only limit for Julius.But nothing is ever enough.One obsession replaces another, and soon his teenage daughter becomes his new object of fascination.Still, he must have all or nothing.Is the sky indeed the limit for this man?

Ick!Reading this book is like reading the devil's biography.*shudders* Julius Lévy is one of the most disturbing characters ever created.He is so devious that he seems soulless at times.I won't supply plot details, for it would ruin things for the reader, but this is a transcendental story, covering Julius's life from his birth to his death.It covers the time frames of 1860 all the way to the 1930s, covering various historical occurrences and technological breakthroughs in the process.As for content, you will get symbolism, foreshadows and sinister language.First published as The Progress of Julius in 1933, this is Daphne du Maurier's third effort.Her writing is a little on the green side, definitely not as well structured as her later work, but it still far exceeds the works of many veteran authors of today.This novel will unsettle and disturb you while keeping you turning the pages.I paid a pittance for this book, and in turn I got, in the words of Julius, "something for nothing."A fine piece of literature and I cannot recommend it enough.

Rise and fall of an ambitious man
In her novel, Mrs du Maurier portrays the rise of Julius Lévy from a peasant boy brought up near Paris in the 1870s to a successful businessman in England in the 1920s. The plot lacks ambition and is slightly naive at times. Mrs du Maurier's ignorance of the French language is obvious in many instances - for example naming Julius's daughter "Gabriel" - and her attempts at depicting the matters of the spirit a failure, as the following quotation reveals: "Elsa, coughing her life away in the little bedroom next to him, was happy in the ignorance of death like a child who believes in God." But if the reader would like to be reminded that ambition is one of the most awful human trait of character, he may find some interest in this novel. ... Read more

Product Description
On a bitter November evening, young Mary Yellan journeys across the rainswept moors to Jamaica Inn in honour of her mother's dying request. When she arrives, the warning of the coachman begins to echo in her memory, for her aunt Patience cowers before hulking Uncle Joss Merlyn. Terrified of the inn's brooding power, Mary gradually finds herself ensnared in the dark schemes being enacted behind its crumbling walls -- and tempted to love a man she dares not trust. ... Read more

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Jamaica Inn by Daphne DuMaurier
For those of you who have never read DuMaurier, you're missing out on the adventure and intrigue of days gone by.I myself visited the actual Jamaica Inn last year in Launceton, England, and felt the undercurrents of the dark events that once took place there.Just great reading. ... Read more

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Cover art by Irv Docktor. 220 pages. ... Read more

Product Description
A definitive exploration of the life of the author of Rebecca reveals many secrets about her turbulent, intensely private life, reviewing her troubled childhood, unfortunate marriage, and sexual ambiguity. 25,000 first printing. $25,000 ad/promo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Comprehensive and sensitive portrayal of Daphne du Maurier
Margaret Forster's well-researched biography comprehensively and sensitively attempts to portray the enigma of author Daphne du Maurier.

The daughter of a renowned actor and theatre-manager and grand-daughter of a famous illustrator and novelist, Daphne inherits her forebears artistic talents but not their sociable nature. From an early age she prefers living on her own in a remote corner of Cornwell rather than partying with the debutantes of her day.

Her first novel was inspired as much by finances as artistic talent - although her parents would always provide her with an allowance, her own income allowed her to live how and where she wanted. Yet she never defined herself a feminist.

A passionate, prickly and troubled soul, Daphne spent her life confused by her bisexual feelings and need for solitude. Nonetheless she married and had a family but sadly continued her forebears' tradition of favouring her son over her two daughters. Her talent and generosity, however, were renowned and she contributed almost as much to the preservation of her corner of Cornwell as to English literature.

In Depth Look at Fascinating Author
This extremely well researched book was fun to read and gave a lot of insight into Daphne's life and work. Daphne's real character is illuminated and sensitively portrayed. Especially interesting for those interested in gender and transgender issues and fans of Daphne. Made me want to read and study more of Daphne's work and to visit Cornwall!

portrait of an artist
Daphne du Maurier was a consummate artist and Forster's excellent biography portrays her sympathetically, yet realistically.To begin to understand du Maurier one must understand that she considered fantasy more exciting than the real world.A child of privilege, Daphne grew up in a highly social and colorful artist's family, yet she greatly valued being alone. Her work was very lucrative, yet she spent much more money to help family and friends than on herself.Her writing is part of college curriculum and extremely popular.She was accepted into the Order of Knighthood for her contribution to the arts.Forster's apparently well-researched biography is written in a casual style, often humorous. Many people have something to say about Daphne and I found her own quotes the most interesting, yet, chameleon-like, she eludes the reader and remains mysterious. ... Read more

Product Description
First Edition assumed with two dates on the copyright page (1951 & 1952). Doubleday & Company, NY 1952. Good/Fair- dust jacket condition. ... Read more