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It is 1957, the author Daphne du Maurier, beautiful and famous, despairs as her marriage falls apart. Restlessly roaming through Menabilly, her remote mansion by the sea in Cornwall, she is haunted by regret and by her own creations - especially Rebecca, the heroine of her most famous novel. Seeking distraction from her misery, Daphne becomes passionately interested in Branwell, the reprobate brother of the Bronte sisters, and begins a correspondence with the enigmatic scholar Alex Symington as she researches a biography. But behind Symington's respectable surface is a slippery character with much to hide, and soon truth and fiction have become indistinguishable. In present-day London, a lonely young woman, newly married after a fleeting courtship with a man considerably older than her, struggles with her Ph.D. thesis on du Maurier and the Brontes. Her husband, still seemingly in thrall to his brilliant, charismatic first wife, is frequently distant and mysterious, and she can't find a way to make the large, imposing house in Hampstead feel like her own. Retreating instead into the comfort of her library, she becomes absorbed in a fifty-year-old literary mystery. The last untold Bronte story, Daphne is a tale of obsession and possession, of stolen manuscripts and forged signatures, of love lost and love found; a tantalizing literary mystery that takes its reader into the heart of Daphne du Maurier's world.… (more)
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What I did enjoy and truly appreciate was the author’s homage to du Maurier’s Rebecca in the construct of this book as well as other parallels that if you are a true du Maurier fan you’ll not help but notice. Her research and attention to detail are faultless and you do get the sense that the author truly wanted to do right by Daphne du Maurier and her family with this work; all good things I also appreciate and applaud.
Overall, I was hoping for something a bit more gothic, more romantic, and more intense. It was a good book built around real facts and real people but somehow that fact ruled vs. discovering a captivating new fiction I was looking for.
I am happy to say I was pleasantly surprised. Daphne is an intriguing page-turner and is full of fascinating and well-researched information about Du Maurier and the Brontes as well as J. M. Barrie and the Llewellyn-Davies boys who inspired Peter Pan and were Daphne DuMaurier’s cousins. DuMaurier’s grandfather George Du Maurier was a literary figure and author of Trilby and friend of Henry James. Her father Gerald Du Maurier was an actor who first portrayed both Captain Hook and Mr. Darling in the stage production of Peter Pan.
While this nest of literary and family interconnections could be confusing Picardie spins a convincing plot that does not require knowledge the families or their writings. In fact, a key plot point was a bit spoiled for me because I knew about the actual historical figures.
The book takes the form of alternate chapters that switch between three perspectives: Daphne DuMaurier, her correspondent, an unreliable former Bronte librarian, John Alexander Symington, and a young female academic who is increasingly losing herself in the writings of DuMaurier and her interest in Branwell Bronte.
At first I found the modern academic a bit annoying and too much of an homage to Rebecca and an echo of many other literary mystery books and plays (The Hours, Arcadia, Possession) but I found myself interested in her by the end.
The true stories of the real individuals are fascinating enough to merit interest in their own right and I suspect more than one reader will seek out historical materials after they finish the book. Literary and sexual jealousy, paranoia, and depression work their way through all three story lines and at her best Picardie evokes some lovely echoes across the three story lines.
The end felt a little precipitous and left some lingering questions but on the whole Picardie navigates confusing histories with some aplomb and creates ample dramatic interest. It was engaging enough I read it in just a few days and I suspect fans of the Du Maurier, the Brontes, or the Gothic genre will find plenty to keep them entertained. Daphne was an enjoyable history, mystery and homage to Daphne Du Maurier.
The second narrative is set some 50 years later, when a young researcher who is obsessed with du Maurier, finds some of the letters.
I'm always chary of books that fictionalise real people, and I just couldn't get into it. None of the characters felt real, and the story felt awkwardly contrived. The second narrative in particular put my teeth on edge: spineless young woman (SYW) marries older man with fascinating previous wife named Rachel, and then gets all insecure about it. Even though the narrator herself points out the irony that she, the du Maurier obsessive, is living some sort of poor man's version of the 'Rebecca' story, it doesn't make it any less heavy-handed. Frankly, it's no wonder her husband, Paul, is getting annoyed with her, because she insists on behaving as though she's wandered in from 'Twilight'.
And really, nothing happens and I'm really not sure what the point is. Daphne exchanges some dull letters with Symington and writes her biography; SYW mopes around, cries, has brief outing with Rachel during with R apparently swipes some mss. Which is just the sort of thing the stock she would, because it's a stock character trait of her type.
Is there supposed to be a literary mystery around the swiped Bronte stuff? Am I supposed to care about du Maurier's collapsing marriage and own episodes of paranoia? I just can't. And now I feel sorry for Daphne du Maurier, who may have been a cast-iron bitch but was a good writer and didn't deserve to be turned into cardboard and stuck in this novel.
First, the modern-day story: it's like a combination of a very intentional "Rebecca" tribute/knockoff (there is even a strong, impressive first wife named Rachel and a wimpy second wife aka the PhD candidate) and an academic mystery (think "Possession" and the search for the missing manuscript, Emily Bronte's poetry notebook in this case). Like all of these stories, two people search for the same manuscript which is ultimately found by the more minor character resulting in an academic coup and a dissertation that goes straight to a book deal and, of course, getting the guy.
Oh wait! No, that isn't how the story ends! Which rescued the book for this reviewer. I was fully expecting the cliched ending almost up to the very end, and was delighted when it turned out to have a much more original ending (for this type of book, anyway). Picardie even tells us the unnamed narrator's name in the very last chapter! Something du Maurier didn't even do!
The flashbacks to du Maurier are very interesting. I don't know how much is fictional, event-wise, but I'm guessing not much since Picardie falls all over herself in the credits thanking the du Maurier children for all of their help. Plus, I didn't know all that about the Bronte's manuscripts (I'm being deliberately vague - you'll have to read it yourself!)
In short, this book is a great read, and will be particularly enjoyed by anyone who, like me, is a huge Daphne du Maurier fan and a huge Bronte fan.
Justine Picardie weaves her story so well, the basic idea is very simple but it is all the little details and sub-stories she explores that make this book so fantastic. The character of Daphne Du Maurier is perfect, I felt like she had captured this woman so well. Justine Picardie explores Daphne's childhood and relationship with her father Gerald plus the difficult relationship she has with her husband, the great Boy Browning. I also found the connection between Daphne and the Llewelyn Davies brothers (the children that J.M. Barrie adopted and based Peter Pan on) truly fascinating.
I felt that perception of one's self was a key theme of the book. Daphne at many points feels she has to act in a certain way as a best-selling author and wife of a war hero rather than truly being herself. Menabilly, the inspiration for Daphne's book Rebecca and her true home in Cornwall is integral to the story. It is at Menabilly that she feels safe and able to relax more. Alex Symington has many secrets to hide and it is through his letters to Daphne that he is able to portray the man he would like to be and who he thinks he should be. Peter Llewelyn Davies features heavily in the book obviously as a family member but more importantly as a confidant of Daphne's; the reader sees his struggle with the legacy that J.M. Barrie placed on Peter and the pressure that he feels from the public who see him as the boy who never grew up. This theme of self-perception continues with the un-named narrator in the present day; she has entered into an unhappy marriage and initially tries to change who she is to please her new husband. It is a chance meeting with the ex-wife that brings these perceptions and beliefs crashing down and ties the whole story together.
The book also offers insight into Daphne's inspiration for many of her books but especially Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel. We almost see Daphne being haunted by the character of Rebecca who she greatly identifies with, especially due to the relationship she has with her husband.
I can only apologise for this rambling review! What I am trying to show is that Justine Picardie explores so many different avenues in such a short book, the way in which she weaves all these strands together is extremely clever and insightful. I think that Daphne is a book that I could read again many times and still take something new from it. Reading this has definitely made me reach for my books on Daphne Du Maurier and the Brontes and I shall certainly be doing some new reading on J.M. Barrie and the Llewelyn Davies boys. I believe that Justine Picardie has done Daphne Du Maurier proud with this excellent book.
Both stories are well-told and play nicely off each other. It wasn't a feel good book, being primarily about the end of relationships and how little we know the ones we love, but it was so good that I had a hard time putting it down,
As for the other story lines--the somewhat failing and disgraced Bronte scholar and the modern woman intrigued by all the threads of du Maurier's research with his assistance--I thought the choice of a protagonist who's life and marriage somewhat mirrored the Rebecca plot was intriguing. It could have been an obvious choice, probably was, but Picardie handled it well. I found myself liking that section almost against my will, and in the end found it the best part of the book overall. Which made my disappointment in the flow of the Daphne sections that much more obvious. Maybe it will grow on me once it's sunk in a bit, but as things stand, I'm still of a divided opinion.
I own 16 books by Daphne du Maurier. I confess that I’ve only read a
The first 40 pages or so went a bit slowly for me, I think for two reasons. First, I had to adjust to the idea that a real historical person, a novelist I enjoy reading, is the main character of another writer’s novel. Second, there are three distinct perspectives in the book, and I had to read a couple chapters from each one to truly settle into the novel. But by page 50, I was absorbed in the characters, their thoughts and actions, their separate but overlapping stories.
One of the three perspectives is that of Daphne du Maurier, and another that of an archivist / Bronte scholar named John Symington. The chapters which focus on du Maurier and Symington are written in the third person, and they cover the period of 1957 to 1960. There’s also a modern-day character whose chapters are written in the first person: a young woman struggling with her Ph.D. thesis, and recently married to a much older man. She is researching the relationship between du Maurier and Symington (they corresponded in the late 1950s; no, it’s not a romance), and their mutual interest in Branwell Bronte. (Unlike du Maurier in Rebecca, Picardie DOES give her young female narrator a first name, but I only saw it once, late in the book.) There’s a literary mystery woven through the novel, and interesting character studies as well.
Picardie states in the Acknowledgements that her novel is based on a true story. To get inside du Maurier and Symington’s heads, and create a rich tapestry of the life circumstances they were in during the time of their correspondence, Picardie outlines in the Acknowledgements the research she did in order to write this novel. She interviewed du Maurier’s children, other relatives and friends, and Symington’s grandson. She includes the books she consulted, the scholars who offered insight, and librarians and archivists who assisted her research with primary sources. The book is a page-turner with brains, for readers who really LIKE writers, and those who appreciate veracity in historical fiction.
Once I “got into” the book, it was hard to put it down, and I loved it. I hope it brings Picardie success and many new readers. I’d be doubly glad if it wins du Maurier some new readers, especially those willing to explore beyond Rebecca.
When the novel opens Daphne du Maurier is in her early fifties and is dealing with a host of personal
As Daphne becomes enthralled with the Brontes and writing a biography on Branwell, she begins to write letters to J. Alexander Symington who had edited a Collected Works of the Brontes and been the librarian of a large collection. It becomes clear that he has a large collection of original Bronte manuscripts (questionably acquired!) and he offers to sell some of them to her. But since he has planned to write a book himself for many years he only sells her a few unimportant pages, keeping the best back for himself.
The story is told from alternating points of view: Daphne du Maurier, Mr. Symington and a young female narrator who is not named. She is a young student who is working on Daphne du Maurier's obsession with the Brontes for her PHD. She discovers the letters between Daphne and Mr. Symington by accident but they end up having quite an impact on her personal life.
This novel is packed with facts that make it a fascinating read for any lover of English Literature, Daphne du Maurier or the Brontes. For example, J.M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan, adopted Daphne's five male cousins after they were orphaned in 1910. (That part of the story was made into a movie a few years ago, Finding Neverland). He was part of the family, Daphne called him "Uncle Jim." And Daphne du Maurier put her diaries of her early life in a bank vault in 1979 with orders that they not be released for fifty years!
It's an intriguing story, well written and carefully researched. I recommend it!
Daphne by Jutine Picardie will be released by Bloomsbury in August, 2008.
1. Are all artists, musicians and authors completely off their rockers? and
2. Was ANYTHING resolved at the end of this book?
What a strange and disturbing book, but it caused me to do historical research on several of the people in the book, so I'll go with 2 stars.
Split between three narratives, each one sounding slightly more bonkers than the last, Daphne is a curious combination of fact - the correspondence between Daphne Du Maurier and disgraced Bronte scholar John Alexander Symington in the late 1950s, when the author of Rebecca was researching her study of Branwell - and fiction. And evenly the purely fictional character is based partly upon the nameless second wife in Rebecca (echoing the novel in a series of none too subtle coincidences), and partly upon Picardie herself. Daphne, Symington and the modern day narrator are all slightly unhinged in different ways, inviting the reader's sympathy and derision in equal parts, but never really coming together to form a satisfying story.
As a biography of Daphne Du Maurier, however, Picardie's research into the author's life definitely whetted my appetite, and I have since downloaded Margaret Forster's more conventional study, plus Du Maurier's own account of her family in fictional form, The Du Mauriers. That's my best recommendation, I'm afraid!
I enjoyed much of the back-and-forth between du Maurier and Symington. What sunk the book for me was the modern day protagonist, who was pretty childish and pathetic. Like the narrator in du Maurier's Rebecca, she never gives her name and is obsessed with her husband's previous wife. There were also a few too many coincidences in the present-day part of the story, which the author attempts to explain away by saying "Hey, there were crazy coincidences in Jane Eyre, too!" But I wasn't convinced.
In spite of my rather low rating, though, I do think this book is an achievement.
Terrific.