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There are currently 26 member reviews
for Manderley Forever
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Jennifer F. (Saratoga, CA)
Unlike Her Previous Work
I struggled to finish this book, and I was surprised to feel this way, as I have enjoy Ms. de Rosnay's other works very much. I was not nearly intrigued enough about the subject even as I tried to engage with the book. This may appeal to big fans of Rebecca, but does not hold up to a general audience.
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N M M Ft. Worth, TX
Biography or fiction?
I have enjoyed reading some of Daphne du Maurier's books but knew little about her personally. There obviously was a lot of research done to establish facts about her life for this book. There was more than I wanted to know about her early years. Her adult years, with information about her marriage,her children, and her writing, made much more interesting reading. Her relationships and fascination with houses and places gave insight into what drove her storytelling.
There were many conversations and thoughts that were fiction, of course. In general, they seemed to fit the facts of her life. I enjoyed reading it but was left feeling that this was as much fiction as biography.
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Sherri A. (Westbrook, CT)
Interesting...kind of
What happens when an author writes a bio of her favorite author? The woman who in essence ignited the writing spark within her? You run the risk of a whole lot of mundane facts and getting caught up in the way, shall we say, the subject walked and even breathed.
That being said, once poor Rebecca started publishing and married, this bio came alive. I simply wish we had gotten there a lot sooner.
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Liz D. (East Falmouth, MA)
The Dreamers Tale
Tatiana de Rosnay has given the reader a reverential tale of the life of Daphne du Maurier. The book although well researched reads as a novel or historical fiction.
We learn of du Maurier's privileged life as a child and as an adult
her relationships with her family and friends seem to be unreal as the relationships of the characters in her many novels.
The book was an enjoyable read but not what I expected of a biography. It seemed gossipy at times. Endlessly telling of her travels seeking new exotic setting and characters for strange and intriguing stories.
Daphne du Maurier was an accomplished and prolific author. I was glad to know some of her history, but I'm left feeling I don't know the real person I was seeking.
Instead I found a kind of romance heroine written by a fan.
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Brenda D. (Lincoln, CA)
Manderley Forever
It is evident that the author has done a great deal of research on her subject -- Daphne DuMaurier. Readers will find within these pages all of the background information about her life and loves that were the foundation of her work, including her obsession with places and ideas until they were put on the pages of her books. I found her early on to be spoiled, selfish and self-absorbed, although as she aged those tendencies somewhat softened. She seemed to inspire loyalty in those she brought into her circle of friendships and they remained lifelong correspondents and confidants.
Unfortunately, I didn't care for the author's style. She mentioned in the preface that she is describing DuMaurier as if she were filming her with a camera, and this, for me, created a strange distance from the subject.
DuMaurier was a fascinating woman - so ahead of her time in many ways. This biography will appeal to fans of her work, as they learn the intimate details that led to the creation of her stories.
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