-
Access Our
Best Book Club
Books of 2025!
Book Reviewed by:Dispatch the maimed, the old, the weak, destroy the very world itself, for what is the point of life if the promise of fulfilment lies elsewhere?
On the windswept coast of rural Suffolk, a deranged scientist attempts to extract the essence of life itself.
Author Daphne du Maurier is best remembered by most for penning gothic mystery thrillers like Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, The Birds, and My Cousin Rachel. While a foray into science fiction may sound at first like a radical departure from her usual style, fans of her better-known work will be glad to hear there are still echoes of it to be found in The Breakthrough. Brooding atmosphere, a protagonist out of their depth, an unnervingly ambiguous ending, and an isolated windswept setting; these trademarks of du Maurier's classics are all on fine display here. The latter of them — the richly drawn, craggy seaside location — is juxtaposed to great effect with the distinctly modern feel of the subject matter, enhancing the characters' sense of seclusion and the thick air of foreboding. Despite the story's brief length, du Maurier poses big questions about the moral dilemmas of experimentation in the name of furthering science. It is no coincidence that the three test subjects involved in MacLean's experiments are all vulnerable and in some way unable to object to their involvement. There is a clear abuse of power and issues surrounding consent; topics that generate debate in the worlds of science and medicine to this day...continued
Full Review
(805 words)
(Reviewed by Callum McLaughlin).
Author Daphne du Maurier belonged to a rich dynasty of storytellers and creatives. Her parents, Gerald du Maurier and Muriel Beaumont, both led successful acting careers. Her grandfather, George du Maurier, was a celebrated novelist and illustrator, while her uncle Guy de Maurier was a playwright. Du Maurier was the middle of three sisters, and each of the trio would go on to creative endeavors: Angela, as an actress and writer; Jeanne, as a painter; and Daphne, of course, as an author.
Born in London on May 13th, 1907, Daphne du Maurier showed promise as a writer from a young age. It was her governess, Maud Waddell — known affectionately as Tod — who is said to have nurtured and encouraged du Maurier's love of ...
If you liked The Breakthrough, try these:
by Claire Fuller
Published 2024
From the award-winning author of Our Endless Numbered Days, Swimming Lessons, Bitter Orange, and Unsettled Ground comes a beautiful and searing novel of memory, love, survival—and octopuses.
by Kazuo Ishiguro
Published 2022
Klara and the Sun is a magnificent novel from the Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro--author of Never Let Me Go and the Booker Prize-winning The Remains of the Day.
.gif)