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This September, the Meme from the The Classic Club is for members to pick a Classic a Clubber has read from the big review list, link it to the Clubber’s review and offer a quote from the post describing their reaction to the book. What about the post makes you excited to read that Classic in particular?
When I read the Meme I knew immediately whose review I was going to link to without referring to the review list mainly because I had already read it when she posted it on her blog. I had been so impressed with Jillian’s review of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier because as I commented on the post, it clarified for me in a stark way, the origin of the expression ‘Rebecca’s Apparel’. Jillian’s synopsis:
‘A girl who is never named is in Monte Carlo training to be a companion for a rich woman when she meets Maxim de Winter, the master of Manderley who is mourning his recently deceased wife, Rebecca. The narrator is clumsy, gauche, orphaned and ill-fitted for his world of marble and dinner parties, but she strikes an interest in him, and after several weeks, he proposes. She moves into Manderley to become the mistress of the sprawling estate — to tell Mrs. Danvers what to serve for dinner, to write letters to friends with Rebecca’s pen, from Rebecca’s desk, and to sleep in Rebecca’s bed beside Rebecca’s husband……………’.
In effect, this unnamed girl, apparently unfit, wears Rebecca’s Apparel. Does she fit in?
As I commented on Jillian’s post, the concept of ‘Rebecca’s Apparel’ under Organisational Behaviour referred to managers who are reluctant to delegate duties to their deputies or next-in-line, so much so that in the absence of the managers, these deputies become unfit to put on ‘Rebecca’s Apparel’. because they do not have the requisite skills and competencies to do so or have not been trained by the bosses to fit in. Of course, the new Mrs. Maxim de Winter might not be fit to put on Rebecca’s Apparel; she is of a lower class.
‘Du Maurier was writing right in the midst of the Modernist era, but her story is a straightforward, old-fashioned Gothic thriller. That means a beautiful setting, tangled woods, and lots of supernatural electricity in the read. There, there, and there!’
Reading Jillian’s brilliant post, I was struck at how the various disciplines interweave. I also love thrillers, Gothic or modernist, and so must read Rebecca at all cost. This means that my CC list is sure to be up by 1.
Thank you for the words!! I cannot WAIT for you to read this novel! I recommended it to my mother after I finished, and she poured through it, too thrilled to go to bed until she finished, even though she gets up at 5am for work. 🙂 I love the connection you made to the phrase “Rebecca’s Apparel.” I’d never heard that phrase until you mentioned it. It is FASCINATING the way language is born from literature. 🙂
I am eager to read this book, Jillian, as soon as I am able to get a copy here. I can imagine how your mom would devour the novel and I think that is amazing. When I was at Uni, I used to stay up so late in the night reading a novel that gripped me, even though I had exams coming up the next day! Now, I can hardly read through a chapter per night, what with work, kids and all! 🙂 Many thanks!
One of my favorite books.
Is that so? Susan, I’ve noticed that you read avidly as well; will you consider writing reviews of the books you read on your blog?
Jillian’s review was wonderful. Rebecca is a great favourite of mine and I hope you’ll love it too.
I hope so too, Cat. Thankyou for coming by
i think i would like to read this book!
I think it would make a fantastic read, Ana. I can’t wait to get hold o a copy. Thanks for coming by, as always. 🙂
I don’t know if it is the book, or Jillian’s review, or because this is the second me that featuring this review, that I ended up adding this to my wishlist. 🙂
Glad you added it to yuor wishlist. From what Jillian is saying I am sure we won’t regret it. 🙂 Thankyou for coming by.
You did a wonderful job on this one… I’m not into gothic but can appreciate the joy others find in it. 😉
Thanks, Elizabeth. I jsut pray I wll enjoy it as much as Jillian’s review suggests
Celestine, your review of a review is wonderful. To hear so many reading Daphne du Maurier, and Rebecca in particular is heartwarming. Her writing was misunderstood for years which was deeply upsetting for her. Her bold imagination is amazing and becomes stronger with each of her later works where she was finally recognized as having literary merit. Thank you for a great post! Penny 🙂
Thank you, Penny, for this information as well. I am hoping to enjoy Rebecca. 🙂
No question but you will. Daphne was ahead of her time, so we can identify with much in her words. Did you know that the movie thriller “The Birds” by Alfred Hitchcock was taken from a short story of hers by the same name? Penny 🙂
No, Penny. But that is just amazing. And you know what? Never heard of watched ‘The Brids’. The thing is I hardly watch movies these days. We don’t get those good movies here or at least I have not gone out to look for them. 🙂
Hey, RP, can’t you order stuff from Amazon.com? You need a Kindle, woman. You could be reading the thing in minutes. Actually, you can read it on your PC. Just download the book to your PC and you can sync it to a cell phone or to an ebook reader of any kind. Of course, you know this. What the matter with me? 🙂 🙂
Oh George, you are absolutely right, there is nothing wrong with you. The truth is that I am so conservative and scared of technology. Silly, is it not? I do not even use credit cards and would not know how to pay Amazon. I got a a kindle on my PC that has a few free books on it. I guess I would have to stop acting stupid and get my self in the groove of things. Thanks a million. 🙂
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