The book Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier?

Alright...I'm on page15 and I'm really confused! Could somebody tell me what is happening through the pages I read?

The book Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier?
Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again...


I don't recall what exactly contained in the first 15 pages, but it starts out with the main character relating a dream she had about Manderley and how it had changed since she had last been there. She laments on how much Maxim misses England and how they can never go back again. Why? Well, you'll find that out in due time. A wonderful book, which picks up more after the first couple of chapters. Around chapter 3 (?) is the flashback, which continues for the rest of story as we are introduced to Mrs. Van Hopper, who is a rich American lady who pays for our heroine to be her paid companion, or "friend of the bosom", and is really quite self-absorbed. They are vacationing in Monte Carlo, which is where our heroine meets Maxim de Winter.





I'm sorry, I don't know how far you are in relation to this, but if you need more help, feel free to email me- I'm a huge fan of Daphne du Maurier and as long as I'm not doing your homework for you, have absolutely no problems answering questions. However, it should get more clear after chapter 2.


Hope this helps, and happy reading!
Reply:It is a really cool book. It is about a rich American woman that marries a man who lost his first wife. The housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, loved the first wife (the perfect Rebecca) and is mean to the second wife.





You gradually find out more about Rebecca and how she died.
Reply:Well, it is a very long time since I read the book. As far as I can remember, the heroine, who narrates the story (we never learn her name)is telling the story of how she and her husband first met. She is a shy young girl working as a companion to a rich American lady (a companion was supposed to look after her employer, not exactly a servant but not an equal either). She is very attracted by the glamorous, mysterious Max de Winter who is staying at the same hotel. He has lost his first wife, the beautiful Rebecca, in an accident at sea. As I recall it, he begins spending some time with the heroine, and then when she is about to leave for America with her employer, he asks her to marry him and go to live with him at his home in Cornwall, Manderley.





She (the narrator) becomes obsessed with the glamorous Rebecca, and becomes more and more convinced that her husband is comparing her unfavourably to his beautiful, accomplished first wife. She spends a lot of time imagining what Rebecca was like and how happy Max must have been with her.





I seem to remember there are bits where she describes what she and her husband Max are doing in the present (at the time she is telling the story, which is evidently some years after it actually happened). Maybe that is what confuses you? She and Max are evidently staying in ahotel somewhere abroad, and she is talking about being homesick for England I think.
Reply:One correction I'd make is that the new Mrs. de Winter is NOT a rich American woman. Actually she was a mousy little companion to a rich American woman. When the woman finds out her companion is going to marry Maxim, she abuses her and tells her that he loved his first wife, Rebecca, and he'll NEVER love her.





The new Mrs. de Winter is so unsure of herself and unsophisticated, that when she gets to Manderley she makes many mistakes. Mrs. Danvers looks down on her as being nothing like her beloved, beautiful, graceful, carefree, sophisticated Rebecca.





There's a mystery to the story surrounding Rebecca, her cousin and Mrs. Danvers. It's a wonderful book.





What, exactly, is confusing you? You have to be more specific if you need a detailed answer.

children shoes