My Cousin Rachel is a piece of classic gothic literature written by Daphne du Maurier. Every bit as brilliant as her masterpiece Rebecca. If you haven’t yet discovered du Maurier this is the place to start.
The outline of the plot is that Philip is his cousin Ambrose’s heir. Ambrose raised Philip from his boyhood and the two are firm friends and men set in their ways. Ambrose travels abroad in winter and meets their cousin Rachel. Sparks fly and they marry. Ambrose stays longer abroad than originally intended and Philip starts to feel that something may be wrong. When finally a letter arrives asking him to come quickly Philip sets off at once for Italy only to find Ambrose dead when he arrives. Has something sinister taken place here? Where is Cousin Rachel? What will Philip say to her when he finds her?
This book is exciting. I was hooked early on and felt worried with Philip and a sense of unease around what was going on. I kept asking myself questions about what was happening and what were Rachel’s secrets. What had really happened? The story unravels beautifully. Towards the end I was completely hooked and could not put it down.
This has everything you want from a gothic novel. Two grand houses. Family secrets. Love and passion. Infatuation, obsession. Intrigue. By the end you will have lost all sense of who is a hero or a villain. It sets you on edge and makes you apprehensive and yet you have to know more. It’s really well written and very observant of human nature.
I’m not going to spoil the ending of it. It’s well worth hanging onto the end for. Truly an original story. It will leave you wanting to debate the book with a friend. If you want a good talking point for a reading group this would make an excellent choice.
It’s not a spooky book but it is disconcerting. It’s an acceptable sense of unease for those who don’t like to be scared.
The settings are beautifully described in this book. It will make you want to visit Italian villas and the Cornish countryside. They both make very picturesque and dramatic backdrops to the plot lines. You can practically hear the waves crashing against the cliffs and wind rustling the trees.
For any Du Maurier fans who have read Rebecca I found this novel particularly interesting. Where Rebecca is the story of a nameless young woman overshadowed by the deceased former wife of her new husband, Philip in My Cousin Rachel is overshadowed by his cousin Ambrose. Both are searching for their own identities and trying to break free from the image of another. In Rebecca she is mistakenly seen as Rebecca in her dress and actions. In My Cousin Rachel Philip feels strongly that he is the second Mr Ashley and that people only treat him with new found respect once Ambrose is dead. He has lost his own identity wearing his cousins clothes and picking up his habits. Both characters are lost and vulnerable. Only this time round the character is a man.
There are some excellent supporting characters in this book and they are used so beautifully to give us alternative viewpoints to Philip’s. To see a different perspective at what might be going on. I particularly liked the character of Louise who is the daughter of Philip’s godson and we assume from the reaction of other characters that the village have assumed she will one day marry Philip. Louise’s character is written with a great maturity that demonstrates Philip’s lack of understanding about women and the world. Philip has led a sheltered life and in his reactions to Louise it becomes very clear. He cannot read her thoughts and emotions in a way that the reader can pick up on. She however, far more sheltered than Philip, displays great emotional maturity. As things progress through the book she is behind Philip to support him even when he is acting in a way that others find rash and foolish. She is incredibly loyal and perceptive and far more intelligent than he is. It is wonderful to see such a well rounded and interesting female character in a book of that time even if she does remain on the sidelines.
And to Rachel herself – what a woman. However you feel about her through the book and whatever you think she’s done I found I maintained a sense of awe about her. She is confident and bold and I’m sure knows exactly what she’s doing. She is a powerful character. Men don’t seem to have a chance when they meet her.
In summary this is an excellent piece of classic literature. A wonderful example of the gothic and generally a really interesting read. I highly recommend it. Don’t be put off that it’s a classic. It’s very accessible and still riveting today.
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