The Birds and Other Stories [Paperback]

Daphne Du Maurier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1977

How long he fought with them in the darkness he could not tell, but at last the beating of the wings about him lessened and then withdrew ...' A classic of alienation and horror, 'The Birds' was immortalised by Hitchcock in his celebrated film. The five other chilling stories in this collection echo a sense of dislocation and mock man's sense of dominance over the natural world. The mountain paradise of 'Monte Verita' promises immortality, but at a terrible price; a neglected wife haunts her husband in the form of an apple tree; a professional photographer steps out from behind the camera and into his subject's life; a date with a cinema usherette leads to a walk in the cemetery; and a jealous father finds a remedy when three's a crowd ...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'A remarkable imagination continually provokes both pity and terror' OBSERVER --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Daphne du Maurier was born in 1906 and educated at home and in Paris. She began writing in 1928, and many of her bestselling novels were set in Cornwall, where she lived for most of her life. She was made a DBE in 1969 and died in 1989. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 237 pages
• Publisher: Pan Books (December 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0330250817
• ISBN-13: 978-0330250818
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,332,317 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smashing short fiction, September 2, 2000

By 

Erik K (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Birds and Other Stories (Imprint Books) (Paperback)

This is still available in England, go to Amazon.co.uk if you don't have luck with the US Amazon. This book is an amazing collection of fantasy and horror by a woman who had an amazing imagination paired with a real skill for writing.

The title story is where Hitchcock got the theme and title for the film, and little else. The Birds takes place on an English farm, and is a great tale of isolation and terror. The Old Man is marvellous, with a terrific twist that makes me envy those who are to read it for the first time. Kiss Me Again, Stranger gave me nightmares, even though the horror is only implied. There's not a weak story in the bunch, and this is definitely du Maurier's strongest collection of short fiction.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Source of Hitchcock's, June 1, 2005

By 

Spy Groove "Ravenna" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Birds and Other Stories (Paperback)

This is my first taste of Du Maurier but I like it very much :)
The language is beautiful but compact, concise. Fast paced. No extra burden for the eyes.

THE BIRDS, the inspiration of Hitchcock's movie version. Although it is different between the book and movie, the dread they caused
is almost the same with their own focus. In the movie, you'll get the visualization of the dread while through book the description of the attack was violent enough that you couldn't see no end.

MONTE VERITA. It's like reading supernatural story about Maya people at first which was followed by friendship between 2 people, their meeting with a very beautiful enigmatic woman until the strange happening in Monte Verita. In the end, it was still the supernatural one but behind it, there was a horror value in it that makes you see what Monte Verita really was.

APPLE TREE. This is my fav story of this book. A creepy tale of a wife that haunted her husband after her death.
What you thought will not be the same with what you would along the way. A very good material for Outer Limit program.

LITTLE PHOTOGRAPHER. Like watching an Agatha Christie's mytery movie but leave the detective part. This is a story of unintentional villain with heart that was numbed because of life.

KISS ME AGAN STRANGER. Hohoho, this one has a horror surprise!! I wouldn't give any detail what kind of surprise less it would spoil the fun.

OLD MAN. This is my second fav because what I thought when this story began is dashed beautifully at the end ;)

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chilling, January 18, 2001

By 

Lesley West (St James, Western Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Birds and Other Stories (Imprint Books) (Paperback)

The title story of this collection is the story from which Alfred Hitchcock based his famous movie "The Birds". This movie is NOTHING like the story, and it is this original story that brings the terror home in a far more stark and chilling manner.

The story evolves around a farmer and his family in an isolated part of England. The birds gather and attack in more and more numbers as the story progresses, and the tale details the fear the family feels and the lengths they must go to to save their own lives. It is a marvellously crafted story, and one of the greatest realistic horror tale you will ever read. You will never look at birds which flock close to you in the same way again.