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 ...
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
'A remarkable imagination continually provokes both pity and terror' OBSERVER
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.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By Erik K
Format: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.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By Spy Groove
Format: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 ;)
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 ;)
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By Lesley West
Format: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.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Damn good
This edition is far superior to NYRB w selecteds by McGrath. It has one of DdMs best stories, "The Apple Tree," in which a likeable widower finds that the gnarled tree in his yard... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Paul Gardner
5.0 out of 5 stars
REALLY GREAT SHORT STORIES
I am usually not enamored of short stories. So many are simply without meaning. However, these stories are so well written, so interesting and with unique, exciting plots, I would... Read more
Published 4 months ago by LINDA LEVEN
3.0 out of 5 stars
Modern Gothic
This is an interesting collection of Daphne du Maurier's stories. She definitely leans towards the gothic and is a good, strong example of that genre in modern settings. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Sally in Texas
5.0 out of 5 stars
You won't look at birds the same anymore!
I've had a bit of a Du Maurier fest recently re-reading her classics, watching The Birds once more on DVD and finally getting round to reading the short story. Read more
Published 10 months ago by lovebooks
5.0 out of 5 stars
Edge-of-your-seat, educative, and informed novelettes!
Like all of Daphne du Maurier's post-W.W.I.I. English characters, none of them have (entirely) forgotten The Blitz -- and the one who "prevails" in this story (or, at least,... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Crabby McGrouchpants
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hitchock screwed the ending.
The Hitchocks ending of this tale was so confussing to me until I read The short story by DU Maurier... Read more
Published on November 11, 2008 by D. Scott
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hitchcock screwed up
Du Maurier's classic, The Birds, is a story of an avian apocalypse. The birds have developed a mass consciousness and decide to take utter revenge for thousands of years of... Read more
Published on June 11, 2008 by Ron Braithwaite
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not Free SF Reader
A good collection of horror stories, with a 3.58 average. The score for this one is hence basically 4.25 out of 5. Read more
Published on December 27, 2007 by Blue Tyson
4.0 out of 5 stars
the plot was fine...
but i Could Fall asleep while reading. I didn't find it so exciting. 3 stars are only for the unusual plot full of fantasy, but the writing isn't so marvellous in my opinion.
Published on November 3, 2003 by Ellada
4.0 out of 5 stars
THE BIRDS
THIS BOOK WAS PRETTY GOOD AND HAD A GREAT DEAL OF DETAIL! I WOULD RECOMMEND IT FOR ANYONE!
Published on January 17, 2000
