Customer Reviews

Don't Look Now: Selected Stories of Daphne du Maurier (New York Review Books Classics)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For many years, I'd only known Daphne du Maurier for Rebecca. Even though I loved the aforementioned novel, I hadn't bothered to pick up her other books. Why? I have no idea. But then I rediscovered Rebecca, which compelled me to read Du Maurier's other works. I loved My Cousin Rachel, The Scapegoat and Jamaica Inn, and The House on the Strand has become my favorite. Then I decided to read her short stories. Don't Look Now features a compilation of the creepiest, most haunting and literary work I have read in recent years. I loved "The Birds," and now realize that Hitchcock butchered this wonderful story, turning the film into nothing more than commercial garbage. "Kiss Me Again, Stranger" and "The Escort" have supernatural elements, while "La Sainte-Vierge" and "Indiscretion" show the author's ironic side, with a language that speaks of disdain to marriage and relationships in general. But my favorite story in this book is no doubt "Don't Look Now." This totally creepy tale of clairvoyance and destiny will haunt you long after you've read it.

So, if you loved Rebecca, adored My Cousin Rachel or The House on the Strand, and you're a fan of short fiction, then you will love Don't Look Now. Daphne du Maurier proved that she was much, much more than a commercial bestseller. She was, without a doubt, a gifted writer and a force to be reckoned with.

Best known for "Rebecca," du Maurier's short stories elevate a tired genre into something truly literary. The premises for such yarns as "The Birds" and "Don't Look Now" (both available here) are compelling enough to have attracted Hitchcock (who played loose with her story) and Nicholas Roeg (who didn't). Her plotting is precise, her characters believable, her style that of an acerbic Edith Wharton. It is so very good to have these tales of terror assembled between two covers.

Great paper, awesome cover image and the inclusion of the once hard-to-find The Birds short story, basis for the Hitchcock film. Don't miss The Blue Lenses, and Don't Look Now is just a masterpiece. Also a great foreword.

She was one of the most popular authors of the twentieth century, and her celebrated novels alone would guarantee immortality for any writer. But Daphne du Maurier created another, equally fascinating body of work that is now being rediscovered: several collections of dark, moody, perfectly sculpted short stories. Nine of these gems have been reissued by the New York Review of Books (no less!) in their ongoing series of great lesser-known works by literary masters.

I'm a writer, and I first read all of her short stories (and everything else she wrote) years ago. Her dark visions inspired me then, and they still do. "Don't Look Now" and "The Birds" are masterpieces of the short form, far beyond the famous movies made from them, and the other seven stories here are chilling, evocative samples of her extraordinary imagination. To read this collection is to be transported into a Twilight Zone/Outer Limits type of alternate reality. This woman clearly inspired several other masters, including Patricia Highsmith, Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, Ruth Rendell--and Patrick McGrath, who contributes the introduction to this collection.

I'm glad that the NYRB has made these stories available again. They are required reading for writers, and they will amaze and delight any fan of the best in suspense.

Daphne Du Maurier's story collection, Don't Look Now, is a must-have for readers interested in the literary elements of the creepy, bizarre and gothic. Primarily known for her gothic novel Rebecca, Du Maurier was equally adept at the short story; her tightly written tales are of upper and middle class English people confronting situations that are outside the box of normality. One of my favorite stories is "Don't Look Now," in which a young English couple is traveling in Italy, trying to recover from the death of their daughter. While there, the wife encounters two elderly spinster sisters while dining, one of whom is psychic; the sister with second sight informs the wife that their daughter is with them and not to be too sad. Also, the husband appears to clairvoyant, but he is unaware of it and not in full grasp of his powers. While the set-up is established, the backdrop of the environment is firmly conveyed. But here, there is a story within the story, and that is that there's is a serial killer prowling the area; it is hardly mentioned throughout the tale, if only as an afterthought, something that is out of sight and out of mind and therefore not worth particular in-depth attention. This is where Du Maurier's genius lies. As the reader progresses into the story, the backdrop slowly creeps forward into the aforementioned lives of the couple. And when both separate experiences collide, jaw-dropping horror is the end result. All of the tales possess this type of creepy foundation, and when the foundation is built up, cringing and disbelieving horror is the result. The pages get turned quickly.

Another example is the short story "Kiss Me Again, Stranger," where a young English bloke has fallen in love after meeting an usherette at the theater. She is romanced and is politely receptive to the gent's polite yet amorous affections. The gal is wooed and wowed in of all places, a graveyard. Needless to say, the women is not what she appears to be. There is evil duplicity, but that is showcased in all of Du Maurier's character creations. Yet, they are all so strikingly original. In any case, this collection makes for an engaging and worthwhile read; the language is beautiful proper English, and how Du Maurier weaves that beautifully crafted language into what she does - simple evocative horror - is nothing short of surprising. I would even go so far as to say that Daphne Du Maurier (in respects to the short story) was the English equivalent to Shirley Jackson. I think Edgar Allan Poe would have been proud.

I'd already read "Don't Look Now" twice and "The Birds" once before picking up this book. The other stories are just as good and compelling... so much so that I put aside time to read each story without interruption.
The story of "The Birds" is much better than the movie. My other favorites are "Blue Lenses' and "Split Second", both real page turners.
WARNING: Read the introduction after you've read the stories, Patrick McGrath gives away key plot points (why, Patrick, WHY?). I was NOT happy about that.
Still, a great book... and great cover, too.

It being my turn to select something for my book group in October, I felt something macabre was in order. I considered Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and James's "The Turn of the Screw." Then I remembered that earlier this year the group read two Maugham stories ("Rain" and "The Letter" - both brilliant BTW) which proved a big hit with the members, so I thought: why not "Don't Look Now" and "The Birds"? Though I had never read these, I had seen both film versions and thought I knew what to expect. Both have been expanded for the screen (naturally). However, where "Don't Look Now" succeeds at bringing du Maurier's story to life on screen brilliantly and faithfully, the Hitchcock adaptation pirated only two words from du Maurier's manuscript: "the" and "birds." Yes, the birds attack in both, but that is where the similarities end. [I still enjoy the Hitchcock film, which terrified me as a child].

I enjoy most stories set in Venice - a dream location [and vacation destination]. "Don't Look Now" uses the city to stunning effect; the labyrinthine canals and dark deserted alleyways make for a perfectly sinister setting. A grieving couple has come to the city of falling angels to regroup after the loss of their young daughter. They encounter a strange couple: twin sisters, middle aged, one a blind medium gifted with precognitive gifts. The sisters relay a warning from the daughter that the couple is in danger and must leave Venice.....to go any further would spoil the suspense (which would be a crime worthy of jail time). Needless to say, there is tension, intrigue and dread on every remaining page. Densely plotted and executed with unparalleled skill, "Don't Look Now" is a ghost story worthy of the masters.

"The Birds" is a masterpiece of suspense, stark and beautifully articulated. Set on a farm in Cornwall just after WWII, the story is an apocalyptic vision of a world where birds are suddenly waging war against humans. du Maurier's tale is bleak and relentless: 90% of the action takes place in the cottage, and the author creates a claustrophobic nightmare. There is no journey to safety; there is only "the cottage."
This is a story that would make a great film. I imagine it just as written, shot in beautiful black and white.

I am most eager to hear what the rest of my group will think of these dark tales. I've been urged by several of them to read "Rebecca" (that's right, I've never read it), and perhaps I'll go ahead now that I've wetted my apatite with these gems.

Daphne Du Maurier is a talented writer of some well-loved suspense stories. I'm not all the way through this book yet, but it is trademark Du Maurier and fans should love this book.

If you are a fan of the strange and the literary, this collection of stories is for you. I bought this primarily to read "Don't Look Now," which stunned me unexpectedly upon finishing it, and I found myself drawn into the other works because of how well Du Maurier writes. This collection is not to be missed, even if it does keep you up at night.

Am enjoying her stories and am happy to be able to buy the book of short stories by an author of such talent who is no longer around.