Mrs. Dewinter (Mass Market Paperback)

by Susan Hill Long (Author) "The undertaker's men were like crows, stiff and black, and the cars were black, lined up beside the path that led to the church; and..." (more)
Key Phrases: nut walk, grassy bowl, white wreath, Cobbett's Brake, Jack Favell, Frank Crawley (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This sequel to Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca depicts the further adventures of Maxim de Winter and his second wife.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
What happened to Maxim de Winter and his second wife after Manderley burned? This suspenseful "completion" of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca begins with the couple's return to England, following a ten-year, self-imposed exile, for the funeral of Maxim's sister Beatrice. In a voice true to the original story, Hill's Mrs. de Winter chronicles Rebecca's continuing shadow on their life: a mysterious wreath bearing a card with the initial "R" is discovered near Beatrice's grave, and unwelcome visitors include Jack Favell, who has visions of blackmail, and Mrs. Danvers, who seeks revenge. The narrator's happiness with Maxim is threatened by his first wife's invasive presence. Can she protect him from the past, or will Rebecca's murder be avenged? Sure to please du Maurier fans, this is highly recommended for public libraries. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/93.
- Heather Blenkinsopp, Mercy Coll. Lib., Dobbs Ferry,
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Avon (November 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380721457
• ISBN-13: 978-0380721450
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #709,919 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Dreadful dreadful book, May 30, 2000

By A Customer

I can't think of a single good thing to say about it. It reads like an entry to those one of the Worst Writing contests--it is so bad, it's like a parody of pointlessly melodrama. Mrs. De Winter spent nearly the entire book inside her own head, sharing her thoughts, fears, and aimless existence and it sounded just like this: "I think I knew at once, in an instant, things would never be the same again, they couldn't be the same, not now, not ever, I was a fool to think otherwise, oh WHY didn't I see, why COULDN'T I see, that things were different but forever the same, always the same, they couldn't be otherwise, I know that now, I think I knew that then, but until that instant I didn't believe, didn't want to believe, that for me, things were just as before, exactly as before, forever haunting us, forever coming between us, just as before, unchanged........." Bleah.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I wish that I had never picked it up!, June 10, 2000

By	Mary Beth Keller (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

My mother introduced me to Rebecca when I was twelve. I've adored the book ever since. I never wanted the book to end, and longed to know what happened to the characters after the tragic fire at Manderly. I was so excited to pick up Mrs. DeWinter. Two chapters into the book, I knew that I had made a dreadful mistake. I felt an obligation to finish the book, and I did. Ms. Hill causes readers to loathe Maxim, to think of him as a boorish lout. The second Mrs. DeWinter reads as flat, neurotic and weak. If I could erase this book from my memory I would. It is a disgrace to the original.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Ultimately Pointless and Frustrating!, June 16, 2003

By	Mark Twain "Sam" (www.chismetime.com) - See all my reviews

I don't understand why sequels to brilliant novels are written long after the original author's death. They all fail miserably, yet continue to get published. Mrs. DeWinter might very well be the worst of the lot, with no character development, no plot, and absolutely NO point. Nothing is resolved, except the solution of who burned down Manderley, which was better left unknown. Susan Hill rambles on and on about nothing. The book is extremely boring and way OVERLONG and took me weeks to finish. I was so glad to finally be able to put the book away. Fans of Rebecca should not waste their time reading this garbage. Nothing in the book makes sense, from the narrarator's actions to Mrs. Danvers living down the street, to why Maxim has become so annoying and childish. The last page is the only decent one in the book. Save your time and money, this book was better left never being written.