Daphne du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier was a prominent British author born in London in 1907, hailing from a family deeply entrenched in the arts, including her grandfather, novelist George du Maurier. She published her first novel, *The Loving Spirit*, in 1931, and gained significant success in the United States with a series of historical romances featuring strong, beleaguered heroines. Among her notable works are *The King's General*, *Jamaica Inn*, and *Frenchman's Creek*. Du Maurier is best known for her iconic novel *Rebecca*, published in 1938, which masterfully combines gothic mystery and psychological suspense, influencing many writers and adaptations. Her storytelling prowess extended to plays, biographies, and other novels, with films like Alfred Hitchcock's *Rebecca* winning critical acclaim, including an Academy Award for best motion picture. Throughout her career, du Maurier's ability to weave compelling narratives has left a lasting impact on literature and film.
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Daphne du Maurier
English novelist and short-story writer
- Born: May 13, 1907
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: April 19, 1989
- Place of death: Par, Cornwall, England
Biography
Daphne du Maurier (dew MOHR-ee-ay), born in London in 1907, came from a family deeply involved in the arts. Her grandfather, novelist and artist George du Maurier, wrote the well-known novel Trilby (1894). Her parents were both of the theater; her father, Sir Gerald, was a notable actor and manager. {$S[A]Maurier, Daphne du;Du Maurier, Daphne}{$S[A]Browning, Lady Daphne;Du Maurier, Daphne}
The Loving Spirit, du Maurier’s first novel, was published in 1931. It was followed by I’ll Never Be Young Again and The Progress of Julius. Du Maurier’s initial success in the United States was achieved with a series of historical cloak-and-dagger romances, many of which were related from the viewpoint of the belabored heroine. The best remembered of these novels is probably The King’s General. A prolific and compelling storyteller, du Maurier’s other works in this genre include Jamaica Inn, Frenchman’s Creek, Hungry Hill, and Mary Anne. She is also the author of the plays The Years Between and September Tide; a biography of her father, Gerald: A Portrait; and The du Mauriers, a semifictional account of her ancestors. Her other works include Happy Christmas and The Parasites.
Rebecca is du Maurier’s best-known work, and it has been widely imitated since its publication in 1938. Its success may be credited to the studied blending of a gothic atmosphere of mystery with the more subtle psychological suspense of a modern thriller. Du Maurier employed this formula in such works as My Cousin Rachel, The Scapegoat, and the story “Kiss Me Again, Stranger.” Film adaptations of du Maurier’s work were enthusiastically received. Jamaica Inn was filmed in 1939, and in 1940, Rebecca, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, won the Academy Award for best motion picture of the year.
Bibliography
Abi-Ezzi, Nathalie. The Double in the Fiction of R. L. Stevenson, Wilkie Collins, and Daphne du Maurier. New York: Peter Lang, 2003. Examines the figure of the double as a trope of mystery and suspense fiction, comparing du Maurier with two of her predecessors in the genres. Bibliographic references and index.
Auerbach, Nina. Daphne du Maurier: Haunted Heiress. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. Noted critic Auerbach discusses her fascination with du Maurier.
Block, Maxine, ed. Current Biography: Who’s News and Why, 1940. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1940. Up close and personal with the novelist at the beginning of her career, including insights into her involvement with the war effort.
Breit, H. “Talk with Lady Browning.” The New York Times Book Review, March 16, 1952, p. 25. A glimpse into the character of du Maurier in her maturity.
Cook, Judith. Daphne: A Portrait of Daphne du Maurier. London: Bantam Books, 1991. Good insights into the woman and the author.
Du Maurier, Daphne. Letters from Menabilly: Portrait of a Friendship. Edited by Oriel Malet. New York: M. Evans, 1994. A selection of Du Maurier’s correspondence during the middle part of her life.
Forster, Margaret. Daphne du Maurier: The Secret Life of the Renowned Storyteller. New York: Doubleday, 1993. A candid, meticulous, and riveting biography, prepared with cooperation of the du Maurier family after du Maurier’s death.
Horner, Avril, and Sue Zlosnik. “Daphne du Maurier and Gothic Signatures: Rebecca as Vamp(ire).” In Body Matters: Feminism, Textuality, Corporeality, edited by Avril Horner and Angela Keane. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000. A reading of the title character of Rebecca, arguing that she possesses the same traits as do vampires in gothic fiction.
Horner, Avril, and Sue Zlosnik. Daphne du Maurier: Writing, Identity, and the Gothic Imagination. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1998. An evaluation of du Maurier’s fiction from historical, cultural, geographic, and female gothic literary perspectives.
Kelly, Richard Michael. Daphne du Maurier. Boston: Twayne, 1987. A solid introduction to the author’s works. Includes index and bibliography.
Leng, Flavia. Daphne du Maurier: A Daughter’s Memoir. Edinburgh: Mainstream, 1994. A good biography of du Maurier written by her daughter.