I've never liked Daphne du Maurier's novels. I find them very difficult to get into, and incapable of holding my attention; but her short stories are a completely different matter entirely. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that she's a bit of a master in the art.
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| Daphne du Maurier on Wikipedia |
In another, a writer's new relationship isn't quite what he'd hoped for, while a fellow writer is getting all the glory.
Other stories hint at the paranormal, implement fantastic twists, or are just perfect enough to stay with you for a long time afterwards.
Why is this in my list - apart from starting with R - I hear you ask? Simply because they are good stories, told well. They are subtle enough that with just one sentence she can turn the whole story on it's head. A true gift. Sometimes I feel that modern short stories are written to shock or confuse; I am often confused by recent short stories, and sometimes I'm not sure what the story is. With du Maurier's short stories, you are under no illusion, and you are enveloped into her rich, imagined world.
Great post! Thanks for introducing me to Daphne du Maurier.
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You're welcome!
DeleteDaphne du Maurier is one of my favorite writers...though I like Rebecca the best of her works. Another awesome R :)
ReplyDeleteI'd like to try Rebecca, but because I've been caught out with some of her other novels, I'm wary of it. If you're calling it awesome, I might give it a go :-)
DeleteMy first thought was "Not Rebecca?"
ReplyDeleteI honestly didn't know Daphne du Maurier even wrote short stories. I only knew about her novels.
Nope, not Rebecca. I've not read it! She's written three collections - her short story 'The Birds' inspired the Hitchcock film of the same name (although I think the actual story differed).
DeleteI'm with M.J. - I didn't know du Maurier wrote short stories either! Definitely something to check out. :)
ReplyDeleteThey are really wonderful stories that could probably teach most of us a thing or two about the craft.
DeleteI have one of her books in my 'to be read stack'. I really need to read faster!
ReplyDeleteWhich book, Elizabeth? I have pictures of these TBR piles getting totally out of hand :-)
DeleteWill look out for that collection - couldn't find it on Kindle. I have to say that I love Rebecca - in fact it's one of my favourites!
ReplyDeleteI just had a look myself on Kindle - Rebecca and The Doll are on there. The Doll seems to be a collection of newly rediscovered stories, not published in a collection before.
DeleteI didn't even know she had a collection, but I actually really loved Rebecca, so maybe I'll have to check it out :)
ReplyDeleteSarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)
She's got three - The Birds, The Rendezvous and Breaking Point. And then also The Doll, as I mentioned to Linda above which is a pothumously published collection.
Delete'Why is this in my list - apart from starting with R - I hear you ask?'
ReplyDeleteCute. :)
This was an early written one, when I was still pretendin there was a proper theme :-)
DeleteDaphne wrote a lot of short stories. I'm surprised that people haven't heard of 'The Birds', admittedly altered significantly by Hitchcock in his film. My son lives at Fowey where du Maurier wrote her first novel The Loving Spirit at the family house of Ferryside where her son and his family live today. Menabily, the house in which she lived for many years, was the model for Manderley along with Milton House near Peterborough. Menabily, its history and grounds provided input to a number of her novels - not just Rebecca. I wrote an article to commemorate the centenary of her birth,you can read it here - http://www.writelink.co.uk/community/blogs/entry/Centenary-Potrait-Daphne-Du-Maurier
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting Bob. I think most people have heard of The Birds - I certainly knew she wrote it way before I became interested in her other work (it's one of those pub quiz questions). But I come from Cornwall, so she's more apparent around her, and a lot of the people commenting on this blog are American, and maybe only the 'greatest hits' are known over there. Perhaps someone from US can confirm this?
Deleteooh gona have to put this on my list, they sound amazing :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I think they are.
DeleteOh, I'll have to add this to my list if they're that good. Short story telling is an art unto itself. Something I'd like to get better at.
ReplyDeleteThey are definitely worth reading, over and over. I hope you enjoy them :-)
DeleteThat's how I feel about Stephen King. I liked the short stories but not so much the novels.
ReplyDeleteAnd again, with King, it's the shorter stories that make the better films... or am I just making that up?
DeleteHi Annalisa. Her novels can be difficult but worth the effort I think. But I haven't read these short stories but must. I write short stories and the brief for a modern short story is to be mysterious, leave clues, which if not done well confuses the reader.
ReplyDeleteDenise
I coinceidentally found Rule Britannia at work yesterday (we have a table of donated books to raise money for charity) - so I've got that one to try now.
DeleteShort stories are where my heart is. I write the story I want to tell, and then panic is doesn't suit today's market.
The short stories sound interesting. I have read a few modern short stories which were confusing to me as well. Nice to know I'm not alone in that. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThanks Wendy. It's nice to know I'm not alone too :-)
DeleteI like short stories and find I don't read enough of them. Perhaps it's time for a change :) Another great pick Annalisa.
ReplyDeleteThanks Marta. I buy them because I write them; the more I buy, the more that need publishing... including me! :-)
DeleteWhat an interesting premise for a story. I used to get annoyed that short stories are so... short. But now I have a better appreciation for them.
ReplyDeleteIt's a really great story, and a goosebumpy ending when you figure out what's going on! In du Maurier's case, she draws you in so fully, you feel like you're reading something much longer - worth checking out!
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