Rebecca

This would have gotten a better review, because it was spledidly written, had it not been for the novel's central character, Mrs de Winter. God, what a young, naive, stupid, girl. I wanted to shake her, slap her, make her come alive! Rebecca is the tale of a young girl marrying an older wealthy widow and then returning with him to his great manor, Manderly. Unfortunately for the new Mrs. de Winter, the presence of Rebecca haunts every hallway, every garden, every object in that grand house. Even the staff seems to have preferred Rebecca. According to everyone she was beautiful, witty, vivacious, and charming; the best of women. Poor Mrs. de Winter is no substitute, she can't compete with the dead (not that she tries very hard), even her new husband seems to have become bored of her. As she tries to maintain her sanity and prove that she is capable; she starts to realize that there is far more that no one is telling her. A haunting and captivating novel, I just wish our "heroine" was up to the challenge, instead of being a doormat for everyone she meets!