Rebecca

The story of Manderley, a mansion of exquisite gardens that run to the sea, is considered to be Daphne du Maurier's finest novel. Having played the young Mrs. de Winter in one of the BBC productions, Emilia Fox has a feel for the house and its tragic occupants. This familiarity lends itself well to a story about what one THINKS is real. Fox brings to life all the emotions needed to flesh out the characters' questioning of themselves and others. A good love story read with the sadness of looking back on one's hopes and dreams. R.S.E. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

This production will capture listeners from its famous first sentence, "Last night I dreamt I went again to Manderley." Those familiar with du Maurier's classic mystery (in which the young narrator falls in love with the moody, wealthy Maxim de Winter) will enjoy it over again, absorbing new details; those not yet acquainted are in for a treat. Emma Fielding's narration has a dreamy, trance-like quality as she recalls the unfolding drama at Manderley, de Winter's ocean-side estate. The narrator Fielding creates (whose name we never learn) is deceptively simple, as unadorned as the young woman she portrays, and completely absorbing. Fielding smoothly handles other voices as well--from the narrator's brassy American employer, to aloof Maxim, to the haunting, jealous Mrs. Danvers. Fielding's cool, almost detached, voice contrasts with the over-the-top swelling violin music used at interludes to underscore the moment's drama, but somehow it all works perfectly. J.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

In this dark psychological novel of love, secrets and betrayal, a young, na•ve woman marries the dashing Maxim de Winter and returns to his legendary estate at Manderley. There she must confront not only her own insecurities, but also the disturbing memory of Rebecca, the first Mrs. de Winter. Anna Massey, an experienced British actress, reads smoothly, capturing the innocence and passion of the young narrator. She does a fine job shifting among the characters, changing voices enough to distinguish one from another, even the male characters. P.B.J. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

Acorn Audio's "enhanced audiotrack" offers the original actors' voices, music and sound effects from the recent PBS dramatization -- with added narration to create a complete listening experience. The incomparable Diana Rigg (host of "Mystery") illuminates the sociopathic Mrs. Danvers, who smolders with rage at the appearance of a new mistress. Charles Dance, as Maxim, has two tough acts to follow -- Lord Laurence Olivier in the 1940 Alfred Hitchock film and Jeremy Brett in the first PBS production. Dance softens the character of de Winter, reducing the romantic, but now seemingly condescending, panache of his predecessors. This is an enjoyable production, but if you're unfamiliar, better to start with Recorded Books' 1988 production, as this new one neglects du Maurier's unforgettable opening, "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. . ." (Heresy.) E.K.D. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Marsh successfully captures each character's personality and emotions. J.A.H. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Rebecca is perhaps the ultimate girl book: A young woman, alone in the world and without means, is swept off her feet by a handsome, dashing widower who marries her and takes her back to his manor by the sea. This is the stuff of Romance novels, with the happy addition of fine writing, well-developed characters, and a plot that truly surprises. The luckiest of us discovered it at 16, the perfect age to be entranced by the story of the second Mrs. de Winter, whose happy new life is nearly destroyed by her husband's dark, mysterious past. No matter if you've already read those famous opening lines--"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again"--or heard them in the various excellent movie versions of the novel, you simply must hear Alexandra O'Karma weave this spell. All the characters are on target; even the minor ones paint a lively picture of English country life between the wars. But this is the tale of two women, and O'Karma virtually inhabits them both: the maniacal Mrs. Danvers, who personifies the force of the late Rebecca; and the young, genuine Mrs. de Winter, so in love, so hopeful, so vulnerable to the unexpected threats to her marriage. Forget the car, the exercise machine, the airport waiting room...curl up with this audiobook by the fire, with a cup of tea and a box of chocolates...whether you're 16 or 60. E.K.D. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine