5 Reasons Why I Love Daphne Du Maurier

As you know I am a big fan of Daphne Du Maurier’s novels, and I think her writing is brilliant. She writes fantastic books about love, betrayal, smuggling, deception, and relationships.

I love all her books, and I recommend checking out modern classics such as ‘Rebecca‘, ‘Jamaica Inn‘, and ‘Frenchman’s Creek’.

Below is a list of 5 reasons why I love Daphne Du Maurier- and why she should be your next read!

1. Her writing style

Du Maurier just has a way of writing that is so wonderful- it draws you in and yet there’s still a lot of beautiful description. I’m not keen on books that have masses of description and flowery words, but I find that Du Maurier’s books combine great action and character development with fantastic description.

The way her words flow and are formed is so beautiful- and I really recommend checking out her lovely prose.

“We came to Manderley in early May, arriving, so Maxim said, with the first swallows and the bluebells. It would be the best moment, before the full flush of summer, and in the valley the azaleas would be prodigal of scent, and the blood-red rhododendrons in bloom.”

2. Her settings

This is similar to the first point, but the places Du Maurier sets her novels are chosen brilliantly. The fact that most of them are set in Cornwall- a place I really want to go- makes it even better.

‘Jamaica Inn’ has brilliant descriptions of the hills and moors of Cornwall, and I love to imagine Mary, the main character, wandering around the moors on long walks, trying to find Jem and avoiding her Uncle Joss.

3. Her romances

I love the romance in the novel ‘Jamaica Inn’, and the forbidden romance of ‘Frenchman’s Creek’ is also brilliant. Du Maurier creates dashing, mysterious men that the reader can really fall in love with.

Even in the novel ‘Rebecca’ the romances are so interesting to read and understand- such as the dysfunctional romance between Mr de Winter and Rebecca, or the new romance of Mr de Winter and the narrator.

4. Her strong female characters

In Du Maurier’s books there always seems to be a female character that the modern woman can relate to, and I think this is something that makes Du Maurier’s character creation brilliant.

In ‘Jamaica Inn’ I can’t help but love Mary Yellan and the way she stands up against her Uncle Joss. Rebecca also sounds like a feisty, feminist character- and I sometimes wonder if the book would be more interesting if it looked at her character journey.

5. Her characterisation

In all of her novels Du Maurier’s characters go through certain experiences that certainly change or challenge them, with ‘Jamaica Inn‘ and ‘Frenchman’s Creek’ challenging the female protagonists’ morals, for example.

However, despite the challenges they come up against and the way their lives are turned around in the novel- Du Maurier doesn’t write about big “journeys”. She just discusses likeable characters who the reader can relate to.

I really enjoy reading books that create characters you can relate to, and one of the reasons I love Daphne Du Maurier is her ability to write brilliant characters.

Are there any authors you love? Do you feel inspired to read a Daphne Du Maurier novel? What’s your favourite Du Maurier book?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below 🙂

Happy reading x

Picture credits here