After Midnight

Thirteen Tales for the Dark Hours

By: Daphne du Maurier

Narrated by: Owen Findlay, Elliot Cowan, Matt Addis, Cecilia Appiah, Ruth Lass, Sam Marks, Hattie Morahan

From Daphne du Maurier, “a writer of fearless originality” (The Guardian), comes a collection of her thirteen most mesmerizing tales—including iconic stories such as “The Birds” and “Don’t Look Now”—with an introduction by Stephen King.

Daphne du Maurier is best known for Rebecca, “one of the most influential novels of the 20th century” (Sarah Waters) and basis for Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic film adaptation. More than thirty-five years after her death, du Maurier is celebrated for her gothic genius and stunning psychological insight by authors such as Ottessa Moshfegh, Maggie O’Farrell, Lucy Foley, Gillian Flynn, Jennifer Egan, and countless others, including Stephen King and Joe Hill.

After Midnight brings together some of du Maurier’s darkest, most haunting stories, ranging from sophisticated literary thriller to twisted love story. Alongside classics such as “The Birds” and “Don’t Look Now,”—both of which inspired unforgettable films—are gems such as “Monte Verità,” a masterpiece about obsession, mysticism, and tragic love, and “The Alibi,” a chilling tale of an ordinary man’s descent into lies, manipulation, and sinister fantasies that edge dangerously close to reality. In “The Blue Lenses,” a woman recovering from eye surgery finds she now perceives those around her as having animal heads corresponding to their true natures. “Not After Midnight” follows a schoolteacher on holiday in Crete who finds a foreboding message from the chalet’s previous occupant who drowned while swimming at night. In “The Breakthrough,” a scientist conducts experiments to harness the power of death, blurring the line between genius and madness.

Each story in this collection exemplifies du Maurier’s exquisite writing and singular insight into human frailty, jealousy, and the macabre. She “makes worlds in which people and even houses are mysterious and mutable; haunted rooms in which disembodied spirits dance at absolute liberty” (Olivia Laing, author of Crudo). Daphne du Maurier is mistress of the sleight of hand and slow-burning menace, often imitated and rarely surpassed.

Stories include:
-“The Blue Lenses”
-“Don’t Look Now”
-“The Alibi”
-“The Apple Tree”
-“The Birds”
-“Monte Verita”
-“The Pool”
-“The Doll”
-“Ganymede”
-“Leading Lady”
-“Not After Midnight”
-“Split Second”
-“The Breakthrough”

Unexpected turns

Scary short stories with themes of gothic suspense and psychological horror. I love the uniqueness, I was left guessing and unsure where the stories would end. Each story was different rating for me. My favorites are The Birds, Monte Verita, The Alibi and Split Second.

Great collection of short fiction

Daphne DuMaurier no longer receives the kind of attention she enjoyed in past decades, though people still watch the great movies that have were based on her novels and stories—Rebecca, The Birds, Don’t Look Now, and Jamaica Inn. But her fiction remains as fresh (and as unsettling) now as when it was written. This collection of her shorter fiction should help to end that neglect. The stories are wonderful, and the narration is excellent. The audiobook would be worth the price even if only for “The Birds,” which is far darker than the Hitchcock adaptation. “Don’t Look Now”, which also had a great film adaptation, is another gem included here. The other stories range from very good Twilight Zone fare (The Blue Lenses) to excellent literary fiction with a dark twist (The Apple Tree) to stories that Hitchcock should have adapted but never did (The Alibi). Highly recommended.

Tales of the unexpected

I enjoyed listening to this book very much. Each story was quite different from the others. I felt as though I were in a strange world with unknown rules. It makes me wonder about Daphne Du Maurier's unusual turn of mind...

Really liked some.

I didn’t like some stories and couldn’t wait for them to end. However, all stories were well written. The supernatural is not my preferred genre.