My Cousin Rachel

By: Daphne du Maurier

Narrated by: Jonathan Pryce

Daphne du Maurier's classic novel of lust, suspicion, and obsession that inspired major motion picture starring Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin.

Orphaned at an early age, Philip Ashley is raised by his benevolent older cousin, Ambrose. Resolutely single, Ambrose delights in Philip as his heir, and Philip grows to love Ambrose's grand estate as much as he does. But the cozy world the two construct is shattered when Ambrose sets off on a trip to Florence. There he falls in love and marries a mysterious distant cousin named Rachel—and there he dies suddenly.

Jealous of his marriage, racked by suspicion at the hints in Ambrose's letters, and grief-stricken by his death, Philip prepares to meet his cousin's widow with hatred in his heart. But when she arrives at the estate, Rachel seems to be a different woman from the one described in Ambrose's letters. Beautiful, sophisticated, and magnetic, Philip cannot help but feel drawn to Rachel.

And yet, questions still linger: might she have had a hand in Ambrose's death? And how, exactly, did Ambrose die? As Philip pursues the answers to these questions, he realizes that his own fate could hang in the balance.

couldn't stop listening!

typical of Daphne du Maurier.
couldn't stop listening. loved it!
Jonathan Pryce's reading was superb.

Unexpectedly enthralling

For starters, the narration was excellent.
The story was not at all what I expected and something about it kept me very engrossed. It was one of those books that I couldn’t stop thinking about even when I wasn’t listening to it.
The end was not as good as the rest. It seemed a bit hasty after so much buildup.. it was just suddenly over. The author no doubt did it on purpose, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. But I did like the book very much indeed.

Worth my time, just a few frustrations.

A good listen, well performed, just a few minor frustrations I can't list without giving too much away. Except tisana is Italian for tisane, (basically an herbal tea).

was she evil or good? Doubts, suspicions and ...

ambiguity abound!

This is the first book I have read by Daphne du Maurier, and it will not be the last! It is a wonderful, old-school romantic mystery. Her attention to character development is superb. Both Phillip and Rachel are dark, mysterious, and often unlikable characters. They are often jealous, and sometimes greedy. They are smart and they are also stupid. They are very real, and that makes them compelling.

The author also deftly builds tension, and allows the mystery to remain a mystery -- making the reader think one thing and then another and another. The story keeps you guessing right up until the end of the book. In fact, I find myself guessing still, several days later.

Perhaps my favorite quote of the book comes near the beginning, in the first chapter. It sets the tone for the entire book.

"No one will ever guess the burden of blame I carry on my shoulders;" he says, "nor will they know that every day, haunted still by doubt, I ask myself a question which I cannot answer. Was Rachel innocent or guilty? Maybe I shall learn that too, in purgatory."

Even the author said (in a later interview) that she did not know whether Rachel was guilty. It makes for a wonderful read which will stay with you and which will certainly inspire me to listen again very soon.

My Cousin Rachel

During my reading I thought I had unraveled the plot. With utmost satisfaction I was wrong.