The House on the Strand

By: Daphné du Maurier

Narrated by: Ron Keith

Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Dick Young is lent a house in Cornwall by his friend Professor Magnus Lane. During his stay he agrees to serve as a guinea pig for a new drug that Magnus has discovered in his scientific research.

When Dick samples Magnus' potion, he finds himself doing the impossible: traveling through time while staying in place, thrown all the way back into Medieval Cornwall. The concoction wears off after several hours, but its effects are intoxicating and Dick cannot resist his newfound powers. As his journeys increase, Dick begins to resent the days he must spend in the modern world, longing ever more fervently to get back into his world of centuries before, and the home of the beautiful Lady Isolda....

©2014 Daphne du Maurier (P)2014 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"The House on the Strand is prime du Maurier." ( New York Times)

Du Maurier writes wonderfully mysterious stories!

I read Daphne Du Maurier's My Cousin Rachel and loved it, so I picked up both Rebecca and The House on the Strand right away. I love this one too! And honestly, the whole time travel aspect was not something I was looking forward to as I am not a fan of science fiction. However this book is intricate and complex and unique. It is partly historical fiction, partly mystery. The characters inspire empathy; they are sometimes likable and often detestable. They are flawed and very real.

But my favorite part of Du Maurier's books are the endings. In both of the books I have read so far she leaves the ending mysterious. The reader is left with questions and wanting to know more. Even the author herself, in later interviews, seems to question exactly what happened next for her characters. It is a lovely cliff-hanger that makes you want to read more by and about the author!

Ron Keith is new to me, but I liked his narration very much. I believed him as Dick Young.

A Perfect Ending

Any additional comments?

Another reviewer was disappointed by the ending, but when listening to that climactic scene in which an unexpected twist reveals a second, deeper meaning, I found myself in tears of wonder, joy, and sorrow. I've rarely experienced a more satisfying ending to a story.

Wonderful SURPRISE w/ SURPRISE ending!

Perhaps the title of this novel threw me off, as I was not expecting the uniquely absorbing, strange sci-fi / magical realism tale that quickly ravels. Du Maurier's weaving of multiple realities - which at times seem almost precipitously ready to unravel - creates a highly suspenseful push/pull effect.

This laxity at multiple seams, leaves the reader (in my opinion) in a pleasantly tenuous world of a myriad of mysterious possibilities. One in which the final conclusion manages to simultaneously unravel/ravel...dispel, while still mystifying.

The narrator is a little kooky sounding (some name pronunciations r intense) but he reads well & may be an oddly great match for the material.

Second reading after 30 years!

Loved this book when I read it in 1977 and was pleasantly surprised by all the details I had forgotten.

Great Concept, Lackluster Execution...

This book was recommended to me for my love of all things "time travel." I was excited to get started, but soon found myself rather bored, and completely unconnected to the main character. He is a man who clearly hates his family, spends the entire story lying to them, treating them with disdain, and ultimately learns nothing, nor changes. He has no growth, and no character developement... I really couldn't care less whether he lived or died. The author should have done something to engage us in him other than having him be a window / bystander to events long gone by.

The story's concept is fantastic, but its execution is dull and uneventful. Nothing of importance seems to happen in the present or the past, leaving you feeling empty at the end. There's no healing, no resolution, no climax...

The audio is good enough, not bad at all, but the narrarator is a little monotone, seeming bored himself at times. Skip this one.

Excellent Gothic Tale with Time Travel

Daphne du Maurier is a master at atmosphere and getting inside the character's head. Rebecca is one of my favorite novels, and this one has similar psychological elements, although a very different story. The House on the Strand is set in England along the coast, the strand. Our main character Dick is staying at the country home of his friend Magnus Lane, at first alone, then his wife and her two young sons join him. Magnus wants him to try an experiment with a potion that he's created. When Dick drinks it, he goes back in time, or rather sees back in time, over 300 years earlier. He joins with his doppelganger Roger and experiences what he sees and does. They both secretly love a woman named Isolda. When Dick returns from his "trip" he becomes obsessed with what he saw in the past. Although the drug creates some frightening side effects, he can't stop using it. His relationship with his wife Vida is compromised. I am a fan of time travel stories, and Du Maurier adds so much richness with character, history, and conflict. Ron Keith does an excellent job as narrator. It felt like the character Dick was riding along with me in the car and telling me his story. I can't wait to read/listen to more of du Maurier's stories.

Hauntingly great story

I could barely stop listening. warning: you will not want to stop listening and lose sleep at night. Author has a psychologically awareness human nature and character.
The contemporary time & history woven in from the 1300's medieval time, as time travel, it was a fascinating listen. The narrator has a smooth, soothing voice. Four stars for only slightly differentiating characters; but after listening to a few chapters, it didn't matter anymore.
This author has a very creative, intelligent mind, great writing with understanding of human nature. Rates very high out of a thousand novels I have read. Highly recommend this book.!!

Childishly Narrated

This. Narrated does well when reading, which provides a relaxing stream of consciousness. Unfortunately, he destroys that stream with the discordant sound of poorly done attempts at various character accents. In fact, he does a dreadful assault to the listeners senses. Poorly done.

The Ending Was Perfect

I'm surprised so many people didn't like the ending. I found it perfect, satisfying. Science fiction that is plausible, not flashy. Du Maurier is a gripping storyteller, underrated.

Disappointing ending

I read this years ago and remember it as being riveting, unusual and well written. Those recollections were confirmed, but I had not remembered the ending which at least this time around I found a bit unsatisfying. I want to get my old hardback copy out to make sure the audio version didn't miss a chapter!