Daphne Du Maurier

Author

Daphne du Maurier was a British author whose atmospheric, psychologically gripping novels and short stories have captivated readers for nearly a century. Her work occupies a unique space between literary fiction, romance, and gothic suspense, and her influence on popular storytelling — from film to fiction — is immeasurable. Born in... London in 1907 into a distinguished creative family — her father was the actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier, her grandfather the author and artist George du Maurier — she grew up surrounded by theatre, literature, and the arts. But it was Cornwall, where the family had a holiday home, that captured her imagination and became the landscape of her greatest work. Rebecca (1938) is her masterpiece — a gothic romance narrated by an unnamed young woman who marries the wealthy Maxim de Winter and moves to his great Cornish estate Manderley, only to find it dominated by the memory of his first wife, the dazzling Rebecca. The novel has never been out of print, has sold millions of copies, and was adapted into an Oscar-winning film by Alfred Hitchcock. Jamaica Inn (1936), Frenchman's Creek (1941), My Cousin Rachel (1951), and The Scapegoat (1957) were all major successes. Her short stories, including "The Birds" and "Don't Look Now," were adapted into classic films by Hitchcock and Nicolas Roeg respectively. Du Maurier's ability to create atmosphere, psychological tension, and a sense of unease beneath surface beauty is virtually unmatched. Du Maurier lived much of her adult life at Menabilly in Cornwall, the house that inspired Manderley. She was appointed DBE in 1969 and died in 1989. The audiobook editions of du Maurier's novels are among the most popular classic audiobooks available, with narrators capturing the atmosphere, suspense, and psychological depth of her writing. Her books and audiobooks are essential — the work of a master storyteller whose grip on the imagination has only strengthened with time. Read more Show less