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Rebecca
The multi-million-copy bestseller that has enthralled generations of readers. A haunting tale of obsessive love. A mesmerizing psychological thriller.
In Monte Carlo, our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at Manderley, her husband's cavernous estate on the Cornish coast, that she realizes how vast a shadow his late wife, Rebecca, will cast over their lives--introducing a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their love from beyond the grave.
These book club questions were prepared by Bookclubs staff.
Book club questions for Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
The narrator of the story is famousely never named. Why do you think du Maurier chose to leave her anonymous? What does it say about female identity in the context of marriage at the time? How would the story differ if she was named?
How reliable is the narrator's account vs other perspectives we're given on Rebecca's character and fate? What is the impact of the author’s choice to tell the story in the first person?
Explore the impact of the house and estate itself, Manderley, as almost a character in its own right. What atmosphere does du Maurier create around that setting?
Rebecca employs elements of mystery, romance, and gothic horror. Which genre do you feel comes through the strongest and why?
The narrator and Maxim seem mismatched given the differences in their age, wealth, and worldliness. What do you think drew each to the other? What were their motivations for marrying? Do you think they were truly in love?
Explore the roles of class structure and wealth in shaping the power dynamics between different characters.
The narrator fails to pick up on many clues that Rebecca was not entirely what she seemed. Did you suspect Rebecca’s true nature from the beginning or were the revelations a surprise?
Why do you think Rebecca inspired so much loyalty in Mrs. Danvers, and what were Mrs. Danvers’ motivations for being so cruel towards the narrator?
Rebecca looms large over the story, even giving the novel her name. In the end, what did you think of her? Was she a monster, a sociopath? Alternatively, in what ways did she exert power and agency not permitted to most women in her society?
How does the theme of haunting, ghosts, and lingering memory permeate the novel both literally and symbolically? Discuss the various meanings of being "haunted by Rebecca" for different characters.
How did your perception of Maxim’s character change after discovering the true story of Rebecca’s death? Was Maxim merely a victim of Rebecca's schemes or does he bear some responsibility for her fate? How would you have reacted to his confession if you were in the narrator's shoes?
What do you think will happen to Maxim and the narrator after the novel’s end? Do you think they will be happy?
Rebecca was written in 1938, but continues to be popular today. To what do you attribute its continued appeal?
Rebecca Book Club Questions PDF
Click here for a printable PDF of the Rebecca discussion questions