Product Description

'Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.' These famous words open the most popular novel by Daphne du Maurier, the story of an intense romance set in a mysterious house in Cornwall. Its unforgettable atmosphere and tension has transformed it from a popular romance on the page and on film to become a modern classic. Here, it is presented in a new and absorbing recording by Emma Fielding.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #866462 in Books
• Published on: 2004-11
• Released on: 2005-06-01
• Number of discs: 4
• Formats: Abridged, Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Binding: Audio CD

From Library Journal
Surely no audiobook collection should be without some version of this timeless classic, arguably the most famous and well-loved gothic novel of the 20th century, and this production would be an excellent choice. Read in wonderfully British cadences by Anna Massey, all the mysterious and oppressive nuances are made immediate and chilling. We even feel some sympathy for the absurdly timid and cowering heroine; it is, after all, easy to imagine feeling woefully inferior to the predecessor and desperately eager to please. Of course the story requires great leaps of credulity... Forget the movie; it makes mincemeat of the actual tale. A wise seven-year-old once told me, "The book is always betterDit goes right into your head." This is a prime exampleDlisten again; it gets even better. Highly recommended.DHarriet Edwards, East Meadow P.L., NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
This production will capture listeners from its famous first sentence, "Last night I dreamt I went again to Manderley." Those familiar with du Maurier's classic mystery (in which the young narrator falls in love with the moody, wealthy Maxim de Winter) will enjoy it over again, absorbing new details; those not yet acquainted are in for a treat. Emma Fielding's narration has a dreamy, trance-like quality as she recalls the unfolding drama at Manderley, de Winter's ocean-side estate. The narrator Fielding creates (whose name we never learn) is deceptively simple, as unadorned as the young woman she portrays, and completely absorbing. Fielding smoothly handles other voices as well--from the narrator's brassy American employer, to aloof Maxim, to the haunting, jealous Mrs. Danvers. Fielding's cool, almost detached, voice contrasts with the over-the-top swelling violin music used at interludes to underscore the moment's drama, but somehow it all works perfectly. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Review
Excellent entertainment ... du Maurier created a scale by which modern women can measure their feelings. STEPHEN KING The two words most commonly used in descriptions of Du Maurier's all-time classic are 'haunting and 'magical'. Both are accurate.' GOOD BOOK GUIDE 'I am reminded of how profoundly du Maurier changed the way I felt about myself, how she engaged and excited me with her writing.' The DAILY TELEGRAPH 'As a new generation of readers are introduced to the wicked housekeeper Mrs Danvers and learn Maxim de Winter's terrible secret, this chilling, suspenseful tale is as fresh and readable as it was when it was first written, more than 60 years ago.'