Carnation Girl

Author: Daphne du Maurier (USA), translated by Li Wenjun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: When it comes to the British female writer Daphne du Maurier, many may not be very familiar, as in the hearts of Chinese readers, the first author they love and know well should be Charlotte Bront?, the author of Jane Eyre. However, when it comes to Rebecca, perhaps more people would be aware of it. To help more readers understand her, we sincerely present this novel to you here. Daphne (1907-1990) was a member of the Royal Society of Literature in her lifetime and was awarded Dame of the British Empire in 1969. She wrote a total of seventeen long novels in her life. Due to her deep influence from the peculiar genre of novels in the 19th century, which primarily featured mystery, horror, and the like, many of her works have intricate plots, finely drawn characters (especially the female protagonists), and a blend of melancholic sentimentalism whileing a mysterious atmosphere. This novel, originally titled Rebecca, was published in 1938 and is Daphne du Maurier's breakthrough and representative work. In the novel, the author successfully creates the image of a mysterious woman, Rebecca. She is a character who does not actually exist, as the novel clearly states at the beginning that she is already dead. However, as readers carefully follow the story, they can clearly feel her presence, as if she is always lingering before their eyes, her voice and appearance seemingly everywhere, even though she is only mentioned indirectly through the author's flashback. This undoubtedly adds a layer of mystery to the novel. There is also another female character in the novel—the one who appears as the narrator, the "I" persona. Although she is a living person with all the joys and sorrows of a real person, she actually serves to highlight and contrast with Rebecca's image everywhere. The author's technique of using the "real" to complement the "non-existent" is worth noting. Daphne, in her lifetime, strongly disliked urban life. She lived in Cornwall, a region in southwestern England, for a long time, and many of her works are themed or set against the customs and social practices of this region. Through this "point," she exposes the various vices of the upper class in Britain, as seen in this book. The author portrays Rebecca's licentious and corrupt life, as well as her marriage to her husband, Maxim de Winter, allowing us to clearly see the supremacy of sorrow and joy, selfishness, hypocrisy, and extravagance in the upper class of Britain at the time. It also helps us better understand British society then.
Another success of the novel lies in the author's use of the technique of blending scenery and emotion to create two atmospheres: on one hand, a gloomy and oppressive sense of despair and horror, and on the other, a lingering and nostalgic atmosphere. This adds a strong romantic flavor to the novel.
Although the novel still has some shortcomings—such as a relatively narrow scope of life depicted and occasional repetition in the description of scenery—these have not affected its enduring popularity over the years!