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    My Cousin Rachel
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    My Cousin Rachel
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    My Cousin Rachel
    Audiobook11 hours

    My Cousin Rachel

    Written by Daphne Du Maurier

    Narrated by Jonathan Pryce

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Daphne du Maurier's classic novel of lust, suspicion, and obsession--now a major motion picture starring Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin.
    Orphaned at an early age, Philip Ashley is raised by his benevolent older cousin, Ambrose. Resolutely single, Ambrose delights in Philip as his heir, and Philip grows to love Ambrose's grand estate as much as he does. But the cozy world the two construct is shattered when Ambrose sets off on a trip to Florence. There he falls in love and marries a mysterious distant cousin named Rachel--and there he dies suddenly. Jealous of his marriage, racked by suspicion at the hints in Ambrose's letters, and grief-stricken by his death, Philip prepares to meet his cousin's widow with hatred in his heart. But when she arrives at the estate, Rachel seems to be a different woman from the one described in Ambrose's letters. Beautiful, sophisticated, and magnetic, Philip cannot help but feel drawn to Rachel.
    And yet, questions still linger: might she have had a hand in Ambrose's death? And how, exactly, did Ambrose die? As Philip pursues the answers to these questions, he realizes that his own fate could hang in the balance.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateAug 19, 2014
    ISBN9781478956303
    Unavailable
    My Cousin Rachel
    Author

    Daphne Du Maurier

    Daphne du Maurier (1907–1989) has been called one of the great shapers of popular culture and the modern imagination. Among her more famous works are The Scapegoat, Jamaica Inn, Rebecca, and the short story "The Birds," all of which were subsequently made into films—the latter three directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

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    Reviews for My Cousin Rachel

    4.5/5

    65 ratings33 reviews

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    • 5/5
      It's a classic tale of suspense of a love gone wrong but how / who did it.
    • 4/5
      Lots of listening! Intriguing story. Fine narration. I don’t understand the ending.
    • 5/5
      Very suspenseful and ambiguous. Love novels that are very complex
    • 4/5
      Enjoyable .... but seems to cut off at the end of each chapter. is it me or Scribd?
    • 5/5
      I can't give this book enough stars! I am a huge fan of Rebecca and this story is even better. The writing is evocative of a place and time, and the narration on this audio version is outstanding. I will now read anything by this author without reservation.
    • 5/5
      I'm gaining more and more appreciation for Daphne du Maurier's work. The way she constructs her narrators can even be breathtaking, and the structure of this story makes it very much so. This is one of those books that would do well on a reread, gaining layers of meaning.

      Daphne du Maurier was so good at landscape and atmosphere, too -- Cornwall especially, but I recognised the impressions of a visitor to Italy, too.

      With The House on the Strand, her work feels much more dateable. But there's something timeless about My Cousin Rachel -- it couldn't quite be modern, but it doesn't have to be so long ago, either.

      The introduction by Sally Beauman sheds an interesting light on the book, too, and it didn't take any of the sting out of the story -- just encouraged another line of thought as I read, a few more questions to hold in mind.
    • 4/5

      To think that just a few short months ago, I was under the impression that Daphne du Maurier only wrote one novel worth reading, the splendid Rebecca. I could not have been more wrong.

      My Cousin Rachel is a wonderful read. A psychological thriller, the novel is set in 19th Century Cornwall and in Florence. The narrator, Philip Ashley, falls in love with – or rather, becomes obsessed with - his cousin’s widow, Rachel, who may or may not be a murderess. The development and consequences of Philip’s obsession are at the heart of the novel.

      There is so much to admire about this work. Firstly, there is the beautiful descriptive language in which Maurier evokes the natural beauty of Cornwall and the drama of Florence. Secondly, there is the superb use of a male first person narrator, who reveals things to the reader of which he is himself unaware. Thirdly, there is the fascinating ambiguity of the characters and the narrative. While Rachel’s character and actions are open to question and interpretation, so is Philip’s reliability as a narrator.

      Overall, this is a gem of novel. It is easy to read and hard to put down, a totally engaging page-turner which gives readers plenty to ponder at the end. Contemporary thriller writers could learn a thing or two from Daphne du Maurier. Another enjoyable buddy read with my friend Jemidar.
    • 5/5
      I will admit it took me a while to finish the book. I can't say it exactly drags but it is explained into in a great detail. It has a plot that will keep you guessing through out. This is one book I assure you where you are not going to guess the ending. Jealousy or greed is one emotion that is very prominent in the book.Overall it is a good book if you have the patience to read it.
    • 5/5
      Phillip Ashley idolizes his cousin Ambrose having been raised by him on Ambrose's Cornish estate. When Ambrose goes to Italy, meets and falls in love with Rachel, the widow of an Italian nobleman, then marries her; Phillip is extremely happy for his cousin. As time goes by, Ambrose becomes deathly ill and suspicion falls on Rachel as being the cause of his illness.Phillip has discovered that he is in love with Rachel himself and when she returns to England after Ambrose's death, Phillip tries to ignore the rumors about her and rashly settles Ambrose's estate in her favor. Once Ambrose's estate is settled, Rachel grows cold towards Phillip and he suffers a similar illness to the one that caused Ambrose's death. I loved this story and give it an A+!
    • 5/5
      Why, why, why did I wait so long to read this book??? My Cousin Rachel blew me out of the water in its' greatness and left me wondering why I hadn't read it sooner! It is the story of Phillip Ashley and how his entire world changes when Rachel comes into his life. Rachel is the widow of his beloved Uncle Ambrose who is recently deceased. Everything Phillip has ever known changes when his cousin Rachel arrives.....and his life will never be the same.This is basically going to be a gush fest so be prepared. I adored this book. Just adored it! The atmosphere and underlying tension in this book was just amazing. It had me well and truly hooked as I was reading. My Cousin Rachel has this creepy feeling to it where you know something bad is going to happen and all you can do is wait for it. This feeling made the atmosphere of the book so creepy and intense. I just couldn't put the book down! (And I'll admit to peeking at the ending when I was almost finished because I couldn't take it any longer. I had to know. And it still didn't take away from my enjoyment of the novel.) Rachel and Phillip are on this destructive path together that neither of them realizes, and all the reader can do is wait for it to happen. Even then knowing that there couldn't possibly be a happy ending to the story, I was blown away by the ending. It left me thinking, and I had to go back and reread the first chapter again. And then the ending again. And I was still left wanting to discuss this one with someone. It was just that good!I don't think I need to even summarize my feelings on this one. I LOVED it, plain and simple! I would reread it again without a second thought and want a copy of it for my own shelves. Just thinking about it now makes me want to read it again so what can I do but recommend it to all of you! Highly recommended!!!Bottom Line: An amazing read.....nothing more to say other than that!Disclosure: I checked this one out from my local library but you can bet I will be purchasing my own copy!
    • 4/5
      I read this book in a crazed frenzy. The pleasant country life described was full of tension due to the uncertainty related to various events as well as the narrator’s naïve, heedless feelings and decisions. There were similarities to du Maurier’s Rebecca – an enigmatic woman and a treasured estate are at the center of the plot. However, there was much more ambiguity surrounding the woman who sets off the events, Rachel. As in Rebecca, the author ends on a climax but less is resolved. The simple prose, focus on the natural surroundings and a refusal to admit feelings in a first person narrative create a good portrait of Philip, the narrator.du Maurier quickly sets up the events that lead to a clash between Rachel and Philip. Philip’s guardian Ambrose, an eternal bachelor who planned to leave the estate to him, travels to Italy for his health and meets and marries Rachel, a distant relative. While everyone in Cornwall is happy for him, Philip is annoyed. He already has hateful images of Rachel in his head when Ambrose sends him incoherent letters hinting that Rachel is trying to kill him. He rushes to Florence but Ambrose is already dead and Rachel is gone. Philip plans revenge against her until she suddenly shows up at his estate.It is perhaps not a spoiler to say that he falls in love with her but her feelings, thoughts and actions remain a mystery. The tension ratchets up as new information about Rachel trickles out and Philip remains blind to her bad qualities. Even the placid scenes depicted are interesting as you wonder if Rachel is sincere or manipulating Philip and everyone else. For example, several times he is suspicious of her, but she immediately detects the change, finds out what’s wrong and provides an explanation that satisfies him. A master manipulator, one might think. However, it’s entirely possible that the answers she provides are the truth. More tension comes from Philip’s rush to fall in love with her – like his godfather and friends, you want to tell him to slow down and see reason. He’s avoided the company of women all his life and plans to be a bachelor like Ambrose – could be why he has no intuition or emotional intelligence or whatever it’s called. The silences between them become deafening – pretty quickly on the reader realizes that Philip knows nothing about Rachel. Her background, her first marriage, her life with Ambrose – all this is ignored or put off because Rachel says it’s painful to talk about. Some people may think that Philip’s actions are rash and stupid and they are. However, he’s like a hormone-crazed teenager in love who thinks that no one has ever felt like this before and the more people try to slow him down, the faster he runs off a cliff.Rachel reminded me of Rebecca in several ways. She is able to win everyone over in a quick fashion (as Maxim said that Rebecca could do) and all her work turning Philip’s home into a comfortable and beautiful place recalls Rebecca making Manderley what it was. Rebecca’s secrets are revealed at the end of her book, but readers must weigh the evidence on Rachel for themselves. Philip is a bit of a misogynist at the beginning of the book – he thinks women are pretty much useless and his initial view of her is either as a nagging, controlling wife or a spoiled, greedy vixen. He remains one even after Rachel wins him over – his view of her recalls the virgin/whore, above reason/below reason etc. dichotomy. When he’s in love with her, nothing can make him believe anything negative about her and there’s always an explanation for everything. When he’s suspicious of her, she must be an evil murderer. I felt the real explanation must lie somewhere in between. An excellent, suspenseful read.
    • 5/5
      This reminded me a bit of Rebecca, with the same kind of setting and atmosphere. Philip and Ambrose are bachelor cousins living on Ambrose's estate. But Ambrose has some health problems and so has been spending the cold winters abroad in sunnier weather. Ambrose has been Philip's guardian since he was a boy and has never been married. So Philip is quite shocked when he receives a letter from Ambrose in Italy and the news that he has married the widow Rachel. Philip keeps waiting for Ambrose to return home with his new bride but Ambrose writes of affairs that must be settled first. Then he begins to write more disturbing letters that cast doubt on Rachel. Philip fears for Ambrose's safety and journeys to Italy to bring him home. sadly he discovers that Ambrose has died of a brain tumor. Philip returns home filled with anger at the Rachel he has never met. but when she comes to England, she is nothing like Philip expected and he begins to develop feelings for her.I love a good suspense novel where my opinion of the characters keep changing and wondering who, if anyone is the guilty party and this one did just that. If you enjoyed Rebecca, you will enjoy this as well.my rating 4.5/5
    • 4/5
      The House on the Strand and Rebecca were truly wonderful books full of atmosphere with dark characters and deep emotional triggers that had me holding my breath till the end of the book. I wasn’t disappointed by My Cousin Rachel but I didn’t feel the same emotional response as I did with the others. Yet I was still happy to see the somewhat ambiguous ending. Hmmm… No worries. I’m not telling. Honestly, I think Du Maurier is the only author that can do that and leave me feeling OK with it. Wonder why that is?Ambrose Ashley and his heir, Philip, are two men leading bachelor lives on their estate in Cornwall, England. When Ambrose’s health begins to fail, he goes off to Italy for the weather and health benefits and finds a wife in Rachel, a recent widower and countess. When Ambrose sends Philip a strange letter saying his wife may be poisoning him, Philip goes to Italy to help Ambrose but doesn’t arrive in time. Sullenly, Philip returns home to find out Ambrose’s widow will soon be landing in England. Philip has no love, and only a slight respect, for this woman but he welcomes her reluctantly. Somehow, this mysterious woman finds a way into his life.Philip is so naïve that Rachel’s actions seem perfectly normal to him but all the time you’re wondering why he doesn’t stay true to his original assessment of Rachel. You want him to go on mistrusting her and when he doesn’t, it’s infuriating and there’s nothing to do but stand back and watch the wreck happen. And you know it’s going to happen.Rachel begins wrapping Philip around her finger. He becomes more possessive and somewhat deranged. Very much like Ambrose which has you wondering who and what Rachel is. He keeps finding letters from Ambrose accusing his wife of poisoning him and warning Philip of her abuse of money. But Philip heeds none of them. He ignores all the signs Ambrose sends him from the grave.This was a very satisfying read but it didn’t have the same intrigue, buildup, or emotional pull. The notes and Philip’s feelings just aren’t the same here but they do add an otherworldly element, persistent but ignored though they are. If I had read this one before Rebecca, I may have felt differently about it. I keep trying to stop myself from making comparisons but I can’t. That happens with me when I start reading an author’s backlist. I have Frenchman’s Creek on my list and know my library has a copy and I’ll try to keep an open mind while reading that one.All in all, a good read and I’m glad I’m working my way through Du Maurier’s books. It’s a fun little challenge.
    • 4/5
      This book has been sitting unread on my shelves for years - ever since I saw a theatre adaptation in my early teens - and I have no idea why. Since it was plucked down off the shelves it seems to have taken forever to plough through - and I have no idea why! This is du Maurier at her best: a gloomy house filled with the bitter secrets of an enigmatic woman; the briny scent of the Cornish sea air; a tormented man seeking love... Oh, wait, does this sound familiar?Perhaps that's one of the reasons it took me so long to read it - although it's beautifully written and completely brilliant, it is basically a not-quite-as-good version of Rebecca. Where Rebecca was impossible to put down, sent chills down the reader's spine and was deeply rooted on the Cornish coast, My Cousin Rachel takes longer to work up to its denouement, invites more questioning and pondering from the steady reader, and spreads its wings to encompass a good dose of Italian influence.It is narrated, not by an innocent damsel, but by young Philip Ashley, who inherits a sizeable estate when his beloved cousin Ambrose dies during an extended stay in Italy. In his feverish letters to Philip prior to his death, he implicates his new wife - Philip's cousin Rachel - in his illness. So when Rachel arrives in England to visit the estate and her young cousin, Philip expects a black widow and is completely unprepared for how he feels as he gets to know this beautiful, exotic woman. But all may not be as it seems, and Philip is determined to find out the truth once and for all before he becomes a victim in turn.As always, du Maurier excels at making the reader question their assumptions every step of the way with her spectacular use of the unreliable narrator. Who is the predator, and who the prey? Is Philip's mind twisting events out of shape, or are his perceptions going to turn out to be correct? What really happened in Italy, and who can we trust to be telling the truth - or are Rachel and Philip both too enmeshed in the situation to think and speak honestly?There is also a wealth of very pointed social observation about national stereotypes and the role of women. Philip, living before the delights of cheap Ryanair flights to Europe, frequently seems to believe that his cousin and her advisor Rainaldi may be scheming, or insane, or extravagant, simply because they are Italian. With the exception of the kindly servants who attend to him when he visits Italy, there is no room for manoeuvre in Philip's assumptions that Italians are, by their very nature, not only more sensual and hypnotic than the English, but also far more lax in morals of every kind. The role of women is also important. One of the central themes might be said to be property: the whole novel revolves around Philip's inheritance of the estate. Throughout the book there are very few occasions when Rachel is referred to as anything but 'my cousin Rachel'; she has become an extension of the property Ambrose has transferred to his young ward. She is tied down and held hostage by the men in her life. With Ambrose's new will left unsigned in the cloud of doubt that surrounded his death, she is left with nothing but Philip's charity. Although a hugely independent character, she can never truly be independent while she must have the permission and goodwill of the men in control for everything she does. This is really an incredibly complex novel that, for me, is a cross between Rebecca - which I adored - and Madame Bovary, which I didn't like nearly as much in itself, but which was a really fascinating read in terms of its exposure of contemporary social conventions. I alternated between feeling deeply for Rachel's predicament and wondering whether Philip might be right in his fear of her. The beautiful crystal-clear writing drew me deep into the pages, and even though I remembered the ending from my theatre visit (thus destroying much of the suspense) I was still swept faster and faster towards the final pages with that familiar du Maurier thrill racing up my spine. How on earth did I manage to make such a wonderful book last such a darn long time?!
    • 4/5
      Daphne du Maurier’s My Cousin Rachel is a quiet, yet oddly feverish, book. Largely bereft of major incident, it makes up for its slow pace by means of its eerie atmosphere, psychological depth, and starkly luminous prose. While a comparison with Jane Austen is at the very least counterintuitive (in terms of style and subject matter, she is more closely aligned with the Brontës), I couldn’t help but think of the term “important nothings” when reading this book. In certain sections it seems so commonplace, so very normal, that when the ending comes one realizes with a shock, that all those details had been building to this all along.The narrator is Philip Ashley, a young man whose parents died when he was just a boy, and has grown up in the care of his older cousin Ambrose. Philip adores Ambrose, thinks the world of him, so when Ambrose, who is weathering the winter in Italy, sends word to him that he has married a distant relative of theirs named Rachel, Philip is struck with jealousy. But the marriage, which initially seemed so happy, turns sour, and Philip begins receiving frenzied notes from Ambrose, the last a mere scrawl: She has done for me at last, Rachel my torment. By the time he reaches Italy, Ambrose is dead, and Philip believes that Rachel is somehow to blame. There and then, he vows that she will pay for it. But when she comes to visit him in Cornwall, he too falls under the spell of her charms. Was he wrong about her? Or is he following the same path Ambrose trod, one that will end in death and ruin?If you are looking at things from a cold, critical point of view, it must be admitted that there are certain similarities between this novel and du Maurier’s most famous, the haunting Rebecca. But if you allow yourself to be drawn into the world of the story, you will see that it is its own entity. If the setting is similar, it is because it is one that du Maurier knew and was drawn to; if the characters are worked out of basic types, it is likewise true that du Maurier invests them with their own personalities and characteristics.One of the things that separates this from Rebecca, and may surprise new fans of the authoress, is the male narrator. Philip may be a rather sheltered and dependent young man (some would say effeminate even, and I can imagine that there are some interesting readings of his relationship with Ambrose), but he is still unmistakably a man in terms of his psychology. Du Maurier’s grasp of the male mind is so accurate that at times I found Philip reminding me—uncomfortably—of myself. Oh dear!Rachel herself is complex, haunted, sinister, a woman caught between two worlds, and lodging a passionate soul within her small frame. Whether she is guilty or not, I will not say. You must read to find out for yourself.And the ending, oh, the ending! Somehow it brings the book full circle, makes it complete, and yet ambiguous. I do not know exactly how du Maurier pulled it off, but she did.There is a seldom-seen film adaptation of this novel, from 1952, that I was fortunate enough to watch online. While it cannot quite catch the atmosphere of the novel, it creates as near an approximation of it as is possible on film—only Hitchcock, I think, would have been able to fully recreate it, as he did in his masterful adaptation of Rebecca—and strong starring performances from Olivia de Havilland and a young Richard Burton make up for the odd assemblage of supporting players. (Seriously, whose idea was it to cast Nick Kendall as a blustering country squire? Very, very strange.)This book deserves to be better known. I have not read Rebecca in a few years, but in my mind Rachel is almost its equal. And I will certainly be dipping into more of du Maurier’s oeuvre: she is a superb prose stylist, and a master craftsman.
    • 4/5
      Daphne du Maurier is known for her ability to blend all of the elements of a good gothic story together to create something new and her own. She accomplishes this immensely in Rebecca, which is probably her most popular work. In My Cousin Rachel, she returns to this style of writing a blend of romance, gothic horror and good mystery. The book centers around young Philip Ashley, who loses his parents young. He is raised by his cousin Ambrose whom he idolizes, when Ambrose goes to Italy in hopes that he will find better weather to cure his aches and pains he meets a distant cousin of the Ashley family, Rachel. They fall in love and get married rather hurriedly to the astonishment of Philip. When Philip receives a haunting letter from Ambrose he heads immediately for Italy only to discover his cousin died suddenly. Philip's jealously of his cousin Rachel turns to rage, suspicion and when he finally meets her to love. Eventually his suspicions of Rachel turn again for Philip to fear. I especially enjoyed how Daphne du Maurier choses to tell this story from Philip's perspective, I thought it was an interesting way to make a common gothic story different and exciting. If you are looking for a mix of romance, mystery and horror this book is well worth the read.
    • 2/5
      I've read several of Du Maurier's books and this is one of the weaker ones. It's a classical psychological thriller and asks the question "did she do it?" in the earliest pages. The narrator never answers the question, but provides enough clues for the reader to make up their own minds. The writing is crisp and descriptive, I just couldn't get into the characters. "Did she do it?" I don't think so, but the next reader may decide she did.
    • 5/5
      Our narrator, Philip is a young man of 24 who was raised by his bachelor cousin Ambrose. While traveling in Italy Ambrose meets, falls for and marries a woman named Rachel. Philip begins to receive strange letters from his cousin suggesting that his new wife might be up to something, but dies before we know one way or another. Rachel then moves to England and while visiting Philip he falls for her. Suspicion still abounds, but now the stakes are raised as Philip nears the age where he will have access to his entire fortune. As the readers, we are swept along on Philip's adventure, wondering if Rachel is planning something devious or simply a victim of circumstances. It's difficult to maintain a heightened level of suspense for an entire book, but Daphne du Maurier is the master of this genre. She has you guessing and then second-guessing your assumptions. You question the narrator, distrust other characters' motivations, it's a delight! Her book Rebecca still remains my favorite, but I'll be reading more of her delicious books!
    • 5/5
      Probably my 2nd favorite du Maurier novel.
    • 4/5
      This novel pales in comparison to Rebecca. If you can get beyond that, it is well written and suspenseful and stands on its own. The final chapters made the the short interludes where it was a little slow worthwhile.
    • 4/5
      It would be impossible not to compare this novel with 'Rebecca', considering the similarities of the eponymous characters and what happens to them, but I'm not sure I can say that 'My Cousin Rachel' is in any way inferior. The unnamed narrator and the descriptions of Manderley in 'Rebecca' make that book my favourite out of the two, but both novels are well crafted and suspenseful. Du Maurier has a definite talent for writing unrealiable, or prejudiced, narrators, whose paranoia both repels and influences the reader's perspective.The narrator here has a name, Philip Ashley, but he is also an orphan, raised in eccentric indulgence by his cousin Ambrose. Spoiled and immature for his age, Philip is just as insular as the second Mrs de Winter, and lives only for his guardian and their estate in Cornwall, which he will inherit on Ambrose's death. His sheltered existence is disrupted, however, when Ambrose goes abroad for the winter, to Florence, and meets and marries a distant relation, 'my cousin' Rachel. Philip's imagination is wracked with fears about this interloper, but his anxieties are cruelly realised when Ambrose dies suddenly abroad, after claiming in a scrawled and urgent letter than Rachel, 'his torment', has 'done for him'. Has Rachel killed her husband of one year for his estate, or is the cause of Ambrose's death a hereditary brain disease? Philip's suspicions of his cousin are dispelled when she visits Cornwall and charms everyone with her wit and warmth. Like Rebecca, Rachel is attractive and popular but with a dark secret, which only Philip is aware of. He struggles with his infatuation for her, playing directly into her plans in a bid to win her for himself, but is forced to face the truth - or his understanding of it.Is Rachel a self-made woman who has pulled herself up through poverty and personal unhappiness, or is she more shrewd and calculating than that? Does Philip bring trouble on himself by expecting more than she is willing to give, or does she lead him on for wealth and security? Is Rachel to be admired or hated? Du Maurier lets the reader make up their own mind, although Rachel is 'punished' for usurping a man's position and authority. If the author had written her own prequel for Rebecca, Rachel is how I imagine Du Maurier would have written her most memorable anti-heroine.
    • 3/5
      Love story NoObsession Story YesPhilip was raised in a house of men never having any women in the house .He has never been around anything but farm wives and that has left him ill-prepared when his cousin’s widow comes to live with him. She is a woman of the world and wraps the poor naïve boy around her little finger without him even noticing. Although I’m still not sure if there is a villain in the story Rachel seems sweet and at most times without malice and Philip acts like a petulant boy most of the time. The letters from Ambrose are somewhat obtuse and as a reader I was never sure what had really happened to him in Florence. The ending of the story was abrupt and left many unanswered questions.All in all I didn’t enjoy this as much as I expected to. It was good gothic fiction but the story did meander from time to time and did not hold my interest as I thought it would, and the ending was so abrupt it was as though there were pages missing. I had high hopes for loving this book as I loved Rebecca but I am sorry to say I did not. I give it 3 stars only because anything lower is wrong for a writer of her caliber but it is barely a 3 star novel.
    • 5/5
      DAPHNE DU MAURIER: My Cousin RachelListened on audio 2009. Sensual, intelligent and chilling.Philip Ashley, a young upper-class man, has been raised in an all male environment by his cousin Ambrose and has little knowledge of women. When Ambrose travels to Italy and marries the enigmatic Rachel, later in life, Philip is jealous and sullen. Ambrose dies abroad suddenly and Philip’s anguish and his spite towards Rachel is exacerbated by several posthumous letters hinting at sexual intrigue, financial shenanigans and poisoning... When Rachel arrives in England, Philip's instinct gradually ebbs away and his feelings deepen from fascination to obsession. It appears that history is about to repeat itself, with Philip falling her under her spell just as Ambrose before him…… but, who is Rachel ultimately? Is she the sweet, charming, playful and mischievous woman driven by emotion that Philip falls passionately in love with? Or is she the cold, manipulative woman others think her to be, out for financial gain and a murderess to boot?In this heart-wrenching tale of love, longing and tragedy, the plot is intelligently structured with an intimate portrayal of the characters leading to the final twist. At the close of the novel, when Philip becomes responsible for her death, all expectations are reversed and the reader is left to question whether Rachel was good, mad, bad or indifferent and who was right, or wrong?Daphne Du Maurier lives and breathes her characters, taking the reader under their skin to produce a novel that is bleak, brooding, lush and chilling. The novel works around the notion that love is blind and explores perception, deception, individual and collective reality. Classic Fiction NovelPublished in 1951
    • 4/5
      Philip is mourning the recent death of his beloved cousin/guardian Ambrose Ashley when the new widow Rachel comes to visit. Is she a natural charmer or a clever manipulator? Philip's determination to resist her lasts only a short time before he falls under her spell. Very little suspense here. Some lovely writing, but this tale of greed and gullibility was mostly just a sad ghost of the masterpiece Rebecca.
    • 4/5
      I cannot believe that this book was originally published in 1951! I read Rebecca ages ago and loved it but I had never even heard of My Cousin Rachel until just a few months ago. I'm so glad I did.This is one of those stories where you sort of know how things will play out, but you continue to turn the pages because the characters are so richly drawn and the evil is almost too subtle to pick up that you feel the need to really focus on every line as some little clue might pop up. I just love these types of stories.Philip is so utterly taken with Rachel that he is incredibly frustrating at times, but the dynamic between to the two characters is so tightly wound, that you just expect him (or her) to snap at any moment. The descriptive details of the estate itself were quite well written. I felt as if I were walking the grounds myself at times.In the end, it was an incredibly satisfying read and if you haven't read it, I highly recommend that you pick up a copy soon. I also cannot say enough about the cover of the re-release. It's stunning.
    • 5/5
      Orphaned at 18 months, Philip Ashley is taken in and raised by his cousin, the consummate bachelor, Ambrose. Their relationship is a close one as they share not only looks, but emotions and mannerisms as well.Ambrose travels to Italy one summer, leaving Philip to watch over the house. Letter writing is how they keep in touch and it's the information written within these letters that carries the story. Ambrose writes to tell Philip that he has met his cousin Rachel, soon followed by another letter stating that they are now married and not long after that the letters become mysterious and full of paranoia - Ambrose has been suffering an unknown illness and seems to think his new wife is trying to poison him. Philip decides to go to Ambrose in Italy and find out for himself what is really going on. But when he gets there he finds that Ambrose has been dead for two weeks and cousin Rachel had already fled the villa. Convinced that Rachel killed Ambrose and makes a promise to himself to make her pay.Back in England, Rachel shows up at Philip's manor unexpectedly. His mind is already made up to hate her, however when they meet his image of her is thrown right out the door. She's charming and dainty and sweet - she bewitches Philip from the start. She can't possibly have had anything to do with Ambrose's death. Or can she?My Cousin Rachel explores the complicated mind of a woman and the men who try to decipher it. Du Maurier's writing flows very well and the pace is fluid throughout. The gothic atmosphere combined with the mystery of who Rachel really is, kept this reader enthralled and turning the pages quickly.Thanks to Sourcebooks for giving me the opportunity to read such a wonderful novel!
    • 5/5
      Orphaned as a young boy, little Phillip was taken into the care of his older cousin Ambrose and goes to live with him on Ambrose's estate. They are content, the two bachelors, for some 20 years, young Phillip learning how to manage the estate he will one day inherit. That is until, Ambrose, then in his forties and suffering from bad rheumatism in the cold, wet winters of Cornwall, decides that he will spend some time in the warmer climate of the Mediterranean and leave the management of the estate in Phillip's capable hands. He writes and stays in touch, telling of his travels, and then, out of the blue, tells of meeting a woman, a half English, half Italian widow in Italy. They share a love of gardening and, in fact, she is a very distant relative....their 'cousin' Rachel. Before Phillip really knows what to make of this new friendship, Ambrose writes from Naples that he and Rachel are married and on their honeymoon.Phillip is not thrilled with the news, jealous of sharing Ambrose's affection and wondering how it will upset his future, but in a matter of months things turn even worse when he receives several letters from his cousin, very different in tone from his earlier ones professing his love for Rachel. Now he claims that Rachel is trying to kill him, poison him and Phillips set out at once for Florence, where the married couple are living, to come to Ambrose's aid. But he is too late, arriving at Rachel's empty villa to find out that his cousin has died, supposedly of a brain tumor and the widow is gone.Phillip is convinced that Rachel has killed his cousin and pictures her as an evil, scheming witch. That is until a short time later, he receives a letter from the widow that she is in England and wishes to come to the estate to return Ambrose's possessions. She arrives and is, of course, nothing as her pictured her. Before he known what is happening, he finds himself being rather bewitched himself by his lovely cousin Rachel. What are her intention and is she an innocent widow, or a scheming murderer...yes, that is the question, and Ms. du Maurier will keep you guessing until the very end.And maybe even a bit longer. No humor here, no dashing adventure. No, this is a a real psychological thriller, darker and more sinister, certainly less clear cut. It is not so much what happens in the story that creates that sinister feeling, but the way du Maurier is able to skillfully paint the characters, especially Rachel. The story is full of questions, tossing us back and forth in our opinion of Rachel.A taut, well, written story that will no doubt grab you attention and not let it go until the very last page. The actual, very last page. If you like mysteries and thrillers, with a well written historic setting, My Cousin Rachel will be a very entertaining read for you.
    • 5/5
      Did she or didn't she? That is the question that will keep readers on the edge of their seat until the final twist on the very last pages. Phillip Ashley was orphaned at a young age and raised in 19C Cornwall by his older cousin Ambrose. Health issues force Ambrose to spend time in warmer climates and he meets and marries a distant cousin Rachel, the widowed Countess Sangaletti. A cryptic note arrives from Ambrose hinting at being poisoned and Phillip heads to Florence to find Ambrose dead of a brain tumor (so the doctors say.....) and Rachel disappeared, with Rainaldi her close friend and "financial advisor" handling her affairs. Phillip heads home and as rightful heir takes over running the family estate, but constantly broods on his hatred of Rachel and builds an image of her that is completely different when he comes face to face with her. Instead of the murdering she-devil he's built up in his mind, Phillip doesn't quite know what to make of this tiny, elegant and very enigmatic cousin of his. Rachel weaves herself into the lives of Phillip making herself indispensable to the household until Phillip finally finds himself in love with her and forgets his prior suspicions. Phillip realizes his majority at his 25th birthday and he presents Rachel with what Ambrose would have willed to her if he had lived long enough to sign a new will. At that point everything changes between Rachel and Phillip and ......... Well I'm not going to tell you, read it for yourself. This was a fabulous read that had me gripped from the very first page and kept me guessing until the very end (actually she still keeps you guessing but you have to read it for yourself to find out why). There's a good reason Du Maurier is considered the master of romantic suspense. Highly highly recommended. 5/5 stars.
    • 5/5
      "My Cousin Rachel" is a grippingly good mystery set in an English manor which is so vividly described it almost becomes a character itself. The story is narrated by Philip Ashley, whose cousin and guardian, Ambrose, has recently died not long after his marriage to Rachel, a distant cousin whom he met while traveling in Italy. A series of suspicious letters from Ambrose regarding Rachel's actions fall into Philip's hands, and he determines that the widow had something to do with her husband's demise. However, when Rachel arrives to visit England, all thought of vengeance dissipates upon his first meeting with her. What follows is a slowly building, page-turning "did she or didn't she" mystery that is enhanced by the setting, described in such detail that it becomes very real to the reader. A classic Gothic novel that keeps the reader guessing.
    • 4/5
      An excellent mystery. Gripping.