The Rendezvous and Other Stories

by Daphne du Maurier

Book Overview

The stories in this collection, some written before du Maurier published her first novel, reflect many human emotions: romance, disenchantment, fantasy, nostalgia, ambition, irony, the longing for... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0575028459
• ISBN13: 9780575028456
• Release Date: January 1980
• Publisher: Gollancz
• Length: 287 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

One of the best short story collections I've ever read!

Daphne du Maurier wrote various short stories over the course of her life, many of which could be found here. The Rendezvous and Other Stories contains several of her best work. Why settle for her novels when you can catch glimpses of her brilliance in shorter stories? "Leading Lady" and "The Rendezvous" were written during her youth. These stories showcase flawed, selfish and oftentimes unlikable characters that seem true to life and remind me a great deal of Julius and Mary Anne. "Angels and Archangels" has a similar theme, only it isn't as engaging as the previous two. Du Maurier also displays her keen eye for dry, ironic humor, a style that always accompanied her writing but was more conspicuous in her last novels. The aforementioned humor could be found in "Adieu Sagesse." The storyline in that one, while somewhat contrived, uses the author's understated love for humor. There are also her signature dark and disturbing tales, like "No Motive." That one is quite mind-blogging. "The Closing Door," my favorite, is also very dark, displaying the cruel and manipulative side of the human mind. "Split Second," "Panic," and "Indiscretion" are also quite brilliant. I'd already read "La Sainte-Vierge" and "Escort" in another du Maurier collection called Don't Look Now, but I enjoyed them more the second time around. And last, "Fairy Tale" and "The Supreme Artist" are not the best here, but by no means bad either. All in all, this is one of the best short fiction books out there. Daphne du Maurier displays her versatile talents in this unique and literary collection. I got this in the mail yesterday, and I couldn't resist reading the stories. My one disappointment is that "The Pools," a ghost story, is not included in this book, and I don't like the idea of buying a short fiction compilation just to read that one story. The story "Don't Look Now" is also notably absent. If you're a fan of Ms. Du Maurier and enjoy short fiction, then by all means do not, I repeat, DO NOT miss this one. Read them; savor them as though they were rich chocolate. I should've taken my time with this book. I WANT MORE!!!