Daphne du Maurier was an English author and playwright, born on May 13, 1907, in London, England. She was the daughter of actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and actress Muriel Beaumont. Du Maurier began writing at a young age and published her first novel, The Loving Spirit, in 1931. She is best known for her Gothic novels, which often feature strong female protagonists and explore themes of identity, sexuality, and the supernatural.
Du Maurier’s most famous works include Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, and My Cousin Rachel. Rebecca, published in 1938, is a psychological thriller that tells the story of a young woman who marries a wealthy widower and finds herself haunted by the memory of his first wife. The novel was adapted into a successful film by Alfred Hitchcock in 1940. Jamaica Inn, published in 1936, is a dark and atmospheric tale of smugglers and murder set in 19th-century Cornwall. My Cousin Rachel, published in 1951, is a suspenseful story of a young man who falls in love with his cousin, only to suspect her of murder.
Du Maurier’s work has had a significant influence on popular culture and has been adapted for film, television, and stage. She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1969 and died on April 19, 1989, in Cornwall, England.
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1954: Mary Anne, by Daphne Du Maurier
$35.00First American edition of “Mary Anne” by Daphne Du Maurier, published by Doubleday & Company in New York in 1954. This hardcover volume is bound in green cloth and spans 351 pages. The book exhibits minor wear on the cover boards and spine, particularly around the corners where the bottom corners are slightly folded inward. The volume is tightly bound, and free from any writing or markings. The pages have a slight toning due to age, the book is in very good+ condition.
Mary Anne is a historical novel based on Du Maurier’s great-great-grandmother, who was the mistress of Fredrick, Duke of York.
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1969: The House on the Strand, by Daphne du Maurier (first ed, book club edition)
$39.00The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier is a thrilling work of fiction that takes readers on a journey through time. The story follows Richard Young, a man who has been given the opportunity to test a new drug that transports him back to the 14th century. As he becomes more and more engrossed in the past, Richard begins to lose touch with the present and the people around him. He finds himself drawn to the lives of the people he encounters in the past and becomes embroiled in their dramas and conflicts. As the drug’s effects become more intense, Richard must struggle to maintain his grip on reality and find a way back to his own time.
This book is a masterful blend of historical fiction and science fiction, with du Maurier’s signature suspenseful style keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The House on the Strand explores themes of time, identity, and the human desire to escape reality.