There are many websites, accounts, and influencers who claim to have found the ideal cosy, spooky novel for autumn. And now I’ll add my suggestion, Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 novel, Rebecca.
In case you’re unfamiliar, Rebecca follows the story of an unnamed narrator who meets wealthy widower Maxim DeWinter whilst on holiday. A whirlwind romance quickly blossoms between the two and the wedding follows soon after. However once returning to Manderley, the DeWinter’s estate in rural England, reality begins to set in as she realises how much of a stranger her husband really is. Making it worse is the constant presence of Maxim’s late wife, the beloved and enchanting Rebecca. Over the course of the novel the narrator becomes more and more obsessed with Rebecca as she realises just how deep her influence goes, as well as the dark truth behind the other woman’s death.
There are a multitude of factors that make a story feel appropriately autumnal. The overall aesthetic, or ‘vibes’ of it, the season in which the story is set, perhaps even a personal association. Rebecca ticks all three of these boxes for me, which may lead to a slight bias, however even if you don’t have an association I still think it could be the perfect read for this time of year.
One of the deciding factors in this is that the novel starts in the summer. The hazy, romantic tone of the first few chapters makes the darker contrast to autumn so much more prominent. It perfectly sets up the rest of the story, highlighting the narrators initial naïve optimism and allows us to see how she changes over the course of the narrative.
The true tone of autumn sets in once the characters, and reader, make it to Manderley. This is when the dreaminess of the first few chapters is stripped away and becomes more nightmarish as the narrator has to face reality.
One of the reasons why I believe this novel is so perfect for autumn is the creepiness of it all. Despite there not actually being a single supernatural element in the novel, du Maurier’s words craft a spellbinding presentation of Rebecca, and despite not appearing in the novel one single time, her ghost underpins everything that the story stands on.
Rebecca is not a horror novel, however there is a certain spookiness to the whole story, combined with the cosiness of Manderley, which I believe makes it the ideal book to read this time of year. It’s a classic for a reason and the writing is beautiful, the story captivating, and the narration incredibly appealing. Why not give it a go?