Tuesday 10 August 2010

ABC Wednesday, D for Daphne du Maurier


Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning DBE (13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English author and playwright.

Many of her works, which were written in Cornwall, have been adapted into films, including the novels Rebecca, which won the Best Picture Oscar in 1941, Jamaica Inn, and her short stories The Birds and Don't Look Now. The first three were directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

Her elder sister was the writer Angela du Maurier. Her father was the actor Gerald du Maurier. Her grandfather was the writer George du Maurier.



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This is the house where Daphne du Maurier lived as a girl during holidays and later as a grown-up.

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with D.




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The first photo shows the Frenchman's Creek. The second depics Jamaica Inn and the third one is the church of Altarnun where the evil vicar of this place lived ,from the book "Jamaica Inn".




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These are a few of my books written by Daphne du Maurier. It stands to reason that, although she was not Cornish, she loved Cornwall with all her heart, and by reading her books she also made me love that beautiful part of Great Britain. My husband and I went to look for many places she mentioned in her books, especially in "Enchanting Cornwall", "Myself when young"and "Vanishing Cornwall"!

30 comments:

Gigi Ann said...

Reader Wil, I love your D Day post today. Being a reader I enjoyed learning about these books, and will be adding one or two to my...To-Be-Read book list.... Now I'm going to go decide which ones, and visit my local Library and see if they have any of her books.

Thanks for sharing this Delightful post today.

Carver said...

I enjoyed this post so much. Very interesting information about Daphne du Maurier and wonderful photographs too.

Sylvia K said...

What a terrific post for the day, Wil! I love duMaurier and her books have always been some of my favorites. Very interesting information about her and her family. Wonderful photos for the day! Hope your week is going well!

Sylvia

Vinay Leo R. said...

very interesting information of the lady.. she wrote a lot of books and was written of in a lot of books too I see.. will read more of her soon I guess :)

thank u for sharing!

Dina said...

Daphne would be happy to read this post.

anthonynorth said...

I've read many of her books. An excellent writer. And I've also enjoyed many of the film adaptations.
Excellent post.

Vicki Lane said...

DdM has been one of my favorite writers since I was a teenager. I still reread my copies of her works -- REBECCA and THE KING'S General are probably my favoriites. What a writer she was!

The Weaver of Grass said...

I love that part of Cornwall Wil - and I too love her books.

photowannabe said...

I read Rebbeca as a young college student. I think it was one of my all time favorites. Perhaps it was because I was young and in love.

Roger Owen Green said...

A stellar choice!

ROG, ABC Wednesday team

Miss_Yves said...

D ...dèjà ?!

Très intéressant!
Suivre les traces d'un écrivain est passionnant.

J'ai lu plusieurs de ses romans, et j'aime aussi les adaptations faites par Hitchcock .
Et j'adore Peter Ibbetson de G du Maurier...
Daphné était non seulement douée, mais d'après la photo, très jolie.

Joy said...

I love places with literary connections, its always fascinating to see how it measures up to to the authors picture in your head. I've only read some of her short stories but they were certainly very much set in a place and quite eerie.

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

she is so beautiful, thanks for sharing!
;)

Leslie: said...

One of my favourite all-time books is "Rebecca" - I always find it so fascinating to learn more about the author's background and really loved reading this post. :D

Paula Scott Molokai Girl Studio said...

Wow-I didn't realize that she wrote "The Birds". And that she lived in such a beautiful area. Of course, I know I never gave it much thought.
It's great to learn things like this!
Thanks! Beautiful, beautiful village by the way.

Hildred said...

Wonderful post for D Day. I haven't read much du Maurier in the last few years but there was a time when I was so enthused with her novels. You inspire me to reread them, Reader Wil, and I think you for that.

Verna Luga said...

wow this is very interesting ... Nice to know Daphne's roots... and the wonderful sights of the English country side....
My ABC Wed here

Julie said...

Yes, I can see how reading her books would send you on a locale chase. I gather it is a very beautiful if quaint pare of England. I love the house she lived in especially to see the contrast of now and then. Thank you for this post.

Tumblewords: said...

Totally fascinating! I've read several of her books and, of course, The Birds (movie) was one that hangs in my mind. Wonderful D post!

Wanda said...

Oh my this was interesting and new to me. Will have to check this out further.

Gayle said...

After visiting the places she wrote about, doesn't it make want to go back and read her writings again! Makes the stories come to life.

Etje said...

Heb er nog nooit iets van gelezen en misschien wordt het tijd dat hier verandering in komt

ChrisJ said...

Read almost all that you mentioned, but a long while ago. They're a bit scary but not by today's standards. I didn't read "The Birds". I didn't know she wrote that one, but the movie scared me to death. I know I would love Mousehole but often think it must be overrun with tourists (like me, so I go to less populated places.) Some of those photos look like the kind I like to paint. But got too much going right now.

mrsnesbitt said...

A fascinating post - oh how I remember "The Birds" I always think of the film when I see the birds following the tractors as the farmers sow the crops!

Great post.

Denise
ABC Team

Arkansas Patti said...

I was surprised to see so many titles that had become movies.
It was quite interesting learning about her. I am ashamed to admit I have read none of them but thanks to you, I will correct that.
Thanks for the view into her background.

Malyss said...

Daphné du Maurier is one of my favorite writers! Thank you to show places where she lived or where she found inspiration! She made me dream since I'm a teenager (long time :))and I LOVE seeing those places!AND: she was so beautyful!
Great post!

Louis la Vache said...

This is a really superb 'D' post - your admiration for du Maurier is well-presented here.

Indrani said...

I have not read her books, but the way you write about them makes me want to read them. Great post.

jay said...

What an interesting post! LOVE the house!

It's a long time since I read any Daphne Du Maurier - maybe it's time to revisit.

RachelD said...

OH, Wil,

It was so lovely of you to visit us at Lawn Tea!! I've come back to read more of your lovely blog, and the first thing which caught my eye was the du Maurier piece. I SO loved reading her years ago, and as the only girl in our neighborhood, I was especially mesmerised by Frenchman's Creek, with the pirates and the swashbuckles.

It's so silly, but my best memory of the book is just a line---they were assembling/defusing a bomb or opening a door---those events are hazy, but to my ten-year-old mind, the line about "she reached out with one perfectly-manicured finger" captured my attention. I could just see it, that perfect oval, with perhaps a tiny gleam of clear polish, as they trusted her with such an ambitious mission.

From that day, I ceased my horrid habit of biting my nails.

Isn't that the silliest memory? Dear Daphne would have been pleased, I think, to find that a young tomboy in the hot South had been, at least a little, transformed by her words.

She's the reason that just the word "Cornwall" captures my heart.