My Cousin Rachel - Hardcover

Dame Daphne Du Maurier

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0575028092 ISBN 13: 9780575028098

Publisher: Gollancz, 1980

Synopsis

'Like its heroine the book is possessed of such unforgettably vivid charm that one is seduced' L. S. Hilton, author of MaestraIn Regency London, the only way for a woman to succeed is to beat men at their own game. So when Mary Anne Clarke seeks an escape from her squalid surroundings in Bowling Inn Alley, she ventures first into the scurrilous world of the pamphleteers. Her personal charms are such, however, that before long she comes to the notice of the Duke of York.With her taste for luxury and power, Mary Anne, now a royal mistress, must aim higher. Her lofty connections allow her to establish a thriving trade in military commissions, provoking a scandal that rocks the government - and brings personal disgrace.A vivid portrait of overweening ambition, Mary Anne is set during the Napoleonic Wars and based on the life of du Maurier's own great-great-grandmother.

About this title

About the Author:

Daphne du Maurier (1907-89) was born in London, the daughter of the famous actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and granddaughter of George du Maurier, the author and artist. In 1931 her first novel, The Loving Spirit, was published. A biography of her father and three other novels followed, but it was the novel Rebecca that launched her into the literary stratosphere and made her one of the most popular authors of her day. In 1932, du Maurier married Major Frederick Browning, with whom she had three children.Many of du Maurier's bestselling novels and short stories were adapted into award-winning films, including Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds and Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now. In 1969 du Maurier was awarded a DBE. She lived most of her life in Cornwall, the setting for many of her books.

From AudioFile:

Du Maurier's great-great-grandmother, Mary Anne Clarke, was mistress to the Duke of York during the Napoleonic Wars. In a sometimes cumbersome combination of fact and fiction, du Maurier chronicles the rags-to-riches tale of her bright, ambitious, amoral ancestor, who, overwhelmed by youthful passion, marries at 16. After her husband drinks himself into insensibility and is institutionalized, she passes as a widow, attracting the attention of the duke. Carole Boyd creates an appealing, headstrong Mary Anne. Her attitude is whimsical, often mischievous, as the young woman recognizes her taste for luxury and power. In intimate tones, she reveals the skilled courtesan who finally overreaches herself. However, in the sections recreating the House of Commons investigation into the duke's activities, not even Boyd's performance can keep things from bogging down. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Gollancz
• Publication date: 1980
• ISBN 10: 0575028092
• ISBN 13: 9780575028098
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 352