Rebecca

Maurier, Daphne Du

Published by Victor Gollancz Ltd, London, 1938

About this Item

8vo. Hardcover. Pp. 446. First edition, first printing. Includes original The Book Society bookplate, specifically created for this edition of 'Rebecca' and signed by the author, Daphe Du Maurier. There are very few available copies with the original bookplate, not to mention signed. Bound in publisher's original black cloth with the book's title stamped in gilt. With original dust-jacket, very rare. In very good condition, The dust-jacket shows very light signs of shelf-wear, with very slight tearing at the top of the spine, and very small markings on spine and back of cover. The spine, however, is noticeably faded. Light foxing inside but pages are unmarked, clean and uncreased, with tight binding. Rebecca is a 1938 Gothic novel written by English author Daphne du Maurier. The novel depicts an unnamed young woman who marries a wealthy widower, before discovering that both he and his household are haunted by the memory of his late first wife, the title character. Rebecca sold 2.8 million copies between its publication in 1938 and 1965. It has been adapted numerous times for stage and screen, including a 1939 play by du Maurier herself, and the film Rebecca (1940), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The book looks like it was originally owned by Joan Henry, an English author and former débutante; she was jailed for passing a fraudulent cheque in 1951 and her best-known works were based on her experiences in prison, the semi-autobiographical Who Lie in Gaol. Bertrand Russell, who was very fond of her, was her mother's first cousin. Her unusual name and her future connections to the publisher Gollancz seem to prove that this was indeed her copy - however we should mention that we could not find any recorded sample of her handwriting which could help us make comparisons with the ownership signature on the bookplate.

Seller Inventory # 036365

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Rebecca
• Publisher: Victor Gollancz Ltd, London
• Publication Date: 1938
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)