Frenchman's Creek

Reading about the author and listening to du Maurier read an excerpt from the book while watching a video of the creek on YouTube, really enhances the experience of the book. The descriptions and how she phrases everyday events was wonderful to read.

A radio commentator raved about this book as a book equal to The English Patient. So I thought it would be an interesting read. It's a pretty juvenile book. Rich lady is bored, goes to the country house, pirate has been staying in the country house, she finds out and invites him to dinner, you get the picture.

I stopped there because nothing appeared to be historically accurate. The story could have featured a bored housewife from 1950 and been exactly the same.

This is not equal to The English Patient.

Described as a modern classic. I recognised the author's name having watched the film, Rebecca a number of times.

Lady Dona St Columb is trapped in a loveless marriage and in societal routines that she detests. She has a streak of recklessness and always a strong desire to escape her circumstances should the opportunity arise. On a whim, she retires alone to their second residence for a break from life. There she chances upon Frenchman's Creek, a favourite spot for pirates, and meets the French philosopher pirate Jean Aubrey.

The author is a brilliant story-teller. Her scenes are vividly drawn and I could easily picture the beauty of the surroundings as they were described. The pace is about right as the relationships are developed and suspense is built.

This novel will appeal to all those who desire to escape from reality and pursue a dream world of their own imagination. However, as a Christian, I found it difficult to enjoy knowing that the heroine was already married and thereby engaging in infidelity by pursuing another. Some might excuse her behaviour, she had entered the original match naively, perhaps. But, this wasn't an arranged marriage, she had agreed to marry her husband and should therefore be faithful to him.

Despite innuendo, there is not really any sexual content in this book. There is some violence as several characters are killed. There is some mild bad language and some blasphemy.

I enjoyed the flow of the writing but cannot rate this more than a 3 on principle as it implies that extra-marital affairs are normal, even acceptable.

What a treat. From the very first sentence you are drawn into the scene with descriptions of the sea and the Cornwall Coast that becomes a character in the story.
“When the east wind blows up Helford River the shining waters become troubled and disturbed and little waves beat angrily upon the sandy shores.”
Du Maurier infuses the story of an English aristocratic woman in the 1800’s, a caged bird, who yearns to escape the stilted trappings of court life in London. Dona yearns to be a man with all the privledges and freedom accorded her brothers and for adventure and romance. She is an intelligent, beautiful woman who wields power over her husband, but still yearns to escape the confines of her marriage. She meets the Frenchman, a pirate by trade, who spends hours doing sketches of birds. He takes her with him on a raid and lets her spread her adventurous wings. She falls in love with a mirror image of the spirit within her that yearns to be free. I was not happy with the ending because I would have let my heart lead the way. But, this story is set in time when women were struggling for emotional and financial independence. Still, the writing is superb with insights into the human dilemma, marvelous descriptions that place you at sea and in the forest where you smell the moss and dark earth. Plus, an intriguing plot filled with suspense. I have much to learn from this great writer

4+ Stars. Daphne du Maurier brings her true love of boating and the sea to life in this most enjoyable 17th century atmospheric tale of swashbuckling fun.

The excitement begins soon after Lady Dona leaves London society....and her (foolish) baronet husband.....for their country home and a much needed respite away from everyday boredom and loveless marriage.

With two children, and nanny in tow, Dona is finally free to avail herself of sun and solace with long walks in the woods and thoughts of a younger self in a time long past when an unexpected encounter.... with a notorious and most appealing pirate.... give her life new meaning.

FRENCHMAN'S CREEK is an intriguing adventure story with dangerous escapades and just the right touch of emotion and romance amidst great characters......and no, it's not My Cousin Rachel or Rebecca, but it's still a dam entertaining read!

I'm interested in Daphne DuMaurier's life for more than 30 years and first heard about her through the Alfred Hitchcock movies "Rebecca" and "Jamaica Inn" (didn't care for "Jamaica Inn" or for "My Cousin Rachel").

Like most people, I read "Rebecca" first and liked it although it was not the best of her novels.
Next I read "Frenchman's Creek" and now I was really hooked and read the rest of her books. "The House on the Strand" is another favorite...too bad it has never been filmed!

Then in 1987 on my second vacation in England, we stayed at a house in the woods opposite of the real Frenchman's Creek, Helford River, outside Port Navas in Cornwall. One day we drove to the opposite side of Helford River and explored Frenchman's Creek (there is a public path, but you have to cross a house/farm similar to Navron House in the novel in order to reach that path). It still looks the way DuMaurier described it in her novel and in "Growing Pains", one of her autobiographies.

In 1995 we stayed in Polruan on the other side of the river Fowey and opposite of the small town of Fowey for 11 days. I've been to Kilmarth (the inspiration for "House on the Strand"), I've even seen Menabilly (the model for Manderley in "Rebecca") which is now inhabited by Rashleigh descendants and I went twice to Jamaica Inn, Bodmin Moor, where they have a Daphne DuMaurier room with her desk. Of course I explored Readymoney Cove as well where DuMaurier lived for a while before moving to Menabilly while it was renovated.
For everybody interested in DuMaurier's life I highly recommend to read the biography by Margaret Forster from 1993.
There is also a beautiful coffee table book availabale called "Enchanted Cornwall" by Daphne DuMaurier, it's a pictorial memoir with a map to all her book locations (helpful for any DuMaurier fan who plans a Cornwall trip).

If you take the little car ferry from the Fowey side to Boddinnick (sp?), you even get to see the house that Daphne's parents bought in the late twenties/early thirties (Ferryside) and where she spent one winter all by herself (just 17 or 18 years old) to write her first novel "The Loving Spirit" with one servant to cook for her. Her older sister Angela used to live until her death in Ferryside. Now Daphne's son Christian "Kits" Browning lives there with his wife.

Cornwall is for sure worth a trip!

I also recommend to watch the remake of the movie "Frenchman's Creek" with Anthony Delon from the late nineties. In the contrary to the old movie version with Joan Fontaine from the forties, the new version has been filmed in Cornwall. The movie locations are gorgeous.

Lady Dona has grown weary of her high society life. She is fed up with the endless parties filled of people with too much money and too less to do. It's an inane and nonsensical existence - sleeping until noon and staying up all night in the card houses. Playing silly jokes just to pass time. Boredom of the rich is nothing to scoff at.

Finally, she can't take it anymore, the urge to flee is too overwhelming. Telling her husband that she would like some time alone, she grabs her two kids and a nurse and sets off at break-neck speed to their house at Navron in Cornwall. Upon arrival, she finds there is only one servant, William with the strange accent that she can't quite place. He and Lady Dona seem to almost click at once, then develop a relationship throughout. They have some great repartee!

Dona settles nicely into life at Navron. Playing with the children, getting dirty and enjoying the country suit her just fine and you can feel the real Dona emerging. And the woman here is much more likeable than the woman in the beginning. She is mischievous and funny, laid back and a realist. It's solely to her precariousness that she stumbles across the Frenchman in his hidden creek - she figures quickly that this must be the pirate the locals have told her about. The French pirate that's been stealing from them, the one they have been unable to catch. She also links him to her servant, William, thus securing him as a partner in crime to her meetings with the Frenchman. Adventure awaits her upon La Mouette and she is not going to let this opportunity go by.

DaMaurier writes a smartly crafted novel about one woman's need to escape, the need to feel something real, something tangible. At the same time Dona is a realist and appreciates that she can't escape forever - above anything, she is a mother and knows her place is with them. But, she'll always have that memory, that moment, that is truly hers alone - and she can escape there anytime...with her mind.

Lady Dona St. Columb is bored. She has had enough of her stagnant existence in London, where all her husband, a simple-minded baronet, wants to do is get drunk and play cards. One night, after she and Rockingham, her husband's best friend, play a prank to an old lady, she realizes that she has to get away from London and spend some time alone with her two children as soon as possible. So she flees to her husband's country estate in Cornwall, where Dona finds peace and solace for the first time in a long time. But when she notices some suspicious activities from William, a rather cheeky servant, she decides to keep an eye on the fellow. One walk to a hidden creek she discovers a pirate's ship and a man, known to everyone in the area as "the Frenchman," hiding there. Is she in danger, or is this the opportunity she has been seeking? To escape one's pointless existence and live a life of constant danger is something she had only fantasized about, but can she do it? Could she abandon everything and everyone, including her children, to an uncertain future with her Frenchman?

Feminism is a common theme in Daphne du Maurier's novels. It was the theme in Rebecca and Jamaica Inn, and we've even caught glimpses of it in the novel's narrated by men, like The House on the Strand and The Scapegoat. It doesn't surprise me that it's one of the main themes in this book. A woman feels trapped in the rules and mores of her time (Restoration England) and wants to feel as though she has some choices to make in life instead of just going with the flow. Du Maurier also makes some jest when it comes to men, that by stroking their egos and putting on the simpleton act women have the real power. Dona is a very well developed character and you feel her desperation and her need to rebel against society. Some might find her selfish and immature, but I am able to get into her head so well that I sympathize with her. After all, she, like most women of her time, is forced into a life that is expected of her, not the one she would have liked to have had she the freedom of choice to do so. Her feelings are mirrored in the Frenchman, who becomes a pirate for similar reasons. As for time setting, well, this is not a historical novel, more like a period piece. The Restoration setting is written nicely though. The author describes the wardrobe well and my guess is that this is set during the very turn of the eighteenth century. All in all, I recommend Frenchman's Creek. Du Maurier takes a break from the dark and haunting stories she is known for and writes a romantic tale with plenty of symbolism.

Lady Dona St. Columb is bored. She has had enough of her stagnant existence in London, where all her husband, a simple-minded baronet, wants to do is get drunk and play cards. One night, after she and Rockingham, her husband's best friend, play a prank to an old lady, she realizes that she has to get away from London and spend some time alone with her two children as soon as possible. So she flees to her husband's country estate in Cornwall, where Dona finds peace and solace for the first time in a long time. But when she notices some suspicious activities from William, a rather cheeky servant, she decides to keep an eye on the fellow. One walk to a hidden creek she discovers a pirate's ship and a man, known to everyone in the area as "the Frenchman," hiding there. Is she in danger, or is this the opportunity she has been seeking? To escape one's pointless existence and live a life of constant danger is something she had only fantasized about, but can she do it? Could she abandon everything and everyone, including her children, to an uncertain future with her Frenchman?

Feminism is a common theme in Daphne du Maurier's novels. It was the theme in Rebecca and Jamaica Inn, and we've even caught glimpses of it in the novel's narrated by men, like The House on the Strand and The Scapegoat. It doesn't surprise me that it's one of the main themes in this book. A woman feels trapped in the rules and mores of her time (Restoration England) and wants to feel as though she has some choices to make in life instead of just going with the flow. Du Maurier also makes some jest when it comes to men, that by stroking their egos and putting on the simpleton act women have the real power. Dona is a very well developed character and you feel her desperation and her need to rebel against society. Some might find her selfish and immature, but I am able to get into her head so well that I sympathize with her. After all, she, like most women of her time, is forced into a life that is expected of her, not the one she would have liked to have had she the freedom of choice to do so. Her feelings are mirrored in the Frenchman, who becomes a pirate for similar reasons. As for time setting, well, this is not a historical novel, more like a period piece. The Restoration setting is written nicely though. The author describes the wardrobe well and my guess is that this is set during the very turn of the eighteenth century. All in all, I recommend Frenchman's Creek. Du Maurier takes a break from the dark and haunting stories she is known for and writes a romantic tale with plenty of symbolism.

I love this little tale of escapism! How often does a woman discovers both herself and her true love, ibidem (Latin: in the same place) ? At Middle age, almost 30, Lady Dona St Columb is in crisis and "becomes a boy" off the Cornwall English shore and lives, loves, and pillages ID, EGO, SUPEREGO only to discover life and it's sacrifices can be as or more adventuresome as the Frenchman's. This romantic sojourn is reflective of DuMaurier's struggle as she patiently waits for her husband during his Military Service years. Ladies and Gents, haven't we ALL answered this Freudian question when we discover our own crossroads between the Sparkled Bells and Whistle's love and the comfortable, enduring love of the friend that we vowed to spend our lives with? Dona choosing Harry, her son and dogs, is not sad or unendurable, because she knows who Dona is now. And, the handsome scoundrel, Jean is the better for having loved her.

THE FRENCHMAN'S CREEK, set in 17th-century Cornwall, England, is an absorbing tale. Passionate, bored Lady St. Columb flees her lover and her fashionable life at Court to the peace of her husband's Cornwall estate. Quite unexpectedly, she stumbles on the mooring place of the white-sailed ship belonging to the daring Frenchman who plunders the shores of Cornwall. This Frenchman is dangerous, wanted, charming, urbane, and handsome. He is also her doppelganger daring her, Dona, to discover herself and in loving Jean, she'll love the true Dona St Columb. It is only a question of time before this philosopher-pirate captures the heart of the lovely Lady St. Columb. Satisfying, and romantic from cover to cover.

As in REBECCA and JAMAICA INN, DuMaurier introduces to the reader her most beloved character: the beautiful landscape of Cornwall in the first chapter. Other reviewers have said to skip it or read after finishing the book, but the chapter is as important as DuMaurier's "Last time I saw Manderley..." While this leading lady may not be perceived as 'dark' as the ladies in REBECCA or JAMAICA INN, the fact that Lady St Columb is a bored adulteress who becomes 'boy' on a scoundrel's ship is. Such scandalous behavior, especially set in 17th Century England had never been portrayed as DuMaurier has.

To me, FRENCHMAN'S CREEK reads as wonderful swashbuckling movie starring Errol Flynn and Loretta Young. How can a girl resist a hansome scoundral who still has some honor about him and understand's emotional and intellectual intimacy is everything to a woman?

If you like historical romances and can enjoy one even if it lacks the "sensuality" found in the historical romance novels typically sold today, you'll likely enjoy this story.
Set in the 17th century, this story is basically about a wealthy, bored housewife and mother (Lady St. Columb) who finds herself falling out of love with her husband and wanting a change from the life she is living, or in her mind merely "existing". Although her husband adores her, realizing she needs a break from him and their surroundings, she leaves him "for a visit" to their Cornwall estate. With her kids in tow, she expects nothing more than some peace and quiet. What she finds is a ship moored just off her property, and a mysterious but intriguing man that makes her laugh and feel more alive than she has in a while.
When she later learns that he's a pirate, the damage has been done; her attraction to him is too strong to end their friendship and budding relationship. And to make matters worse, he's equally attracted to her.
What follows is a bittersweet love affair that is hampered by the fact that she's a wife and mother with responsibilities. As if those weren't issues enough to deal with, she's also surrounded by nosey neighbors and other acquaintenances who are quite content to try and mind her business, and eventually through their actions, threaten her happiness and even her life.
While this story lacked the "fire" and excitement I was expecting, it was nonetheless a good read. Don't expect to be plunged into a whirlwind romance with a young, beautiful virgin being chased by the man she happens to captivate in a flurry of action. Expect instead, to find two mature people who know what they want out of life and who develop a relationship based upon mutual attraction and friendship, that simmers and builds slowly. There is some sensuality in the book, but it's subdued by today's standards.
In this story, you will find romance, some action, and an atmosphere that contributes to a feeling of "being there" in 17th century England and experiencing a part of what life would be like for a titled woman, and a pirate. It's an interesting, bittersweet story that had my emotions on a rollercoaster as the two individuals were forced to make hard decisions about their directions in life.
There wasn't much I didn't like about this book but if I had to pick something, it would be that in a few spots the pace was just a tad slow, and the fact that I happen to like the "fiery" (okay, real sensuous) historical romances of today. While a little more fire would have been nice, this book was satisfying nonetheless because the story is well told. I would recommend it.

Despite some very lame attempts at movie versions of Frenchman's Creek over the years - this really is du Maurier's finest writing. With a quiet dignity lacking in her more melodramatic novels (such as Rebecca) du Maurier builds a love story in the 17th century that resonates with anyone today who finds their life unfulfilled or caged. Part of the reason that any film adaption of this novel has failed is because the plot on its own can feel silly and dated. What makes this novel such a work of depth is du Maurier's writing style itself. In du Maurier's expert hands Dona, rather than being merely a pretty, bored, silly aristocrat is believably a complex and sympathetic heroine. If many of the top "romance" writers of today were to attempt to tell the same story it would be just another swashbuckler happy-ending piece of literature debris. Du Maurier instead takes a pirate historical romance and bends it into a quiet, heartbreaking masterpiece.

There was a story on BBC radio about complaints about the audibility of dialogue in a recent remake of du Maurier's Jamaica Inn, and it piqued my interest in revisiting her work. I read this as a teen, lo, those many years ago, and enjoyed it. It remains a novel aimed at the light reader, as the main characters don't seem fit to time or circumstance (but then, why would I expect historical romantic figures to act in a normal way?) The author writing the new intro suggests psychological forces at work, but I think that's trying to pin some substance onto the book well after the fact. If you enjoy Cornwall, this book has your setting.

This seemed so silly in the beginning, and quite improbable, but it picked up and turned out to be an entertaining read. I would not call it Du Maurier's best work, but it is quite readable and exciting in parts. It seems to me, without knowing anything about the background of the story, that this is probably a very personal story if not autobiographical then about some one she knew.
The story centers on Nora, who leaves London behind for the a Cornish cottage to escape her husband and life in the big city. She becomes involved with a French pirate that is "terrorizing" the coast (this part of the story is the most improbable) and adventure and love ensues.

I kept fearing that this would go the way of more modern writers' tales of "self discovery" but it actually is more of a tale of growing up, and accepting responsibilities. Nora's husband is silly, and a bit of a drunk without purpose, but loving and kind in his own bumbling way, and she has two small children that she loves very much.
Overall a good adventure with interesting characters and surprising depth of feeling. Not the mysteries you're probably most familiar with from DuMaurier, but worth reading nonetheless.

After reading Rebecca earlier in the year I just had to get my hands on more Daphne du Maurier. I had planned to read Jamaica Inn but my library didn't have a copy of it. So I had to settle (if you can call reading anything by du Maurier settling) on Frenchman's Creek.

The story was familiar already because I'd seen the 1944 film adaptation of the same name some years ago. And I knew the writing style would be outstanding so I was quite eager to read it. And, of course I ended up loving this book.

It was so easy to read and completely transported me into the world of the book. I fell in love with the main character Dona who is strong willed and assertive. She's also courageous enough to defy the traditions of society and be true to herself.

At the heart of the book is infidelity as she's married but falls in love with a pirate. It isn't explicitly stated in the book, but I think she was doing a lot more than going fishing and eating dinner with said pirate. Of course her husband is painted as a buffoon but some might argue that no matter how dashing the pirate is, she shouldn't have been with him (the pirate). And there may be some who condemn the actions of the pirate, even though he was more of a Robin Hood of the seas than a bloodthirsty thief.

But I think most people who read the book will be hoping for a happy ending and wishing Dona and the pirate live happily ever after. However, things are complicated because Dona's husband, among others, want to hang the pirate. Not to mention Dona has two young children so it wouldn't exactly be convenient for her to live on a ship. So you'll have to read it for yourself to find out what happens!

Tired and bored by her marriage to her wealthy husband, Lady Dona St Columb has tried to kill boredom by living a self-indulgent and independent lifestyle but not without attracting some unwelcome gossip and scandal from the perception of the London cognoscenti of her circle.

Pangs of self disgust drive her to take her children out of the London scene and find sanctuary in the seclusion of her husband's estate way out in Cornwall. When a pirate ship with French crew anchors in the inlet close to the estate, so begins the more rustic and romantic encounter that gives her life the significance it lacked with the man who, she perceived, as her boring husband.

Although Dona on one level seems spoilt and apparently shallow there is still power in the story in so far as she has the frailty of most of us to be tempted and to seek adventure beyond the mundane. This she does and, coupled with the atmospheric descriptions of the Cornish coast, I really enjoyed this one.

Rebecca was good. Jamaica Inn was okay. But Frenchman's Creek was great! Du Maurier really outdid herself. She took the heart of a woman and made it plain. What romantic wouldn't like this story? Pirates, adventure, philosophy and romance....better than those frilly romance books nowadays. Dona went on a quest and fulfilled it. The first chapter is boring---skip it; I put it down for a time because I was unimpressed. But it is really good. I read parts of it to people as they were working (while I joyfully read) and they kept asking, "what happened next?" Every time I would give a little giggle of glee. This is really good. Rebecca and Jamaica Inn are "dark" novels; but this is an exploration into a womans mind. I comprehend and adore Ms. Dumaurier! Another good writer found!

This is my first Daphne du Maurier novel. The story was written in 1945, but set in the 1700s but could have been the 21st century. A young wife who is restless in her marriage for many different reasons, including boredom in the bedroom, children who came too soon and seeking adventure in other men, has the privilege of being able to change her living situation due to her affluence. She met a man who was equally bored with his affluent life, sought to find escape from daily life and became a pirate. I can only imagine what kind of scandal this book produced when it was first published. My 78 year old aunt told me she was banned from reading this book as a teenager. It's most interesting to me that is has so much which is relevant to our lives today, in 2013. As I was reading this book, it seemed that the movie "Chocolate" had "borrowed" from the story line; young mother with young child, meets a pirate with whom she has extravagant adventures. This book is very much worth the read.

My friend had bugged me for years to read something written by Du Mauier, as she had read "Rebecca" and raved about it. I came upon this book and thought I would give it a try. The choice of words in the book were beautiful and had a great flow. The plot was somewhat predictable, but enough tension to keep one reading. The story is about a woman who had a choice to make..

Love Daphne du Maurier writings! This is one of my favorites. Filled with adventure and a simple romance story. Who wouldn't fall for a French pirate? You need to get past the first chapter for the adventure to begin. Yes Dona, the main charater, isn't mother of the year or someone that is necessarily an interesting person, but you can relate to her passion for finding more to life and the need to take risks. Worth the read and definitely a book that opened my eyes to the wonderful novelist Daphne du Maurier.

This novel immensely appealed to me. The story flowed really well. The word choice was excellent. And it was an excellent insight about how women often fell. The reality of the situation transcends time. And who wouldn't want to break out of the motherly mode with a pirate. The Frenchman was an awesome incarnation of the free spirit. And yet her choice reflects the way true women weigh responsibility and selfish action. This was excellent!

The main character was so annoying I kept wishing for them to throw her overboard. So shallow, self-absorbed and obnoxious, I had no idea why the pirate was even into her. Or how his eyes didn't hurt from (probably) constantly rolling his eyes at her BS!

Daphne DuMaurier's "Frenchman's Creek" stinks to high heaven. The stench only worsens when one considers her other, alarmingly good, novels "Rebecca" and "My Cousin Rachel." The far-fetched plot centers on a young noblewoman bored with the tedium of her marriage. She relocates her children to a family estate in Cornwall, where she begins an affair with the French pirate (!) terrorizing the local landowners. It plays even worse than it sounds. The author has culled the heroine's thoughts and feelings from the worst Victorian melodrama, and expects her readers to accept a barbarous pirate whose description most closely resembles a romantic, twentieth-century, sensitive new-age guy.
Fans of Harlequin romances (and yes, there is something wrong with liking Harlequin romances) will thrill at the exploits of our brave heroine. She explores forests and coves alone at night, comes to blows with her husband's best friend, and, of course, leaves her children, dons men's clothes, and becomes a pirate herself. (I won't spoil the surprise by telling you whether or not she remains one, but you're unlikely to care.) Her disinterest in her children makes her worse than unbelievable- it makes her unlikable.
Although DuMaurier's prose disappoints, John Castle delivers it well. He never allows his tones to reach the fevered heights of melodrama. However, it takes more than a great classical actor to redeem such unbearable trash.

Excellent reading of an excellent book. I actually rented the Davina Porter version, and could not STAND it. Such a bitter bitter woman, I was bitterly disappointed. I started on the John Castle version and got a whole different impression of the story, the characters and it was truly a pleasure. The english accent and french accent was excellent. Great book.

My tastes in books and music vary wildly, but this book has been a favorite since I first read it at 13 (20-ish years ago.) The pirate is a perfect symbol for the "lawlessness" of love; love does not follow rules and boundaries imposed upon it by our social conventions. It is primal and magic, and creeps silently and unexpectedly up to our shorelines in the dead of night.

The reviewer who labeled Dona St. Columb as an adulterer is technically correct but obviously doesn't suspend his/her disbelief when reading. This book is one of the most romantic stories ever written. I re-read this book every couple of years just for fun. Lush language, this story of a woman and her pirate lover is just plain fun.

I was first introduced to Daphne du Maurier's catalogue through the wonderful films 'Rebecca', 'Don't Look Now', and a British miniseries (sadly not available on DVD, but superior to the classic film version) of 'My Cousin Rachel'. This prompted me to snatch up all the du Maurier novels I could find. When I read 'Frenchman's Creek', I was rather disappointed that it is nothing like the taut, suspenseful psychological thrillers she is best known for. This swashbuckler is a decent historical romance, and if you like that type of novel, you will enjoy it. However, if you're looking for something more in the vein of Ruth Rendell, I would advise you to steer clear of this one and get the first three books I mentioned above as well as 'The House on the Strand', a later du Maurier novel in a similar style.

Another amazing read by Du Maurier. I got hooked to this author after reading Rebecca, and it seems like with each novel I just fall more in love with her. Du Maurier creates a mysterious, beautiful atmosphere as the back drop for this romantic story about a woman's journey to find happiness.

I consider Daphne Du Maurier to be my favorite author. She is engaging, clever, and an inspiration to us all. I was disappointed, however, with this book. I mean, it is a good read, but it just doesn't live up to Du Maurier's other books. The plot is very predictable and not very original as there is the star-crossed lovers aspect involving the "bad" pirate and the good English noblewoman. But that clever way of writing that can be only attributed to Du Maurier is present, and Du Maurier's magical way of taking one out of his world and setting him on a tree to watch a noble woman come cautiously through the woods to meet her pirate lover is still there. Read this book. It surpasses many, but does not represent the best that Du Maurier can do.

Daphne Du Maurier is a talented storyteller. Her word usage is amazing. The plot of the story is okay, but the way the story is told is magical. Hint: The first few pages of the book also serve as the ending.

A pretty quick read that's wonderfully written. Interesting characters brought an endless stream of emotions and a twisting storyline leaving you to question the ending and thoroughly enjoying the ride. One of my favorite books, definitely worth the time.

Daphne Du Maurier has written an enduring romance/historical novel by the name of FRENCHMAN'S CREEK. Fisherman's Creek, if it exists, has been written by someone else. Be careful how you order. FRENCHMAN'S CREEK I have re-read and enjoyed many times over the last 55 years. Fisherman's Creek, not so much.