On "Classics of the Macabre": A Book Review

Title: Classics of the Macabre 

Author: Daphne du Maurier (illustrated by Michael Foreman)

Genre: Short story, suspense, horror

About the book… 

This is collection of six of Daphne du Maurier’s stories, “Don’t Look Now”, “The Apple Tree”, “The Blue Lenses”, “The Birds”, “The Alibi”, and “Not After Midnight”. 

What I think... 

This is my favorite of the 4 ½ collections (half because I’d already read some of the stories) I’ve read of du Maurier’s stories. Each of the stories has just the right amount of suspense or horror in them, but never in a way that can be considered overdone.

In order to avoid ruining any of the stories, I’m only going to say a few sentences about each. 

My favorite in this collection is “The Apple Tree.” I love the subtle building of suspense in it as a man begins to notice similarities between his recently deceased wife and one of his apple trees that keeps the reader guessing about his sanity right to the end. “Don’t Look Now” quickly turns what seems to be normal vacation into something horrifying. “The Birds” was the reason I actually bought this book in the first place and it does not disappoint having a quietly unnerving desperation to it as it focuses on a farmer attempting to protect his family (much different from Hitchcock’s movie).“The Blue Lenses” always reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode and the unexpected direction du Maurier takes the story is always thought provoking.  As for “The Alibi,” while I liked it on my initial reading, it’s not one I’m inclined toward rereading due to the sad ending. “Not After Midnight,” which is last in the collection, is the least memorable to me, so much so that I always forget it’s included in the collection.   

I’m never entirely sure what to think of the illustrations in this edition. Some of them seem very suited to the stories they accompany, while others don’t seem to fit with the stories quite as well. Overall, though, most are quite lovely.

To sum it all up… 

A very nice collection of some of du Maurier’s better known stories and perfect reading when you don’t want to be scared to the point where you don’t want to go to bed right after reading them.♥