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.♥
