Review of Justine Picardie's Daphne
Du Maurier’s Fascination With the Brontes
Mar 11, 2009 Elizabeth Gregory
Daphne du Maurier is one of the best known writers of the twentieth century, but despite her continuing popularity with readers has never received the critical acclaim many feel she deserves. Certainly this is how the narrator of Justine Picardie’s clever new novel feels: this unnamed young woman, living in modern day London, is fascinated with du Maurier and her books, and is determined that she will form the subject of her PhD thesis.
Du Maurier's Rebecca
The parallels between this young woman and the heroine of du Maurier’s most famous book, Rebecca, are clear: she narrates the novel in first person, never revealing her name to us, and she is unhappily married to an older man whose ex-wife – this time a Rachel rather than a Rebecca -- still seems to be very much in the picture. Rachel is not only very beautiful, she is also a talented and well-known poet, and her shadow looms very large over the second marriage of her ex-husband.
Meanwhile, the narrator continues with her research into du Maurier, despite the disapproval of her husband, who would rather she write about someone more literary. Despite the success of her novels, du Maurier had wished to produce a more worthy, academic tome, and turned her attention to Branwell Bronte, the brother of the more famous Bronte sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne.
The Life of Bramwell Bronte
Du Maurier is convinced that Bramwell has more talent than he has been given credit for, believing that some of his work has fraudulently been credited to his well-known sisters, and sets out to uncover the truth about his short life. To this end, she begins a correspondence with the Bronte scholar Alex Symington – a man who turns out to have plenty of secrets of his own.
The structure of Picardie’s novel is a complex one, as the story follows three different plot strands. There is the first person narration of the modern-day PhD student, who is concerned with both the present – Rachel – and the past: it is she who uncovers the letters sent to Symington by du Maurier. There are also third person sections set in the 1950s, presenting the points of view of both du Maurier and Symington, and then there are the letters themselves.
The Structure of the Novel
In less skilled hands, this could make for a confusingly convoluted structure, but by ensuring that the story of the modern-day narrator echoes that of the person she is researching, the different strands of the plot come together in a way that is both illuminating and rewarding.
Picardie’s meticulous research means that she is convincing whether she is writing about du Maurier in the 1950s or the Brontes over a hundred years earlier; in fact, if the novel has a weakness, it is that the scenes set in modern day London seem less lovingly rendered than the ones set in the past. Despite this minor flaw, this is an intelligent and enthralling read that should be enjoyed by fans of both contemporary and classic literature.
Daphne by Justine Picardie is published in the UK by Bloomsbury (2008), ISBN 978-0-7475-8702-6.
Cover of Picardie's Daphne
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