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    The Doll: The Lost Short Stories
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    The Doll: The Lost Short Stories
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    The Doll: The Lost Short Stories
    Ebook211 pages3 hours

    The Doll: The Lost Short Stories

    By Daphne Du Maurier

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    “Du Maurier is in a class by herself.”
    —New York Times

    Perhaps best known for her immortal gothic masterwork Rebecca—the basis for the Academy Award-winning motion picture directed by Alfred Hitchcock—Daphne de Maurier began her illustrious writing career penning short stories. In The Doll, thirteen of du Maurier’s early shorter fictional works have been collected—each story written before the author’s twenty-third birthday and some in print for the first time since the 1930s. Compelling tales of human foibles and tragic romance, the stories in The Doll represent the emergence of a remarkable literary talent who later went on to create Jamaica Inn, The Birds, and other classic works. This breathtaking collection of short fiction belongs on the bookshelf of every Daphne du Maurier fan.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateNov 22, 2011
    ISBN9780062080363
    Author

    Daphne Du Maurier

    Daphne du Maurier (1907–1989) has been called one of the great shapers of popular culture and the modern imagination. Among her more famous works are The Scapegoat, Jamaica Inn, Rebecca, and the short story "The Birds," all of which were subsequently made into films—the latter three directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

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    Reviews for The Doll

    4/5

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    • 5/5
      The Doll: The Lost Short Stories by Daphne du Maurier2011 Harper You can not beat Daphne du Maurier, in my opinion. She has been a favorite author of mine for years. This is a collection of 13 stories that were originally published during the 1930ś in periodicals, and some have never been printed until now. These stories of obsession, possession, jealousy were really good. My favorites were:The DollA Difference in TempermentPiccadillyThe Happy Valley (the best one, IMHO)The Limpet
    • 4/5
      An interesting batch of stories that show a young writer's growth and experimentation. Not all stories have to be happy or end that way, clearly this is something Du Maurier believed in. Most of them are slices of lives gone awry and getting worse. Many deal with psychological aspects of people and some of the ways they are damaged or damage others. A good collection.
    • 4/5
      Daphne Du Maurier is known as a writer who can create suspenseful atmosphere and twisted characters. This book of short stories from her youth does not disappoint on either count. Yes, a few of the stories are unpolished or overblown ( A Difference in Temperament,The Doll), but there are also some real treasures here. 'And Now to God the Father' and 'Picadilly' are brilliant studies of depressing characters. 'The Limpet' is an astonishing tale of a woman (reminiscent of Elizabeth Taylor's Angel), insinuating herself and meddling to disastrous effect with the lives of everyone in her path. Thankfully, there is sly comic relief to be found in a few of these tales as a contrast to the cynical, oppressive mood of the majority. Recommended for Du Maurier fans and those who love an unexpected twist in their short stories.
    • 3/5
      These were not the type of stories I was hoping for. I have another collection of du Maurier short stories which are full of suspense, and I was hoping for more of the same, but the only story which came close was "The Happy Valley." Most of the rest are excellent studies on some of our darker personality traits and relationship killers. Very depressing stuff. One, "Frustration," was funny and reminded me of an O'Henry tale, another, "The Limpet," was excellent and a great portrayal of a manipulative personality. Other than those, these stories did not have much appeal for me, though they might appeal to others.
    • 5/5
      Daphne Du Maurier's earlier work focuses on the study of failed human relationships, especially of the male/female variety. Having read so many of her later books, it is interesting to see the literary roads that took her there. I enjoyed this collection very much and spent two very pleasant days reading. The weirdest story was The Doll. It was a creepy look at a fetish that is used nowadays as comedy. It showed that Du Maurier was definitely not afraid to delve into the darker, ickier aspects of humanity. And Now To God the Father was a disturbing story of hypocrisy in a social climbing clergyman. Tame Cat had a lovely, innocent young lady coming home from school to find a cold mother and her long time lover making passes at her. Mazie is a day in the life of a prostitute. However, not all of the stories were glum. Weekend and Frustration had a lighter, more comic tone and I laughed out loud at the end of Frustration. If you are a Du Maurier fan you need to have this book in your collection.
    • 4/5
      This book was an Early Reviewers copy. Thank you.These short stories by du Maurier were all written before she was 25 years old and they could be used as a blueprint to show how a very talented young writer learns her craft. They are filled with passion, less than subtle character depth, and plots which contain the seeds for her later, powerful canon.."East Wind", written when she was 18, is a portrait of an isolated island and what happens when some shipwrecked sailors intrude into the lives of the inhabitants. The plot is predictable with a nod to the more sensational pulp fiction, but the descriptions of the power of nature are as good as any in her later books. Likewise, the creepy horror of the title story has a feel of Poe about it. The vicar who is uncompromisingly worldly and the terrible heroine who manipulates the lives of everyone she meets are too easy to dislike. There is nothing to redeem them , but these stereotypes will evolve into multi-layered characters in the years ahead. Even more interesting are her tales of the dynamics between lovers: the progress of a love affair revealed in the letters of the man; the end of love during a romantic weekend which becomes very wet; a woman who loses the interest of her lover because her suddenly lovely young daughter returns from school abroad;; and a funny little tale of two frustrated young lovers dealing with comic mishaps on their honeymoon.Finally, there is "The Happy Valley." A young woman keeps dreaming of a house in a valley by the sea. When she stumbles across it on her honeymoon, is the house real or is it haunted or just an ordinary house that is for sale? Here is the setting for REBECCA.I am very glad that these stories, many not in print since their initial publication in 1930's magazines, have been reissued. They show the growth of a great writer and, more important, are very enjoyable reads.
    • 4/5
      Harper has put together a unique collection of stories written and published by Daphne du Maurier before the age of twenty-three. While there is certainly some fine writing here, and some of the stories give glimpses of what's to come (eerie settings, mysterious characters, threatening natural world), I doubt that they would have much appeal to readers not already the author's fans. That said, the strong point of the collection is du Maurier's insights into human psychology, a major factor in the success of her later novels. Many of the stories depict our tendency to misinterpret words and events, jumping to conclusions dangerous to relationships between lovers, parent and child, friends and new acquaintances.
    • 4/5
      I have never read a book that reflects so much human insight. The stories are made hilarious by exaggeration. The only reason why I don't value the book with five stars is because I prefer novels to short stories.
    • 4/5
      This collection of early short stories by Daphne du Maurier was engaging to read, but you can easily see the author-in-training at work. A favorite theme here is the doomed relationship in which communication fails and neither party quite understands why. From the first few paragraphs of “A Difference in Temperament” or “Frustration” it is quite apparent how each tale will end. Likewise with “Nothing Hurts for Long”. The “twist” at the end of “Tame Cat” will not surprise anyone, but watching du Maurier work toward it is fun, nevertheless. Her talent for making the skin crawl is nurtured in the title tale, and more subtly displayed in “The Happy Valley”. Working backward from some of these stories, I could imagine the prompt of a Creative Writing teacher that might have been their starting point. The best of the lot is the final selection in the volume, titled “The Limpet”. It is not one of the very young Daphne’s early efforts (most of the other stories in this collection were written between 1926 and 1932), but was published in 1959. It is clearly the work of a more seasoned and mature writer who has learned how to make herself much less visible in her final product. For the most part these stories are extremely well-crafted. One or two of them are quite artistic as well. Definitely worth reading if you are a) a fan of Daphne du Maurier or b) a student of the art.
    • 5/5
      The Doll by Daphne du Maurier is a collection of thirteen short stories that were mostly written before the author turned twenty three. Some of the short stories include “Tame Cat” where an older man falls in love with his mistress’s younger daughter, creating jealousy between the two; “East Wind” the story of the small island of St. Hilda’s and what happens when a ship from a distant land blows in during a storm; and “The Doll” a story about a man’s passion for a woman and what he ultimately discovers about her. All of the stories in this book are about the subject of human nature and love, two things that Daphne du Maurier is known for. Ever since I discovered an old copy of Rebecca as a girl I have become engrossed in all of Daphne du Maurier’s works and she remains one of my favorite writers. I especially love her short stories because she is able to create such intense environments in such short a space and I think this proves what an excellent writer she is. This collection of lost short stories are a must have for any du Maurier fan and I am proud to own them and plan on enjoying them countless times.
    • 4/5
      This is a collection of little-known short stories, mostly written in her youth before she became a household name with Rebecca in 1938. For someone still in her early twenties, and several years before her marriage, she displays an extremely acute sense of observation and psychological insight. The majority of the stories tell of unhealthy obsession, deceit and the deception of others and oneself. My favourite was the rather darkly funny and psychologically acute ‘Week-End’, where Du Maurier inhabits both the male and the female point of view and pits them against each other; anyone in a relationship or marriage will recognise themselves or their partner in it.I doubt anyone unfamiliar with the author’s work will choose this thin volume before such well-known novels as Rebecca or Jamaica Inn, but it is well worth reading to better appreciate Du Maurier’s later skills with the pen and to ponder whether the seed for Rebecca and other works might not have been sown within one of the stories on offer here.
    • 5/5
      I don’t know which short story to gush about in this review. From the creepy, ick factor of the book’s title story, The Doll, to the heartbreaking loss experienced in East Wind, to the funny, but bittersweet tale of Frustration… I could go on and on.I think one story though really got to me. I loved them all for their tragic, gothic-like settings, stories and people.. but there is one story that is all letters that move from the thrilling moments of a new, forbidden love to the eventual falling away of the same. This is a repeated theme in these short stories – there’s no hugely romantic gestures, just simple, every day life laid bare and man’s shortcomings exposed in all sorts of heartbreaking detail.I know, however, that this is one of the best collections of short stories I’ve read. I can say this because this tiny little book inspires me to try my own hand at short stories, even though they’ll be no where near as perfect as du Maurier’s. Still.. these stories have shown me the endless possibilities that can be reached with just a few pages of story – and how much wealth there is in a backstory and future that are left untold.
    • 4/5
      I greatly enjoyed the Hidden Valley. The others were somewhat predictable.
    • 5/5
      The cover of his book is done by a graphic design house? I guess computer generated? I'm not sure. Someone had to be behind the art of this, I would give kudos if I knew the name because I really like the cover.These stories are all so quietly brilliant. The language used is simple and poetic. Nothing forced, just back-to-basics story telling. Enjoyed this a lot.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Simultaneously naive and cynical. Clever, graceful, emotional, but not worth reading (imo) unless you're either a completist or (like me) wanting to sample her writing before looking at the big novels.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      As always Du Maurier's writing is extremely atmospheric. Some of these stories are ironic, some are very dark and some such as "The Doll' are very chilling. Definitely could have given Stephen King a run for his money had they been writing and publishing during the same time period.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      "The Doll" is the title story of a collection of early stories published in a volume as The doll. Most stories were written in the 1920s - 1930s, some while she was still living at home with her parents. The title story, "The Doll" was written in 1927, when Daphne du Maurier was only 20 years old. Some of these stories were published in magazines, but were long lost or uncollected. They were rediscovered and published, some for the first time, in 2011.As one might expect of neglected youth work, The doll is a mixed bag. The collection is probably very valuable to scholars and lovers of the work of Daphne du Maurier, but to other readers the quality of the stories varies a lot. The title story, "The Doll" is an outstanding piece of fiction, particularly psychologically very interesting, verging on the pathological. One could read it as a mix between horror and erotica. It is definitely haunting, and will stay with you for a long time.Most stories in the collection could be described as 'atmospheric'. Blending the atmospheric, rich description with a sense of alienation creates a typical adolescent fiction haunted by sexual repression and death, however, Daphne du Maurier's prose style is clearly very good, and developing. Weird, but interesting.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      The Doll is a collection of du Maurier's early short stories. The introduction (by someone I'm not otherwise aware of) seems to suggest that the main interest here is in the beginnings of themes that later haunted her work, and the glimpses of the things that haunted her personally. I'm not that interested in that, though, but I still found the stories well-crafted and interesting. Daphne du Maurier certainly had a way with her narration; 'The Limpet' made me smile in recognition...

      Not as fine as her later work, but worth a look if you're interested in du Maurier and the kind of stories she wrote.

      1 person found this helpful