A coming-of-age novel of adventure and love, ranging over early twentieth century Europe, told by a master storyteller.
In a moment of crisis and grasping the rail of a bridge, Richard is saved by a passing stranger named Jake. The two men, both at turning points, become fast friends and, out for adventure, jump aboard the first ship they see. Their journey takes them across Europe, cementing a passionate friendship. But it is in bohemian Paris that Richard finally meets the woman who enables him to fulfill his artistic promise. Daphne du Maurier's second novel is a masterpiece of narration, showcasing for the first time in her career the male voice she would use to stunning effect in four subsequent novels, including "My Cousin Rachel."
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Summary
A coming-of-age novel of adventure and love, ranging over early twentieth century Europe, told by a master storyteller.
In a moment of crisis and grasping the rail of a bridge, Richard is saved by a passing stranger named Jake. The two men, both at turning points, become fast friends and, out for adventure, jump aboard the first ship they see. Their journey takes them across Europe, cementing a passionate friendship. But it is in bohemian Paris that Richard finally meets the woman who enables him to fulfill his artistic promise. Daphne du Maurier's second novel is a masterpiece of narration, showcasing for the first time in her career the male voice she would use to stunning effect in four subsequent novels, including "My Cousin Rachel."
Description
'The iron of the bridge felt hot under my hand. The sun had been upon it all day. Gripping hard with my hands I lifted myself on to the bar and gazed down steadily on the water passing under...I thought of places I would never see, and women I should never love. A white sea breaking on a beach, the slow rustle of a shivering tree, the hot scent of grass...I breathed deeply and I felt as though the waiting water rose up in front of me and would not let me go' As far as his father, an accomplished poet, is concerned, Richard will never amount to anything, and so he decides to take his fate into his own hands. But at the last moment, he is saved by Jake, who appeals to Richard not to waste his life. Together they set out for adventure, jumping aboard the first ship they see and working their passage to Norway and around Europe, eventually to bohemian Paris, where Richard meets Hesta, a captivating music student...
Critic Reviews
“Du Maurier's descriptions of riding in Norwegian mountains, of life before the mast and in foreign capitals ring as true as her transcription of a young man's thoughts and talk”
'' PUNCH 'Amazingly vivid' SATURDAY REVIEW
About the Author
Daphne du Maurier was born in 1906 and lived most of her life in Cornwall. The daughter of the famous actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier, she began writing in 1928 and was made a DBE in 1969. She died in 1989.
In a moment of crisis and grasping the rail of a bridge, Richard is saved by a passing stranger named Jake. The two men, both at turning points, become fast friends and, out for adventure, jump aboard the first ship they see. Their journey takes them across Europe, cementing a passionate friendship. But it is in bohemian Paris that Richard finally meets the woman who enables him to fulfill his artistic promise. Daphne du Maurier's second novel is a masterpiece of narration, showcasing for the first time in her career the male voice she would use to stunning effect in four subsequent novels, including "My Cousin Rachel."
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