Whatcha readin' for Halloween?

A Reader's Respite just loves Halloween. Not just because we're kinda witchy (broomstick, jet aircraft....tomayto, tomahto), but because we can indulge in theme reading.

This year, thanks to Sandy over at You've Gotta Read This!, we started the month off right with a re-read of Daphne Du Maurier's classic Rebecca. This is a perfect Halloween read in our opinion, just creepy enough to set the mood, but no blood and gore (we're working our way up to that by the end of the month).



In the past, A Reader's Respite has mused about re-reads and changes in perception. Now we've read this novel perhaps a dozen times over the years and seen the film countless times. Sure enough, we found that our reaction to the novel this time was indeed markedly different from previous reads.

Now for those of you unfamiliar with the storyline, allow us to give you the Reader's Respite version:

Mousy young girl meets rich, handsome widower. Girl marries widower and returns with him to his fabulous country manor. You want to root for her....really, you do. But it doesn't take long before she realizes that the previous dead wife still rules the roost. Secrets, lies and deceit abound in this subtle psycho-thriller. No wonder Hitchcock loved it.



So what changed for us this time? Instead of feeling sorry for our erstwhile heroine, we found ourselves wanting to buy the girl a spine. We wanted her to stand up and shout, "The woman is dead, get over it people!"

Our patience was just in short supply. We're pretty sure this is because our last read of this classic was B.K.

Before Kids.

Yep, our kids have used up all of our patience and now we're taking it out on timeless heroines.

*Sigh*

On another note, however, did you know that author Sally Beauman wrote a prequel to Rebecca? It's true. Rebecca's Tale is the story told from the dead's wife's point of view. A little on the salacious side, it's a fun read for anyone who enjoyed Rebecca.


And A Reader's Respite just happens to have a copy up for grabs.

If you're interested, leave us a comment and on October 22nd we'll draw a random winner, just in time for Halloween. As always, no Following, Twittering, Facebooking, Whatever-ing is necessary to enter. Just check back on the 22nd to see if you've won!