Book Review: Rebecca by Du Maurier

About four years ago, I was sitting in a desk waiting for class to begin when somebody brought up the topic of books we were reading (Not surprising...English majors tend to talk about that sort of thing...).  One of my classmates had just finished the book Rebecca by Du Maurier.  While she gushed over the incredible plot, character, and style, I was taking in the dimensions of the work on her desk. The cover was worn, the pages were musty, and the title was boldly stamped on the front in black text.  Everything about my classmate's description shrouded the book in mystery.  I have been haunted for the past several years by the title.  Nothing revealed, everything implied.  Just Rebecca.  It was just last week that I finally got around to reading it.  I kept expecting a ghost to appear on every page, and the crisis, climax, and ending were, for me, completely unexpected.  I found myself in the protagonist more often than I want to admit, which took me on an emotional roller coaster as I had to shift loyalties halfway through the book.  It feels like a British version of Gatsby, but it's more meaningful in many ways because the consequences are greater.  
In short:  Riveting.  Artful.  Brilliant.  Dark.  Disturbing.  Unresolved.  The best of modern classics.  I recommend it to anyone who wants a page turner and a break from the fluff of so called "summer reading."