Author Description

Product Description 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. Review Amazingly vivid―SATURDAY REVIEWDu 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 About the Author Daphne du Maurier (1907-89) was born in London, the daughter of the famous actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and granddaughter of George du Maurier, the author and artist. In 1931 her first novel,The Loving Spirit, was published. A biography of her father and three other novels followed, but it was the novelRebecca that launched her into the literary stratosphere and made her one of the most popular authors of her day. In 1932, du Maurier married Major Frederick Browning, with whom she had three children.Many of du Maurier's bestselling novels and short stories were adapted into award-winning films, including Alfred Hitchcock'sThe Birds and Nicolas Roeg'sDon't Look Now. In 1969 du Maurier was awarded a DBE. She lived most of her life in Cornwall, the setting for many of her books. From the Publisher Dame Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989) wrote more than twenty-five acclaimed novels, short stories, and plays, includingRebecca, My Cousin Rachel, Jamaica Inn, andThe House on the Strand. She was also a passionate and skillful chronicler of her own remarkable, famously artistic family. Now, this is one of three of her fine novels that have been reissued in the distinguished Virago Modern Classics series."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." In a moment of crisis, Richard is saved by a passing stranger—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. This, 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. From AudioFile Jonathan Firth's portrayal of Richard, an artistically obsessed son, is masterful. Firth moves with grace and elegance through du Maurier's exploration of what it means to be the disappointingly ordinary offspring of a world-renowned poet. Richard's mentor, Jake, who saves him from suicide, seems to embody the voice of God, good, or the alter ego, speaking with wisdom, experience, and authority as he leads his pupil to a more fulfilling life. Partnering with du Maurier, Firth takes us on a profound journey from the self-obsession of childhood to the lonely but accepting world of adulthood as Richard grows to understand that he will never be young again and that the spirit can be murdered, as well as the body. M.D.H. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine--Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine