I have to say this collection was fantastic from beginning to end. It has a great introduction by Stephen King and then you just get to Daphne Du Maurier doing what she does best. All of the stories are five stars in my opinion.
The Blue Lenses-We follow a married woman whose sight is restored, but what she sees now, shows something ominous could be in her future. I thought the ending was a great gut punch and you can guess at what happens to her next.
Don’t Look Now-It takes a bit to get going, but we follow a married couple who are dealing with the recent loss of their daughter. They travel to Venice for some time alone and then the wife runs across a pair of sisters who hint at something dark coming for them if they stay in Venice. The ending was kind of crazy and you don’t see it coming at all.
The Alibi-This and the next one really are a pair that should be read back to back so am glad that they are placed that way in the collection. We follow John Fenton who all of a sudden realizes that he can’t go on anymore with his life. He is tired of the mundane and then decides, hey why not murder some poor woman and her child. Seriously. The story zigs and zags and of course it doesn’t go the way the man thought it would. But this and the second story it comes very much across how both men in the story have nothing but disdain for the women in their lives and have some idolized version of a perfect woman in their minds that becomes their undoing.
The Apple Tree-One of the longer stories with a great pay off. A widowed man who is enjoying the solace of his house and not having to constantly worry about his dead wife Midge. His past with her and his frustrations though start to make themselves present in what he thought was a dying apple tree that reminds him of Midge. He hates the tree and feels as if it is taking away from a younger more fertile tree nearby (symbolism) and then the entire story is the apple tree and others thwarting him at every turn. Fantastic ending I have to say. I chuckled.
The Birds-Not the Hollywood version of it at all. This follows a man named Nat and his family that wake up one day and realize the birds have turned against humans.
Monte Verita-Two men (unnamed narrator and a man named Victor) love the same woman (Anna) and neither one really sees her. Victor loves hiking, and though Anna seems ambivalent about it, she eventually goes along. They eventually go and hike a mysterious place called Monte Verita. People warn them that Anna should not go since many women are lured away. Of course, Anna disappears and the book follows as we see what really is Monte Verita.
The Pool-A young girl who is on the cusp of something and the realization that her younger brother and others cannot follow. Fairly short compared to the other stories, but still very good.
The Doll-So this was definitely a wild one and that’s all I can say about it. It reminded me of a Black Mirror episode honestly.
Ganymede-A classical scholar (yes the unnamed narrator will tell you that is what they do) who becomes obsessed with a waiter while in Venice. The whole story is a tragedy and then at the ending you are set up to see another one about to occur again.
Leading Lady-A story of an actress manipulating all of the men in her orbit. Honestly, not mad at it when you read the earlier stories with the messy as heck men.
Not After Midnight-Follows a schoolmaster who we learn quickly, has caught something that would make him the subject of ridicule of the boys he teaches, so goes off to Crete. He finds out that a chalet he is staying in, is the same one another man who was found dead in the sea stayed at two weeks prior (dun dun dun dun). He is content until he finds himself annoyed by two Americans, the husband is named Stoll and he seems focused on drinking and being loud every single night. He becomes obsessed with them and eventually finds out what is going on.
Split Second-This follows a widowed woman named Mrs. Ellis. Mrs. Ellis s increasingly concerned and worried about her daughter who is away at boarding school and then all of a sudden a split second later it seems as if something has occurred that has Mrs. Ellis finding strangers all around her. I thought this was cleverly done and again, this one and the next are more science-fiction.
The Breakthrough- Honestly this one reads way more science fiction/fantasy than the other stories. We follow a man named Steven who is off to Suffolk to work with a group of scientists on a secret project. We find out out it’s about people doing what they can to trap a human being’s life essence and what really comes after death.
