my cousin rachel daphne du maurier reviews

Nick suggests that Ambrose may be suffering from a brain tumour. Philip discusses the contents of the letter with his godfather Nick, who on Ambrose's death will become Philip's guardian until his coming of age at 25. Ambrose says he can trust no one and claims that Rachel watches him constantly.

In a letter that reaches Philip in July, Ambrose says that a friend of Rachel named Rainaldi has recommended that Ambrose see a different doctor. He complains of the sun, the stuffy atmosphere of the Villa Sangalletti, and terrible headaches. Gradually, the tone of Ambrose's correspondence changes.

In the spring, Ambrose says that he and Rachel are married and have no immediate plans to return to Cornwall. Ambrose writes that he has met a cousin of theirs called Rachel - the widowed Contessa Sangalletti - in Florence. As the damp weather approaches, he sets off for his third winter abroad and chooses Italy.īy the time he has reached his 20s, Philip misses Ambrose on his sojourns in Italy but regularly receives letters from him. Life is good apart from a few health problems that require Ambrose to spend the winter in warmer climates. On Sundays, Philip's godfather Nick Kendall and his daughter Louise come to lunch with them, as do the Reverend Mr Pascoe and his family. Plot summary Īmbrose Ashley is the owner of a large country estate on the Cornish coast and has been guardian to his orphaned cousin Philip since the latter was eighteen months old. The story has its origins in a portrait of Rachel Carew at Antony House in Cornwall, which du Maurier saw and took as inspiration. Bearing thematic similarities to her earlier and more famous novel Rebecca, it is a mystery-romance, set primarily on a large estate in Cornwall. My Cousin Rachel is a Gothic novel written by English author Daphne du Maurier, published in 1951.

My cousin rachel daphne du maurier reviews