Frenchman's Creek

My tastes in books and music vary wildly, but this book has been a favorite since I first read it at 13 (20-ish years ago.) The pirate is a perfect symbol for the "lawlessness" of love; love does not follow rules and boundaries imposed upon it by our social conventions. It is primal and magic, and creeps silently and unexpectedly up to our shorelines in the dead of night.

This has become my favorite book of all times. I saw the PBS movie version first and just had to read the book-- and it's ten times better than the movie! Romantic, full of adventure, and has some exciting history too. I can read this book over and over and over, and never get tired of it. The ending is so great, and Du Maurier has done an excellent job. It is most definitely her best book ever-- I enjoy it as much if not more than Rebecca.

This novel immensely appealed to me. The story flowed really well. The word choice was excellent. And it was an excellent insight about how women often fell. The reality of the situation transcends time. And who wouldn't want to break out of the motherly mode with a pirate. The Frenchman was an awesome incarnation of the free spirit. And yet her choice reflects the way true women weigh responsibility and selfish action. This was excellent!

Rebecca was good. Jamaica Inn was okay. But Frenchman's Creek was great! Du Maurier really outdid herself. She took the heart of a woman and made it plain. What romantic wouldn't like this story? Pirates, adventure, philosophy and romance....better than those frilly romance books nowadays. Dona went on a quest and fulfilled it. The first chapter is boring---skip it; I put it down for a time because I was unimpressed. But it is really good. I read parts of it to people as they were working (while I joyfully read) and they kept asking, "what happened next?" Every time I would give a little giggle of glee. This is really good. Rebecca and Jamaica Inn are "dark" novels; but this is an exploration into a womans mind. I comprehend and adore Ms. Dumaurier! Another good writer found!

Although I am not a fan of Harlequin novels, I am a loyal fan of John Castle. I sought out this novel specifically because he is the reader. The novel is set in Cornwall in the 1700's -- a bored, lonely Lady St. Columb flees city life with her two children and nanny to the country house where she and her husband honeymooned 7 years before. She stumbles upon the hideout of a French pirate who has been plundering her neighbors. She disguises herself as a cabin boy and joins in the fun, outwitting her stuffy neighbors and husband, falling in love with the scoundrel, and saving his life before he is hanged for his bad deeds. Being from a blue-collar working class American family, the custom of having servants is foreign to me. I couldn't understand why this country house, which sat vacant for 7 years, was still staffed with a butler, groom, and gardener.This novel is beautifully read by Mr. Castle, whose change in voice and inflection clearly lets you know which character is talking. He kindly refrains from talking in falsetto for Lady St. Columb! The graphic descriptions of the countryside, the languid pace, and the soliloquies make this an ideal companion for a summer vacation or trip to the shore. It's a refreshing change from the internet abbreviations and shorthand which are becoming standard in writing today. I loved this audiobook and plan to listen to it again and again.This novel was made into a movie in about 1944. Why doesn't someone do a re-make of this? Antonio Banderas would be ideal for the pirate; Kate Winslet for Lady St. Columb. I'll stand in line for a ticket for this one!