Summary, Analysis, and Review of Daphne du Maurier’s My Cousin Rachel

PLEASE NOTE:This is a key takeaways and analysis of the book and NOT the original book.

Start Publishing Notes’ Summary, Analysis, and Review of Daphne du Maurier’s My Cousin Rachel includes a summary of the book, review, analysis & key takeaways, and a detailed “About the Author” section.

PREVIEW: My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier is a quasi-Gothic novel about Philip Ashley, a young man who becomes obsessed with his cousin’s widow. With new information about her past constantly surfacing, Philip often wonders whether Rachel, the object of his affection, is as warm and personable as she seems. It is a question that he will never settle to his satisfaction.

As the story begins, twenty-three-year-old Philip fondly bids farewell to his middle-aged cousin Ambrose, who always winters abroad for health reasons. Philip, an orphan, has lived with his cousin in Cornwall since he was just eighteen months old, so Ambrose is more than just a cousin to him—he is like a father. Philip hates to see him go, but it’s his duty to watch over the property in Ambrose’s absence.