A re-read of Daphne du Maurier’s short stories is always a great experience. This collection of six stories are marvellous as usual. They are the kind of stories where you have to turn back to the beginning and realise how clever it is. The interesting thing is that the book was originally titled The Apple Tree in 1952 and this was changed to The Birds in 1963, when the famous film was released. In my opinion, ‘The Birds’ is not the best story in the book, although it’s certainly the most sinister. I feel that its reputation overshadows the other stories, exemplified by the introduction from David Thomson in the 2004 Virago edition, which is completely useless because it talks mainly about Alfred Hitchcock, with a bit about Daphne and nothing about her other stories.
‘The Birds’ is set on the coast and explores a family’s reactions to the violent behaviour of the birds, which have for some unknown reason banded together and attacked people. Cold War paranoia suffuses the story.
‘Monte Verità’ is almost a novella, a long story about a frightening and irresistible mountain where there is a cult of immortality. Upon a quest for the truth, the narrator follows in the footsteps of his friend and finds mind-bending mysteries.
‘The Apple Tree’ is about a man who’s enjoying his life now that he’s free of his self-sacrificing, miserable wife. Then he notices an apple tree which bears an uncanny resemblance to her and she’s haunting him. I think this is the best story in the book.
‘The Little Photographer’ follows the languid holiday of a bored marquise who starts an affair with a young man from the photographic shop, but is not prepared for the consequences of his love and makes a terrible mistake.
‘Kiss Me Again, Stranger’ is narrated by a mechanic who is a simple fellow with a good heart. He has an impulsive night out with a cinema usherette, who for some reason likes to hang out in cemeteries, but he might have a lucky escape…
‘The Old Man’ is about a family, ruled by a grumpy patriarch, who live in a rough way by a lake. They send their grown children away, but the boy comes back and the narrator is shocked at what happens to him. The twist on this one is brilliant.
If you’ve not read Daphne du Maurier’s short stories yet, this would be the ideal volume to start with.
I loved Jamaica Inn and Rebecca but never read any of her short story collections but she’s a master of suspense and atmosphere. Unrelated but borrowed my mum’s old edition of Cold Comfort Farm based on your review too. ☺️
Definitely recommend the short story collections, either this one, or Don’t Look Now. I like CCF but actually prefer Gibbons’ lesser-known novels 🙂