Product Description

Inspired by a grisly discovery in the nineteenth century, The King's General was the first of du Maurier's novels to be written at Menabilly, the model for Manderley in Rebecca. Set in the seventeenth century, it tells the story of a country and a family riven by war, and features one of fiction's most original heroines. Honor Harris is only eighteen when she first meets Richard Grenvile, proud, reckless - and utterly captivating. But following a riding accident, Honor must reconcile herself to a life alone. As Richard rises through the ranks of the army, marries and makes enemies, Honor remains true to him, and finally discovers the secret of Menabilly.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32745 in Books
• Published on: 2004-05-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 371 pages

Review
'Miss du Maurier's continued success leaves one gasping with admiration' TLS

About the Author
Daphne du Maurier was born in 1906 and educated at home and in Paris. She began writing in 1928, and many of her bestselling novels were set in Cornwall, where she lived for most of her life. She was made a DBE in 1969 and died in 1989.

Customer Reviews

Escape to the Country!
You can feel the Cornish weather all around you as you become absorbed into the lives and loves of those caught up in the Civil War. The heroine, Honor Harris is a brilliant characture, who tells the story from her bed in the twilight of her life. If you like stories that suck you in, you'll love this one. The good guys are just ordinary everyday country folk, and the bad guys are, well - that would be telling! You dont need to be a history buff to relive those dark, brooding years leading up to the English Civil War. Du Maurier has that knack of just picking you up and droping you seemlessly into the action. As you read, just keep one ear open for the clatter of horses hooves on the cobbles...

A superb reading of this Classic
Juliet Stevenson's reading is faultless, and one is immediately absorbed into the story and all it's wonderfully described characters. Based in Pre and Civil War Cornwall, it enters into the Lives of the great Families involved, with their own stories, together with the main characters of the Heroine [Honor Harris] and Hero/Villain Sir Richard Grenville. Daphne du Maurier has woven a wonderful tale based on actual people, families and fact [there is also a postscript to give the listener the Fate of those involved]. The reading is unabridged at 13hrs.10mins.on 10 cassettes. This one of my favourite audiobooks, and never tire of it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED both for the Reading, quality and of course the story of the Rashleigh Family and all involved at Menabilly, the Home of daphne du Maurier, who became fascinated and intrigued with Menabilly, and it's own history when she first took residence there. In the postscript is a chilling revelation about the 'Buttressed Room'.A must for sheer escapism and History.

Charismatic and morally ambiguous 'hero'
Set during the Civil War, this tells the story of the Cornish families caught up in the conflict and their tangled personal loyalties. The narrative is told by Honor Harris, who has been in love with Richard Grenvile, the eponymous `hero', since she was eighteen. As this is du Maurier, we have good characterisation and atmosphere together with excellent plotting that doesn't descend into the silly or unbelievable.

However this is a book which is far weaker than DM's classics such as Rebecca. There is very little attempt to recreate historical atmosphere and though this is supposedly set in the 1640s onwards, it reads as a modern book (written 1946). However the shortfalls are redeemed by the strength of the central portrait of Grenvile and his relationship to Honor (in both senses). Both ruthless and charming, cold and passionate, bitter and vengeful while unremittingly loyal to the king and the monarchy, Grenvile towers over this book as a huge creation. We might not like him (and `like' is far too weak a word to use for him) but then neither does Honor, although she does love him to the end. And it is this ambiguity and complexity which gives the novel its strength.

So don't read this if you want dashing, romantic sentimentalism: du Maurier is far too astute a writer than that. But for something much more akin to Heathcliffe in a political setting this is highly recommended.