After Midnight
Thirteen Tales for the Dark Hours
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After Midnight
Narrated by:
Owen Findlay, Elliot Cowan, Matt Addis, Cecilia Appiah, Ruth Lass, Sam Marks, Hattie Morahan
Buy Now for $38.85
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Written by:
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Daphne du Maurier
About this listen
Daphne du Maurier is best known for Rebecca, “one of the most influential novels of the 20th century” (Sarah Waters) and basis for Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic film adaptation. More than thirty-five years after her death, du Maurier is celebrated for her gothic genius and stunning psychological insight by authors such as Ottessa Moshfegh, Maggie O’Farrell, Lucy Foley, Gillian Flynn, Jennifer Egan, and countless others, including Stephen King and Joe Hill.
After Midnight brings together some of du Maurier’s darkest, most haunting stories, ranging from sophisticated literary thriller to twisted love story. Alongside classics such as “The Birds” and “Don’t Look Now,”—both of which inspired unforgettable films—are gems such as “Monte Verità,” a masterpiece about obsession, mysticism, and tragic love, and “The Alibi,” a chilling tale of an ordinary man’s descent into lies, manipulation, and sinister fantasies that edge dangerously close to reality. In “The Blue Lenses,” a woman recovering from eye surgery finds she now perceives those around her as having animal heads corresponding to their true natures. “Not After Midnight” follows a schoolteacher on holiday in Crete who finds a foreboding message from the chalet’s previous occupant who drowned while swimming at night. In “The Breakthrough,” a scientist conducts experiments to harness the power of death, blurring the line between genius and madness.
Each story in this collection exemplifies du Maurier’s exquisite writing and singular insight into human frailty, jealousy, and the macabre. She “makes worlds in which people and even houses are mysterious and mutable; haunted rooms in which disembodied spirits dance at absolute liberty” (Olivia Laing, author of Crudo). Daphne du Maurier is mistress of the sleight of hand and slow-burning menace, often imitated and rarely surpassed.
Stories include:
-“The Blue Lenses”
-“Don’t Look Now”
-“The Alibi”
-“The Apple Tree”
-“The Birds”
-“Monte Verita”
-“The Pool”
-“The Doll”
-“Ganymede”
-“Leading Lady”
-“Not After Midnight”
-“Split Second”
-“The Breakthrough”
4 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
This is was my first experience reading short stories written by this author.
To date I have only read “Rebecca”, which was a 5 stars read for me.
Although the stories picked for this compilation were not all satisfying, I cannot deny that her prose and storytelling were terrific.
These are the stories included in this book, in order of appearance:
The Blue Lenses
Don't Look Now
The Alibi
The Apple Tree
The Birds
Monte Verità
The Pool
The Doll
Ganymede
Leading Lady
Not After Midnight
Split Second
The Breakthrough
My favourites were the first two stories and of course, The Birds, which in my opinion is better than the movie adaptation directed by Hitchcock.
I’m going to look for the other short stories that were left from this volume.
I may try listening the dramatize audiobook by BBC Radio (some are available for free on YouTube), but there is an edition of 24 hours, covering 18 short stories.
Superb storytelling!
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