Daphne du Maurier Quote
That this exceptionally scholarly man whose judgments, always rich and sensitive, though sometimes austere, should have embarked on an intensely romantic retelling of the old Cornish legend of that famous pair of tragic lovers, Tristan and Queen Iseult, is intriguing in itself. But what makes it even more fascinating is that Daphne du Maurier, asked by Q ’s daughter long after her father’s death to finish this novel that he had set aside near the end of a chapter, halfway through, did so in such a skillful fashion that it is impossible to guess with any certainty the exact point at which she began to write. She says, in a modest foreword, that she could not imitate ‘Q’’s style… that would have been robbing the dead, but she had known him when she was a child, remembered him as a genial host at many a Sunday supper, and by thinking back to conversations long forgotten she could recapture something of the man himself and trust herself to fall into his mood.
That this exceptionally scholarly man whose judgments, always rich and sensitive, though sometimes austere, should have embarked on an intensely romantic retelling of the old Cornish legend of that famous pair of tragic lovers, Tristan and Queen Iseult, is intriguing in itself. But what makes it even more fascinating is that Daphne du Maurier, asked by Q ’s daughter long after her father’s death to finish this novel that he had set aside near the end of a chapter, halfway through, did so in such a skillful fashion that it is impossible to guess with any certainty the exact point at which she began to write. She says, in a modest foreword, that she could not imitate ‘Q’’s style… that would have been robbing the dead, but she had known him when she was a child, remembered him as a genial host at many a Sunday supper, and by thinking back to conversations long forgotten she could recapture something of the man himself and trust herself to fall into his mood.
Related Quotes
About Daphne du Maurier
Although du Maurier is classed as a romantic novelist, her stories have been described as "moody and resonant" with overtones of the paranormal. Her bestselling works were not at first taken seriously by critics, but they have since earned an enduring reputation for narrative craft. Many have been successfully adapted into films, including the novels Rebecca, Frenchman's Creek, My Cousin Rachel and Jamaica Inn, and the short stories "The Birds" and "Don't Look Now". Du Maurier spent much of her life in Cornwall, where most of her works are set. As her fame increased, she became more reclusive.