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First published in 1972 by Victor Gollanz Ltd this is Daphne Du Maurier’s last novel. Du Maurier wrote many fictional books and those adapted to film include: – “Rebecca”, “Frenchman’s Creek”, “My Cousin Rachel” and “The Birds”.
Ella Westland pointed out – “The author had known the story of Peter Pan since early childhood. Her father Gerald du Maurier regularly played Captain Hook on stage since Daphne was born and observed Emma plays Wendy to Mad’s Peter Pan, Mad’s boys being the six adopted lost boys adopted by The Darlings. Westland has a book in print “Reading Daphne . A Guide to the writing of
Daphne du Maurier for Readers and Book Groups”. This is a book for adults and only loosely reminiscent of “Peter Pan”.

The novel was described by Daphne Du Maurier as her idea for a “funny novel…mocking everything” naming it as “popular autumn reading”. However, aficionados of Du Maurier’s work were not so sure. Having read the book, I have to say I was surprised at the story of US Army officials occupying the countryside by the farm in Cornwall and needing accommodation, food and water supplies for their men as I randomly read this book recently and thought – “ooh – was this based on WW2?”
which it was not. I think it is an awesome read in many ways and it could even mimic something that could happen here or elsewhere in Europe but I will not be a total plot spoiler for those who wish to read it. It definitely has a popular current flavour despite its historical critics. Daphne du Maurier is up with the greats of best and prolific and imaginative British writers. It seemed that she held a snobbery about being a lady living in Cornwall who felt the shadow and
prejudice of London based people always made her feel less adequate and important than she really was. However, the fact that she had huge literary success is undoubtable so I feel that she was a little ill advised to criticise the London literary crowd perhaps but many others may have and the same sentiments.

Daphne had three children and became known as Lady Browning after her husband was knighted in 1946. This was a title bestowed upon her which she rarely if ever used. She had many members of the family in playwriting, publishing and acting. She was one of three sisters and always thought that the family would have preferred it if she was born a boy. She had various close relationships with successful women in the field of writing and acting. Thinking of family preferring if one was born a boy is not new especially featuring women of great intelligence and competence and maybe even beauty comes into it. One would hope that today those thoughts and misapprehensions are hugely less prolific or common.
Read about “USUK” in “Rule Britannia” and see what you think. All reactions can be placed online.

Rule Britannia by Daphne Du Maurier, Virago Modern Classics paperback published 9 May 2019

Penny Nair Price