Kim's Reviews > My Cousin Rachel

My Cousin Rachel is an exquisitely concocted gothic novel. Information is revealed in little drips and some critical questions go unanswered. Like Rebecca, things are not as they seem, although I found this novel somewhat less dramatic.

Ambrose, Philip’s guardian, prefers to spend his winters abroad, and during a trip to Italy, he meets and marries Rachel. He sends letters Philip suggesting that Rachel may be something of a Black Widow, but dies before Philip can investigate further. It is thought that Ambrose may have died from a brain tumor, so his musings are dismissed as delirious hallucinations. Rachel travels to England, ostensibly to bring Ambrose’s things home, and this is where the story really takes off. I cannot say more without revealing too much but let’s just say there is graceful misdirection and a few cringeworthy moments. And, as I mentioned at the beginning, not all of the burning questions are answered.

There are some interesting themes and character elements that stood out to me as a modern-day reader. First, the kind of soft misogyny of Ambrose and Philip - two men living in a male-only home - is evident throughout. They don’t view women with desire or fascination but more with a sort of detached curiosity and impatience. Rachel, for her part, has worked through two husbands by the time she reaches England, and she uses subtlety to manipulate and dominate. She is an ambiguous character whose motives -even when explained - remain unclear. Others have pointed to Philip as unintelligent but I view him more as naive and unused to womanly wiles. If he and Ambrose had spent more time with women, he would not be so. Louise, a secondary character, is able to truly see who Rachel is, and for all that she is younger than Philip, she has a far clearer view of true character. My only complaint is the foreshadowing towards the end of the book; it felt clunky to me.

This is a slower burn than Rebecca. It is also somewhat less dramatic (less sinister) but has significantly better character development. Philip and Rachel are complex and unknowable. The question of what really happened is never truly answered. Worth reading!