A collection of short stories that traverse the landscape of the absurd and the fantastical, The Birds and Other Stories is guaranteed to leave an indelible impression on you with the depths of the themes explored over the course of the 6 multi-genre stories.

After having read and loved Rebecca, I joined a book club to read all of Daphne du Maurier’s works. And so far, it hasn’t disappointed!

I didn’t know what to expect from this collection as I’m used to the author’s ornate writing style, which often sweeps across chapters with its establishment of the background and vivid nature imageries. What then would the author do with a limiting format like that of short stories?

The answer to this became apparent to me from the 2nd story in the collection – Monte Verita. While the premise intrigued me enough to continue reading, I soon realized that maybe Daphne du Maurier’s magic works when she unleashes her imagination in a novel structure. Because of the short span of time in which the context had to be introduced and the characters sent on a journey, I feel like the impact of Monte Verita fell short.

The sense of something unearthly existing in... Read the rest of the review on my blog