What makes 'Rebecca' a great mysterious novel?

The atmosphere also plays a crucial role. The gothic and mysterious setting of Manderley adds a sense of allure and danger to the romance. It's not just a simple love story but a tale set against a backdrop of a grand, somewhat haunted estate. The descriptions of the house and the surrounding landscape add depth to the relationship of the characters. For example, the overgrown gardens can be seen as a metaphor for the complex and somewhat wild nature of their relationship. The protagonist is constantly in a state of unease, and this unease affects her relationship with Maxim. The beauty of the writing also helps. Daphne du Maurier's prose is so vivid that it draws the reader into the world of the novel and makes the love story more engaging.

The atmosphere in 'Rebecca' is one of the key factors. The gloomy and mysterious Manderley sets the stage for a great mystery. The unknown about Rebecca, the first wife, adds to the mystery. And the slow - burning romance between the narrator and Maxim is also well - crafted.

The mystery itself is very engaging. The legend of the hound is both creepy and complex. The way the plot unfolds, with various clues and red herrings, keeps the reader guessing until the very end.

Rebecca fits the Gothic genre because of things like the intense emotional turmoil of the protagonist, the sense of foreboding throughout, and the use of elements like storms and shadows to create a spooky ambiance.

A great Rebecca Miller novel often has complex characters. For example, in 'The Private Lives of Pippa Lee', Pippa is a multi - faceted character. Her experiences and emotions are so realistically portrayed that it draws the reader in. That's one aspect that can make a novel the best.

A character can be made mysterious by having a hidden past. For example, if a character shows up in a town and no one knows where they came from or what they did before, like the stranger in many Western novels. Another factor is having an unclear motivation. If a character does things that seem strange and their reasons for doing them are not obvious, it makes them mysterious.

For a poem, use of ambiguous language can make it mysterious. For example, in T.S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land', the fragmented and allusive language creates a sense of mystery as readers have to work hard to understand the meaning. In a novel, an unreliable narrator can add mystery. In 'Gone Girl', the shifting perspectives of the two main characters, both of whom may not be entirely trustworthy, create a lot of mystery about what really happened.

One similar mysterious novel is 'The Woman in White' by Wilkie Collins. It has a complex plot full of secrets and suspense. Another is 'The Turn of the Screw' by Henry James, which is renowned for its ambiguous and eerie atmosphere. Also, 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker is a classic with elements of mystery and the unknown.

In these books, especially 'Rebecca', the combination of detective and romance elements is seamless. The detective part draws you in as you want to figure out the truth about Rebecca. And the romance isn't just a side - story. It's deeply connected to the mystery. The protagonist's journey of self - discovery within the context of this mystery - filled relationship is what makes it truly special. It's a story that can be read on multiple levels, both as a love story and as a mystery to be solved.

It could be a combination of elements like an unknown or exotic location, strange phenomena, or hidden secrets. These aspects contribute to creating that air of mystery.