I have been a fan of Daphne Du Maurier for a good while, largely based on the beautiful, evocative setting, and creepiness, of 'Jamaica Inn', and disturbing 'Rebecca'. Of course, many of Du Maurier's tales, novels and short stories, have been made into films, and largely successfully. In 'The Birds and Other Stories', a collection of six stories in a re-issued classic, brings modern-day readers up-to-date with the writer's work.

The titular 'The Birds' is superb - but most people will be familiar with Alfred Hitchcock's film, and the Californian setting. In the short story, the setting is the Cornish coast - and the tale largely focuses on Nat Hocken and his family. It is suitably creepy, shocking and scary and certainly deserves its place as the title story.. Another favourite is 'The Little Photographer' which is set in France - and shows how such a horrific crime can take place with little thought for its repercussions. I did find some of the other stories a little drawn-out and perhaps strange - maybe some tighter editing could have helped.

This is a great introduction to Daphne Du Maurier's work. I, personally, prefer her novels overall, but the short stories here show quality prose and gripping plots. The stories are definitely worth a read.

I have been intending to read this for years so I was thrilled when this was available to read from NetGalley for Halloween. Du Maurier, in my opinion, is one of the greatest ever short story writers and this collection displays her talents well. Each of the six stories gripped me and whilst the title story is probably the main draw for most, the others should not be overlooked.

It was wonderful to re-read du Maurier’s stories, especially as I have read bios of her life. I will never forget seeing “The Birds” movie a very long time ago as a teenager, and I still can’t see a murmurationof starlings or a crowd of ‘menacing’ black birds without thinking of it. Each of the very different six stories included showcase du Maurier’s skill at building a feeling of menace, off-kilter, dangerous. All are gems and can be read again and again.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC e-copy.

What a treat! A collection of short stories from this master storyteller and an opportunity to review The Birds, if you’ve only seen the film as the story here is very different.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed these stories.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the opportunity to review.

This is a must for any Du Maurier fan but is also the perfect introduction for those not familiar with her work. This collection of stories is a great reminder of why DDM is still regarded as one of the best authors.
The stories include The Birds, Monte Verità, The Apple Tree, The Little Photographer, Kiss Me Again, Stranger, & The Old Man and of I'm honest its hard to choose a favourite from the collection.
The book comes with a short introduction giving you a little information about the successes and failures of turning books into films, reminding us that some authors create such a vivid image in the readers mind that no matter how hard you try the book with always be better.

I was enchanted by this captivating selection of short stories, each quite different led by a strong protagonist, intriguing in the manner of Roald Dahl’s ‘Tales of the Unexpected’. Monte Verita had me totally mesmerised! Written during the 1950’s with a delightful style and classic Du Maurier prose.

What a phenomenal collection of gorgeously gothic short stories. Wonderfully done and brilliantly executed

Let's just get this out of the way first; I have never seen the Alfred Hitchcock film, The Birds. I know about it and I've seen film stills. I also knew it was written by Daphne du Maurier so, when the opportunity to read it arose, I was very happy.
She is a master at creating settings and characters. The Birds itself felt oppressive and the tension was built throughout the story.
I enjoyed the other stories too although some were more successf6than others.
All in all, a great collection of short stories.

Although I’m not so keen on short stories I’m a huge du Maurier fan so thought that I’d give this collection a try.

Wow, they are all so brilliantly gothic and I loved the weirdness of the juxtaposition of so much normality with the supernatural. A phenomenal collection with only one short story that just wasn’t short enough for me: Monte Veritas.

Overall a wonderful collection and I am really grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review it in exchange for an honest review.

Daphne du Maurier was an absolute titan in storytelling. I first came across her by way of Rebecca, then My Cousin Rachel and by that point, she was firmly cemented as one of my favourite authors. I've only recently discovered her short stories (Don't Look Now et al) and was thrilled to be able to read The Birds and Other Stories.

More famously known for the Hitchcock adaptation, The Birds - and indeed the other stories within have an unsettling undertone, which often take you in an unexpected direction leaving you wanting more. "Short stories" they may be, but you become fully emerged with the strength in both plots and characters - and wow, I hated some of the characters!

There's an ease to reading du Maurier that allows you to consume the book in its entirety in one evening- yet you don't want it to be over so have to deliberately pace yourself.

I'd highly recommend.

Daphne du Maurier is one of my favourite authors, so I was excited to read this.

For me, Daphne du Maurier has a particular way of drawing in a reader and bringing her story to life. I think as readers, this may be something that we always notice about the authors we love, and Daphne's way of writing is unique to her.

The title story, The Birds, is well-known in the horror genre, thanks to Hitchcock's famous adaptation. I think eerie writing is something that Daphne du Maurier does wonderfully well, while at the same time, bringing a certain beauty to the writing. I feel she does this just as well in short stories as she does in novels.

I really enjoyed this book of short stories, and I think something like this is ideal for when you want something lighter than a full novel, or feel indecisive about what to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Draws you in and doesn’t let go. Loved everything about this book. Can’t recommend it enough!! 5/5

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the advanced copy to review.

I received a free copy from Netgalley to review, below is the blurb

"A classic of alienation and horror, 'The Birds' was immortalised by Hitchcock in his celebrated film. The five other chilling stories in this collection echo a sense of dislocation and mock man's sense of dominance over the natural world. The mountain paradise of 'Monte Verità' promises immortality, but at a terrible price; a neglected wife haunts her husband in the form of an apple tree; a professional photographer steps out from behind the camera and into his subject's life; a date with a cinema usherette leads to a walk in the cemetery; and a jealous father finds a remedy when three's a crowd ."

I wanted to read this collection as I had previously read Rebecca and I had watched Hitchcock's The Birds .and enjoyed it and didn't realise that it was by this author.

I have to say I enjoyed some of the stories more than the others, but love her style of writing. My favourites were perhaps the longer stories, such as the Monte Verita one and The Birds and I liked the one about the apple tree which I also found the most bizarre. Her style of writing is timeless and didn't feel like I was reading a story written many years ago.

Daphne du Maurier is the undisputed mistress of the literary supernatural, and nothing showcases this better than this exquisite collection of some of her short stories. From the claustrophic, atmospheric title story that is nowadays most commonly associated with the Alfred Hitchcock move rather than du Maurier’s writing prowess to lesser-known mini-oeuvres such as ‘The Little Photographer’ about a sensual friendship that goes too far, this is a perfect introduction to a fine writer who can conjure up abject terror with her mighty pen. Highly recommended to du Maurier fans old and new! Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for this amazing tome that I was gifted by way of a free ARC.

I thank NetGalley and Virago (Little, Brown Book Group UK) for providing me with an ARC copy of this book, which I freely chose to review.
I had read Rebecca many years back, and have watched movie adaptations of some of her other novels. I was looking forward to renewing my acquaintance with Daphne du Maurier’s stories. I was taken by the quality of the writing, and it made me reflect on how different it is from a lot of the writing I come across these days, which although not bad, focuses on moving the story along and, in general, it doesn’t invest a lot of time in creating an atmosphere and being precious with the use of language. These stories are not very long, and although they aren’t all the same in length, the author manages to create atmospheric settings and give readers a vivid idea of the protagonists' feelings and thoughts, for the most part, making them experience uneasiness and foreboding, as some of the stories are quite dark. Yet, there are magical moments, and plenty of surprises as well.
I thought I’d write a little about each one of the stories.
The Birds. Those of you who have watched Hitchcock’s movie of the same name will know the plot of the story, although there are many differences (the story is set in the UK, and a rural area). The introduction by David Thompson refers to the process of adapting the story, which is interesting in its own right. And so is the story, which is claustrophobic, eerie, and atmospheric in the extreme. Fabulous.
Monte Verità. The attraction of mountain climbing, the spiritual dimension of nature, finding oneself, a peculiar community of women, and beautiful and lyrical language turn this into a mesmerising and gripping story told in the first person by a man who’s never found his place in the world.
The Apple Tree. The story of a widower who is seemingly very happy to have been left alone to do as he pleases, but he becomes fixated on an apple tree which reminds him of his wife. I loved this story, which reminded me of The Tell-Tale Heart by Poe, although there are many possible readings.
The Little Photographer. An utterly self-centred and narcissistic protagonist, who thinks she can use others as playthings just to keep herself entertained gets a surprise.
Kiss Me Again, Stranger. Told in the first person, this story would have easily turned into another Hitchcock movie. A different take on 'the one who got away' kind of story.
The Old Man. This story is narrated in the first person, and the anonymous narrator recalls a strange episode in his life. A surprising little tale with a touch of the unexpected.
This is a wonderful collection of stories, and although it might not suit all tastes, they are gripping, beautifully written, disquieting, chilling, eerie, but also magical and mesmerising. Do yourself a favour, and read them.

Absolutely brilliant works, I thoroughly enjoyed reading these. After popping my Daphne Du Mauier cherry with Rebecca, I was super excited to get into these

This book was so good! It was intriguing and really drawed me in. I'll be reading more of this authors work.

6 noir, atmospheric, stunningly written short stories. Felt a deeper sense if dred when reading The Birds, than I did when watching it as a child, as tension built up in my own imagination.

Others are gothic, lyrical & fantasy rich.

If you want to escape the real world for an hour, each story takes you deep into another experience. Enjoyed more of Du Maurier's flowing & beautiful writing.

A collection of atmospheric and fascinating stories from the master storyteller that is Daphne Du Maurier. I enjoyed the title story, The Birds, the most of the collection and I think it is worth reading just for that alone. Dark and dystopian, it had me watching any birds near me with suspicion for a few days! The rest of the collection is a mixed bag, but only one that I actively did not enjoy, however, I am not usually a reader of short stories unless it is an author I know I enjoy and Du Maurier is always reliable

This was my first time reading Du Maurier's short stories - I absolutely love her novels and was excited to see how she tackles short stories.

This collection of six stories are really quite unique - dark, macabre and almost cultish in some ways. They reminded me of Grimm's Fairy Tales. The Birds was excellent - pacy and foreboding. The Apple I found intriguing and unsettling. Du Maurier is of course a master of description, particularly when related to scene setting. I love her evocative use of language which was put to good use in these stories.