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The Winters: A Novel
Unavailable
The Winters: A Novel
Unavailable
The Winters: A Novel
Audiobook11 hours

The Winters: A Novel

Written by Lisa Gabriele

Narrated by Emily Rankin

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, a spellbindingly suspenseful novel set in the moneyed world of the Hamptons, about secrets that refuse to remain buried and consequences that can’t be escaped

After a whirlwind romance, a young woman returns to the opulent, secluded Long Island mansion of her new fiancé Max Winter—a wealthy politician and recent widower—and a life of luxury she's never known. But all is not as it appears at the Asherley estate. The house is steeped in the memory of Max's beautiful first wife Rebekah, who haunts the young woman's imagination and feeds her uncertainties, while his very alive teenage daughter Dani makes her life a living hell. She soon realizes there is no clear place for her in this twisted little family: Max and Dani circle each other like cats, a dynamic that both repels and fascinates her, and he harbors political ambitions with which he will allow no woman—alive or dead—to interfere.

As the soon-to-be second Mrs. Winter grows more in love with Max, and more afraid of Dani, she is drawn deeper into the family's dark secrets—the kind of secrets that could kill her, too. The Winters is a riveting story about what happens when a family's ghosts resurface and threaten to upend everything.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateOct 16, 2018
ISBN9780525641643
Unavailable
The Winters: A Novel
Author

Lisa Gabriele

Besides being executive producer of Canada's Lifesize TV, Lisa Gabriele has worked at the CBC as a producer, writer, radio researcher, and reporter. Gabriele's work has appeared in Vice Magazine and The Washington Post, among others, and she's a frequent contributor to Nerve.com. She lives in Toronto's Little Italy.

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Reviews for The Winters

Rating: 3.663934518032787 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

61 ratings13 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    If this book had been a straight-up suspense novel and not a retelling of one of my all-time favorites, Rebecca, I likely would give it 4 stars. But, in comparison to Daphne du Marnier, this novel can't quite hold its own. This book reworks the story from a contemporary and American perspective. Some of the characters are much the same and others have been altered significantly from their original roles. The book invokes a number of illusions to the original and left me with a longing to dig into my copy of Rebecca and reread it yet again. Overall, it was a good read, but it pales in comparison to its inspiration.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The author set herself a high bar in tackling a modern reimagining of Daphne du Maurier’s classic psychological thriller, Rebecca, with its famous first line—“Last night I dreamed I went again to Manderley.” Gabriele’s first line, “Last night Rebekah tried to murder me again” is startling, if lacking the original’s poetic power. Nevertheless, a novel is more than its opening line. I reread the set-up for du Maurier’s gothic thriller to reacquaint myself with the story and her style, so I could assess whether Gabriele’s new novel stands up to the original, since it so deliberately invites the comparison. I ended up with a mixed opinion. As in the original, Gabriele’s (again, unnamed) narrator, a rather unsophisticated if sincere young woman, does not fit easily in the social set of her new fiancé, wealthy New York Senator Maxim Winter. Winter dismisses her feelings of being out-of-place, despite (or is it because of?) her stark dissimilarity to his late wife—the beautiful, charming, and talented Rebekah. I didn’t really warm up to the narrator—odd, since the book is written in the first-person—nor did I find her a wholly convincing character. As in the original, most of the story takes place at a legendary and enormous family residence. The Winter estate, Asherley, was built on its own island at the far eastern end of Long Island, facing the sea. In a brilliant move by Gabriele, the narrator’s antagonist is not the confidant of the late Mrs. Winter, the housekeeper (Mrs. Danvers in the original); in Gabriele’s version, the principal opposition to the marriage and to the narrator herself comes from Max and Rebekah’s teenage daughter, Dani. Many of us have seen how fraught relationships with step-children can be, and this was a persuasive adjustment to modern times. There is a lot going on with Dani, though her rebellious teenage machinations are hard to forgive, for narrator and reader alike.While the set-up of the two novels is reasonably similar, their plots begin to diverge about half-way through. Even so, having Dani volunteer to help the narrator find a wedding dress evokes nail-biting echoes of disaster that play out in a completely unexpected way.Gabriele’s writing style is, of course, markedly different from that of a novel written eighty years ago. Still, I miss du Maurier’s long loopy sentences and lush descriptions. In the new version, you see the Winter mansion through modern eyes and a more practical, less dreamy affect. In place of a wall of blood-red rhododendrons, you have a profusion of vases full of Rebekah’s favored deep red roses. Tastes differ as to whether a more florid style better fits a romantic story about a woman blinded by love—or is she?—and haunted by her dead rival. Gabriele’s narrator is a refreshingly modern woman, appreciative of Max Winter’s extreme wealth, but not overawed by it. Even so, she finds herself trapped by circumstances. In today’s world, a difficult housekeeper would be dismissed; it’s not so easy to divest oneself of a step-daughter, even a calculating, substance-abusing, and foul-mouthed one like Dani. Gabriele, having set aside the evil housekeeper, finds new ways for Rebekah’s memory to torment the new Mrs. Winter, while the ghost of du Maurier’s Rebecca necessarily haunts The Winters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Thank you, FirsttoRead, for my complimentary review copy. Although touted as a modern re-telling of Daphne du Maurier’s classic novel, Rebecca, this was entirely new for me. I have neither read the original nor have I seen any of the film adaptations. Told from the perspective of the main protagonist, who remains nameless throughout the novel. She is a rags-to-riches young woman swept off her feet by the older, affluent and charismatic Max Winter. Whisked away from her life in the Grand Cayman Islands, she literally becomes a fish out of water when she finds herself at the luxurious Asherley estate in The Hamptons. Although her previous life, working as a boat tour operator and living in shared accommodations, was hardly ideal, it was home.Beyond the expected changed dynamics of a new relationship, the soon-to-be Mrs. Winter has other challenges to contend with. The presence of the inimitable Rebekah, the first Mrs. Winter, is everywhere. The change in routine, loss of autonomy, and staff at her beck and call...only add to her alienation. Last, but not least, Dani, Max’s teen daughter, is less than welcoming.As she slowly finds her footing in her new home and tries to win over the temperamental Dani, our protagonist finds that all that glitters is not gold. There are secrets and layers that, when revealed and peeled away, will shake her to the core.I enjoyed this book enough that I’m tempted now to read the inspiration, Rebecca. The fact that the protagonist/narrator is never named is curious, but fits the storyline. The descriptions are vivid and characters well-developed. I loved that the plot twists and turns so much I couldn’t predict what would happen next.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Fascinating alternative version of Rebecca. Marked down because of what was done to one character.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I was really looking forward to reading a contemporary re-telling of Du Maurier's Rebecca, but Gabriele's novel, for me, lacked the sense of oppressive dread which permeated the original. And the revelations about the truth of Rebekah's fate were overly-complicated and convoluted. While it's admirable that Gabriele did not slavishly adhere to the events and characterizations of the original, the result was a novel that felt like it was trying too hard and never quite found the balance between faithful update and original work.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have no clue what Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier is, other than it’s a book that Lisa Gabriele based The Winters on. That means I came into this story without knowing what the story would entail, where the story would go, and what I was reading. For me, this was a great thing. I started the book with an open mind, an excitement for what I was about to read, and an interest in learning whatever I can about the characters. Lisa Gabriele wrote a story that kept me reading, guessing, and wondering what was going to happen with Max Winters, his fiancé, and his daughter. The love story of Max and his fiancé was intriguing. Instantly I felt there was more to come for them, while I hoped for happiness I knew that it couldn’t be that easy. There were so many unknowns, so many twists, turns, ups and downs that I was kept on my toes. I loved that I was kept guessing and that I truly didn’t know what was going to happen until it actually happens. When Max returned home to the estate that he lived in with his dead wife and his teenage daughter I knew that there had to be more to come. Dani was a typical teenager as far as not being happy that her father met someone new and did the teenage things to make her not welcome in their lives. There was so much anticipation, the story was told little by little, with each dialogue I had to guess what wasn’t being told and what the truth was. The Winters is a psychological thriller that kept me turning page after page excited to see where this story would go next.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    DNF @ 180 pages. I'm just not able to connect to the story or the characters. The beginning started out really strong, the narrator's voice was pure and clear with that sort of mournful tension you can hear from the MC in the the movie adaptation. But after that it all changed. The early start of the book was at the beach which, for me, just lost the appeal of that eerie, forlorn quality that I wanted from this retelling. Eventually moving the plot to snowy NY happened too slowly to hold my interest. While this book was slow to move along, as I would also say is true of the original book and the movie, somehow this one didn't hold the same tension and suspense as the other two. Thanks go to the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Winters is basically the remake of Rebecca....I loved Rebecca and I enjoyed The Winters almost as much...The names in The Winters are plays on the names in Rebecca....the general theme is comparable to the theme of Rebecca, but there are enough differences and updates to make The Winters a great read. I won this book on GoodReads and thoroughly enjoyed it...the ending is great also.....
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This modern retake on Daphne DuMaurier's classic Rebecca features a nameless orphan who meets a wealthy older man in the Caymans and moves to his ancestral family home, a private island in Long Island Sound. Instead of the treacherous Mrs. Danvers, there's a horror of a fifteen year old daughter, missing her mother, who had died in a single car accident. The twists are all familiar - the abusive treatment, the husband's seeming ambivalence about his dead wife, a mysterious greenhouse, and even boats play a major role, just as in the original. There's a good twist at the end. But I feel compelled to read the real thing again. It would be impossible to create another novel as brilliantly plotted, since Rebecca set the highest standard for this type of gothic tale. I smell a movie.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this book - it was well written and suspenseful. The characters were well developed and it was a well-done modern Rebecca.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I'm not a big fan of modern retellings of well known novels. It has been a long time since I read Rebecca, so I dont remember all the t. What I do remeber is the Gothic tone, the sense of forboding that creeped through the pages. I didn't find that here. What I found was a young, naive woman, a politician that seems lost after his first wifes death, Rebekkah of course, and a rather bratty teen. The story does build, but it wasn't really suspenseful until the end. The buildup is slow, and at times interesting enough to keep me reading. Didn't quite know what was going on and who was telling the truth. The ending was definitely the best part, where all the action happens, and I admit to bring fooled. Quite a clever twist on the original Rebecca. So good, different, it is hard to take on such a well thought of novel, and the author did put her own spin, interpretation on this retelling. But for me, the atmosphere just wasn't there.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this book so much. It took me by surprise in a great way. Mrs. Winters is the voice of this story. This book had a gothic/psychological thriller vibe. Now, if this does not get your attention; the storyline itself will grab you. I was trying to figure out what the mystery surrounding the former Mrs. Winter was all about. I will tell you that you should just forget about trying to figure the mystery out and just sit back relax and enjoy reading this book. There was an aire of the gothic vibes felt the whole time I was reading this book. Not to mention the fact that it was like a movie playing in my head. Speaking of the ending. It did not disappoint. From start to finish, I had a great time reading this book. In fact, it got me out of my reading slump. Author, Lisa Gabriele pens a haunting story that will keep you sitting on the edge of your seat until the very last page!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Do you know that feeling when a book leaves you reeling, defying your expectations, demanding to be read at all hours and staying with you long after you finish? That for me was The Winters. Wow! Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca has long been one of my favourite novels, and I when I came across the title of this book, my first thought was 'Oh no, someone has tried to update my beloved book'. I haven't been impressed by previous sequels and prequels - Susan Hill's Mrs De Winter was deathly dull and Sally Beauman's Rebecca's Tale was cracked - but I had to give this a try, ready to post a three star review - or worse.How wrong I was! This is how seriously impressed I am - I think Lisa Gabriele's retelling might actually be better than the original! Shock horror! The nameless narrator in Du Maurier's book is primarily why I love the story so much, because I can identify with such crippling shyness and lack of confidence, and I wondered how such a nonentity could ever be successfully dragged into the modern day, but once again, I was wrong. Still nameless, but now of Cuban heritage, Lisa Gabriele has crafted a narrator with slightly more independence that her predecessor, but the overpowering need to be loved, to be safe remains, only for different reasons: 'Imagine having the courage to talk back to people you don’t like, who don’t like you, or better yet, not reacting at all, simply shrugging it off and moving on with your day'.“Born on a boat, lives on an island, now an orphan, working for a witch. You’re a Grimms’ fairy tale set in the Caribbean," Max Winter summarises his new fiancee's life. They meet in the Cayman Islands, where the narrator works for an Aussie businesswoman who runs a boat rental service for tourists. Max Winter, a state senator from Long Island, is still in mourning for his glamorous wife Rebekah, who died in a car crash near their home, Asherley, two years ago. He meets the narrator and falls in love with her, wining and dining her on the island until she is forced to choose between her livelihood and her love for Max. He proposes and takes her home to his own island in East Hampton, where his magnificent gated property waits - and so does Max's daughter, Dani.The twists and turns in this version of Du Maurier's classic both took me by surprise and improved on the original for me, so I won't say any more. BUT - for modern readers who hate that Max apparently gets away with murder in Rebecca, and his new wife supports him, there is a satisfying turn of events. Dani was the real delight for me, however. Obviously she is the updated Mrs Danvers, coming between Max and his new wife with memories of his beautiful lost love, but she has the stronger claim - she is Max's teenage daughter, lately bereaved of her beloved mother, and not just the housekeeper who could easily be dismissed. She is catty, vindictive and unbalanced, living in her mother's old bedroom and wearing her clothes. When she seems to soften and allow her stepmother into her life, there is always the suspicion that she cannot be trusted. And when she claimed the kitten that the second Mrs W saves from imminent dispatch with an axe, my heart was constantly in my mouth that she was going to hurt the poor thing (I can't animal cruelty as a shorthand for psychopathy). I was relying too much on my knowledge of the original novel, however.There are some worthy references to Rebecca, especially the dress scene, which almost tips over into Jane Eyre territory (not one of my favourite novels). My favourite moment, when the narrator forgets that she is Mrs [De] Winter now is missing, but her internal fantasies are just as strong: “I’m telling you, a little drama just played itself out on your face. I saw it. What were you thinking?” Max asks. I love that spilling over of daydream into reality, when her face journey betrays her thoughts!I can't really say more about the plot, but READ READ READ! Even the familiar opening chapter, with the narrator in exile, is not what you think. I'm going to buy the paperback version with the roses on the cover, just so I can return to this amazing retelling in the future. Rebecca has been replaced once again!