If You Want Creepy...

If you like creepy, can I recommend Daphne Du Maurier's "Don't Look Now" from her short story collection by the same name?  Du Maurier had quite the knack for twisty, turny, creepy sorts of stories.   I made the mistake of watching the film adaptation first (a little side note--it appears they are remaking it?).  Nonetheless, it has been long enough since I watched the movie, that reading the story still made the hairs rise on the back of my neck.

"Don't look now" actually begins the story of John and Laura Baxter, who are vacationing in Venice after the death of their beloved daughter.  As they sit in a restaurant garden John tells his wife not to look--two older women are staring at them.  They jokingly say they are actually cross dressers and Laura follows one into the restroom to catch her in the act of changing into her other persona.  This is all in jest.  When Laura returns to their table she is elated.  The two women are actually twins, and one is psychic.  The other tells Laura that her dead daughter has been sitting there at their table between them.  The daughter wants to warn them to leave Venice as they are in danger.  While Laura now feels a contentment that she had not felt in a long time, what will actually occur is a series of events that become "increasingly strange and violent". 

Save this story for a grey, rainy day for maximum impact.  Turn off all the lights except one lamp and then curl up on the sofa under a blanket.  This is a slightly longer short story--about 55 pages.  It is so well crafted you will feel you are there in Venice.  If you are at all familiar with the city and the narrow, twisty streets you'll understand what a perfect setting this was for the book.  It oozes atmosphere.  The plotting and pacing is perfect--right up until the very end.  There is nothing extraneous about the story--where you start being bored and begin thinking about something else.  There's no time for your mind to wander!  I recommend watching the film as well (though definitely read the story first!) as it is fairly notable in its own right.  It is pretty faithful to the story, though they did change some details.

I read this as part of the R.I.P. Challenge--I am reading a short story (or two if they are really short) each weekend.  Next weekend I have Ray Bradbury's "There Will Come Soft Rains" lined up and ready to go.  I found the story in The Martian Chronicles, which I always assumed was a novel and not a set of short stories.  I am finding this is a good way to read more short stories, something I have wanted to do all year.  If you have any other ideas for short stories that would fit with this challenge, please feel free to share!  I may have to return to Don't Look Now for more of Du Maurier's work. 

Comments

[Edd]

Does "Don't Look Now," compare to Alfred Hitchcock's quote, "There is no terror in a bang, only in the anticipation of it."

[hobgoblin]

I love du Maurier, so I'll have to find this collection. She is so skilled at setting up tension in such unobtrusive ways.

[Dorothy W.]

This sounds creepy and lots of fun! That's a good way to get in some short stories -- one on a weekend day wouldn't be so hard.

[Ted]

Wait, Don't Look Now, was that the film with Helen Mirren and Rupert Everett as the young couple and...who was the older couple, maybe Christopher Walken and... somebody? I love du Maurier - I have a real soft spot for Rebecca, both the film and the book.

[Isabel]

When was this creepy story written?

[Danielle]

Edd--Yes, she does a great job of setting things up. It's the idea that something is wrong, but you're not quite sure what until the very end....:)!
Hobgoblin--Yes, she is! I hope the rest of the stories in this collection are half as good. I got this collection from the UK (the Book Depository). It seems like most of her work is not in print here in the US--but luckily most of it is available in UK editions.
Dorothy--It is nice just knowing I am going to read one short story over a weekend. No pressure to read a whole book, just pick one here and there. It'd be nice to keep this up after the challenge.
Ted--I think I know which movie you are talking about(also creepy), but this is not the film adaptation. It stars Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland and has a rather controversial steamy love scene in it. I think it was made some time in the 70s. It's also very atmospheric.
Isabel--It was written in 1971 (I think that's correct) so a bit later in Du Maurier's career. I may have to find her story, "The Birds" now as well.

[Andi]

Yayyy for "There Will Come Soft Rains!" I hope you love it as much as I did.

And I'm going to read my first Du Maurier title for the RIP this year. Rebecca! And it's about time I got around to it.

[Sara]

Just to let you know, NYRB Classics will be publishing a collection of creepy Du Maurier stories (edited by Patrick McGrath) in the US next fall. Included will be The Birds and Don't Look Now, as well as several other of her best efforts.

[tara]

This sounds great! Thanks for the great review.

[Stefanie]

Oh, this sounds delightfully creepy. I got chills just reading the little bit of the story you wrote about!

[kimbofo]

Thanks Danielle. I love reading stories set in Venice, will have to seek this one out.

[Kate S.]

This sounds wonderful. Thanks for the recommendation!

[LK]

Wow, this is very intriguing. I have a very old paperback of Daphne DuMaurier stories...I will have to see if this one is in it. Must dig it out in any case for additional RIP reading...Tis the season! Thanks for this post.

[Danielle]

Andi--Thanks for the suggestion! I'm looking forward to it. I need to reread Rebecca--it's such a great story. I hope you like it!
Sara--Thanks so much for the heads up! NYRB Classics are so nicely done. I'm glad more of her work will be available here in the US!
Tara--I'll have to read more of her short stories now--I've only read her novels.
Stefanie--I am enjoying reading these short stories. I didn't know what they would be like, since I am not much of a short story reader. I really liked this one!
Kimbofo--Venice was the perfect setting for this--with those narrow streets and alleys! I am in the mood to read something set in Venice now, too!
Kate--This was well done--I think you would appreciate it!
LK--I saved this especially for the RIP challenge. I hope it is in your copy of short stories. I think at one time most of her work was published here--it's a pity so little is now available.

[kimbofo]

Danielle, I managed to 'mooch' this book and am really looking forward to it!

[LK]

Yes, I am thinking that it might make the short list!

[Danielle]

Kimbofo--There's nothing better than being able to mooch a book you've read about. Very often I go there first when I read someone's review of a book. I hope you like it! I can't say about the other short stories in the collection (I do plan on reading them, but I won't read them all at once), but "Don't Look Now" is worth getting the whole book! You'll have to let me know what you think of it!

[Danielle]

LK--Even if you don't read all the stories in the collection, definitely read "Don't Look Now"!!

[Matt]

I would never associate creepy with Venice. But this sounds like a wonderful read after Poe. I'll have to check it out! :)

[Chris@bookarama]

I'm going to read this one for the RIP Challenge too. I'm reading your post with one eye closed! lol!

[Danielle]

Matt--For some reason, Venice seems like the perfect setting for this story, and you'll understand why if you read it. There is something atmospheric about it. I wouldn't have associated it with anything creepy before, but now...
Chris--Enjoy it! This has been one of my favorite stories so far!!