The House on the Strand - Daphne Du Maurier

...first thing I noticed was the clarity of the air, and the sharp green colour of the land. There was no softness anywhere….I had expected- if I expected anything- a transformation of a different kind: a tranquil sense of well-being, the blurred intoxication of a dream…not this tremendous impact, a reality more vivid than than anything hitherto experienced, sleeping or awake." ---"The House on the Strand", Daphne du Maurier.

...occurred long before, to follow the lives of those who lived in the past and watch their plans and dreams, their triumphs and disasters, unfolding before you. In "The House on the Strand", Daphne du Maurier has woven a tale set amid the backdrop of the Cornish countryside in which the reader is invited to imagine just this scenario. Those familiar with this author's work will know that she has often set her stories in the south west of ... more

"The first thing I noticed was the clarity of the air, and the sharp green colour of the land. There was no softness anywhere….I had expected- if I expected anything- a transformation of a different kind: a tranquil sense of well-being, the blurred intoxication of a dream…not this tremendous impact, a reality more vivid than than anything hitherto experienced, sleeping or awake." ---"The House on the Strand", Daphne du Maurier.

Imagine what it would be like to travel back in time and witness events that had occurred long before, to follow the lives of those who lived in the past and watch their plans and dreams, their triumphs and disasters, unfolding before you. In "The House on the Strand", Daphne du Maurier has woven a tale set amid the backdrop of the Cornish countryside in which the reader is invited to imagine just this scenario. Those familiar with this author's work will know that she has often set her stories in the south west of England, an area she knows extremely well, and that her stories are frequently set in the past. However "The House on the Strand" is markedly different from her other works, not least because its drama is set in two separate times.

Richard Young is a publisher, bored with his life and with his American wife Vita and two young stepsons. When his scientist friend Magnus offers him the chance to stay at his mansion near the Cornish parish of Tywardreath for the summer, Richard jumps at the chance to escape from everything for a while. However, the offer has a condition: Richard must test out a new hallucinogenic drug which Magnus has developed. Under the influence of this drug, Richard travels back in time as an invisible witness to events that occurred in the Tywardreath of the 14th century. Following always his medieval alter ego Roger Kylmerth, Richard experiences events in the past which are vastly more fascinating than anything in the present. However Richard's life in the present slowly becomes entwined with Roger's in the past and events in both times begin to mirror one another with disastrous consequences.

It is rare to find a novel which successfully blends science fiction with historical drama, truly an unusual combination indeed. Yet Daphne du Maurier has achieved this in her book "The House on the Strand". Those acquainted with her previous work, which includes novels such as "Rebecca" and "Jamaica Inn" and short stories like "The Birds", will be familiar with her skill in writing historical dramas which often have an unexpected twist, a sting in the tail. "The House on the Strand" is certainly similar in that respect, with much of it being set in the 14th century. One of du Maurier's great achievements is the way in which she brings to life both past and present with such vivid descriptions of location. I have never been to the part of Cornwall where this novel is set, although the places she mentions in the book, such as Tywardreath, Treesmill and Trelawn do indeed exist. However, I almost feel that I know the place as well as she does simply from her colourful descriptions of the landscape and the people who inhabit it. Of course, even du Maurier has not visited the 14th century and yet this too is brought to life in such a way that you can almost feel that, like the character Richard, you are a witness to what is occurring.

The two parallel plots that unfold through the novel are both equally fascinating and I can only applaud du Maurier for the way in which she is able to keep the two separate and yet still connected in subtle ways. "The House on the Strand" therefore is really two stories in one and through following both we see the main characters of Richard in the present and Roger in the past develop in a very clever way. Although at first the characters seem quite different, with Richard being depicted as mild mannered and Roger as ruthless, du Maurier manages to develop them in such a way that their personalities begin to resemble one another more and more. At first we feel sympathy for Richard, bored with his humdrum life, and feel distaste for Roger's scheming and disdain for others. However as the book progresses Richard becomes perhaps less likeable and we start to pity him as we would pity an habitual drug user. Roger on the other hand becomes more human and shows a strangely compassionate side to his nature amid the hard and brutal life of medieval England. I think for me this was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the novel, the way in which human nature can be so dramatically altered by changes in circumstance.

My only real criticism is a very minor one, and that is that some of the dialogue has a slightly dated feel. The book was written in 1969 and so to all intents and purposes the present day of the book is the present day of today. However, some of the dialogue does hark back to the 1930s and 40s a bit: characters in the book don't exactly use words like "beezer" and "topping" but at times it's not far off. However, this doesn't really detract from the overall quality of the book and is really just something that niggled me on occasions while reading.

In many ways this novel is an allegory and something of a cautionary tale regarding drugs. However, rather than crassly saying "don't take drugs kids!", du Maurier is making a more subtle point. In "The House on the Strand" she is trying to make us examine why we need escapism in our lives, why we take drugs in the first place and whether the experiences we can have under the influence of drugs are more worthwhile than everyday reality. Daphne du Maurier is by no means the first author to raise this issue, but compared to books such as "The Naked Lunch" and "Trainspotting" her approach is extremely subtle and to my mind, unique. In "The House on the Strand" it is easy to understand Richard's fascination with the drug which provides him with a thrilling escape from his mundane family life. Equally understandable though are the problems that are caused, directly and indirectly, by his experimentation. I think perhaps du Maurier is ultimately trying to tell us that although drugs can be exciting they always have long term consequences for the user. We may be able to use drugs to temporarily escape our ordinary lives, but ultimately we must return and when we do, our everyday lives may not always be quite the same as when we left them, something which Richard's character comes to understand.

"The House on the Strand" is arguably du Maurier at her best and this book has in my view earned its place alongside her better known works such as "Rebecca". Those who enjoy reading historical and period dramas will very much enjoy this for its wonderful depiction of life in medieval England. It is equally accessible to those who love science fiction in its many strange forms. However, I think this deserves to be read by everyone as it so clearly poses questions about escapism and the nature of reality which are common to us all. Who has not, like Richard, been bored with their life at some time and wished to get away from reality if even for a few moments? I think too that we all have a kind of fascination with hallucinogenic experiences: there is no drug yet in existence which can replicate the effects of the one in "The House on the Strand" but how many of us have wondered what strange departures from reality might occur under the effects of hallucinogens that do exist? "The House on the Strand" explores these issues and for me is a thoroughly entertaining and thought provoking story, and one that I have read many times now such is my enjoyment of it. For me, the book itself is a wonderful escape into two worlds different from the everyday one which I inhabit and I think readers of all ages will find this form of escapism highly addictive.

"The House on the Strand" by Daphne du Maurier, published by Virago Press Ltd. Available on www.amazon.co.uk from £6.39, or in major bookshops. 

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