“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderlay again” is the famous opening line to Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, the novel most readers associate with this gifted writer. Yet she also penned numerous short stories during her time, including “The Birds,” later made into a horror film by Alfred Hitchcock. While several collections of her short stories have been published, many other works have been lost. Thirteen stories that were first published in obscure magazines in the early 1930s, can now be found in a new collection published by Harper, The Doll: The Lost Short Stories. Within the pages, du Maurier demonstrates her mastery for creating interesting characters that leave a lasting impression after less than a dozen pages of prose.

Du Maurier is adept at creating suspense and leaving the final outcome unresolved. We are left on our own to imagine what might become of the married couple who seem to always be at odds, or the call girl whose beauty is fading, or the good-looking vicar whose virtuous sermons belie a less than virtuous life. We feel the terror within a young girl as she realizes that she is trapped between a jealous mother and a predator. Perhaps most terrifying is the title story, “The Doll,” where a talented female violinist has as her companion a wicked-looking doll. Du Maurier furthers the eeriness of the tale by having the story come out in tattered notes found by another individual. Pieces of the puzzle are missing. Are they important? Can we fill in the blanks?

With a short story, there are no long introductions; the stage is set quickly. In a few pages, du Maurier introduces us to an isolated civilization on a rocky island called St. Hilda’s whose inhabitants are satisfied with growing crops, fishing, living day to day. Ships often pass within view of the island, but never stop. Until one day, a brig makes port and changes everything. Once introduced to alcohol and wanton sexual encounters, the natives soon forget about working their fields or taking care of their families. When the brig departs one day, the people left behind are changed forever. Was du Maurier making a larger statement about events during her time?

There’s a sense of humor within “Frustration,” following the exploits of a newly-married couple whose honeymoon is a series of hits and misses. By the end, it appears that their early days together will not fare any better. (I won’t spoil the ending).

“Nothing Hurts for Long” may hit home for any number of lovers who have endured a separation, only to find that the reunion is less than what was anticipated. People change and love can be less than everlasting.

There’s something wonderful about a short story collection. There’s the obvious advantage of a quick read while riding the subway or Metro, standing on line, or, yes, in the bathroom. A skilled writer like du Maurier leaves us wanting more after we finish the last line. But then, there’s the next and the next, each one introducing us to a new character caught up in another conflict. What’s special about this collection is the timelessness. Stories written nearly a century ago seem every bit as fresh and intriguing as they were when first published. They allow us to glimpse a master story teller at her best with her best yet to come.

The Doll: The Lost Short Stories
Daphne du Maurier
Harper