DU MAURIER DAPHNE: (1907-1989) English novelist. A fine A.L.S., Daphne, six pages, 8vo, Readymoney [

DU MAURIER DAPHNE: (1907-1989) English novelist. A fine A.L.S., Daphne, six pages, 8vo, Readymoney [

‘I replied “Peter Rabbit at the age of three”.’

 

 

DU MAURIER DAPHNE: (1907-1989) English novelist. A fine A.L.S., Daphne, six pages, 8vo, Readymoney [Cove], Fowey, 18^th October 1942, to Reginald [Davies]. Du Maurier announces 'I can find nothing in Mr. W. H. Smiths' shop in Fowey to compare with what the Tate Gallery can produce. A figure of great falsehood would be the only answer, because - alas - and forgive me - I have been to London and returned again!', further adding that she had spent a fortnight with her husband, Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Browning, on Salisbury Plain ('or rather I spent a fortnight under the same roof but scarcely set eyes on him at all'), and continuing to write of the lawsuit for plagiarism that was brought against her in 1941, 'As for the ridiculous lawsuit, I had to answer questions before an American Consul, and the answers were sent off to America. What has happened to them I do not know. One question was “How many novels have I read in my life, and which was the first I ever read”! I replied “Peter Rabbit at the age of three”. The whole thing was quite fantastic', also commenting on her present work, 'Meanwhile, I work like one possessed at my novel of the moment. It is to be called “Hungry Hill”, and is endless' and concluding in an light-hearted tone, 'Have you seen the latest “Fuel-Saving” futility? In Croydon, a girl is to undress behind a screen (transparent) and climb into a bath, whereupon a voice warns her not to use more than 5 inches of water. Upon which she turns off the taps. Whether she throws down the screen or not I don't know. But it seems Croydon leads the field because of this!'. A letter of excellent content. Some very light, extremely minor foxing, VG

 

In 1941 American writer Edwina MacDonald brought a plagiarism suit against Du Maurier, claiming that Alfred Hitchcock's screen version of Rebecca relied heavily on her own work, Blind Windows. Owing to World War II it would be five years before the case was actually heard and a summary judgement took place on 3^rd September 1946 in New York and the complaint was dismissed on 14^th January 1948 by the District Court.

 

Hungry Hill was Du Maurier's seventh novel, published in 1943. The story spans the century from 1820 to 1920 following five male characters from a family of Anglo-Irish landowners, the Brodricks, who live in a castle called Clonmere.