The House on the Strand

A late du Maurier, compelling and immersive; undoubtedly a product of 1960s drug culture. While there is the perennial setting of Cornwall and no shortage of autobiographical allusions, the main dynamic of the novel relates to Dick, the narrator's, experiences with a hallucinogenic drug that allows for him to be transported back to the 14th century. As this "fantasy" world begins to mean more to him than his daily life, everything begins to unravel. In this respect du Maurier addresses the idea not only of dual (schizophrenic) personalities but also the appeal/threat of addiction. Psychoanalysis and repressed homosexuality also feature. With movement via narration from the past to the present and back again, du Maurier succeeds in depicting a plausible scenario where two realities can mould, overlap and blur — clearly not without consequences. Pulsating and unexpected ending, too, nine out of ten.

By Daphne du Maurier