The King's General

This novel written by Daphne DuMaurier was written in the 1940s. It is based on some historical events set in the 1640s. Runs approximately 360 pages.The main character, Honor, is set to be engaged to the tempestuous Richard when she is paralyzed from the waist down. She still finds herself a part of his life and that of his family throughout the English Civil War.Most of the novel takes place at Menabilly, a real life house important to the author. A certain hidden passage plays a prominent role in the action and was the inspiration for the entire novel.Other characters come and go and leave their mark. Such as the devious and scheming Gartred. This book is much in the vein of gothic literature.

Daphne du Maurier brings these historical characters to life. I finished the book a week ago and I'm still thinking about it! I highly recommend it to historical fiction lovers!

This novel has been a favorite of mine from my youth. I always remembered it fondly and finally re-read it. I still loved it but have to say that I forgot about the descriptions of war maneuvers which kind of bogged down the momentum of the story for me. But it remained a very enjoyable read. One other comment from another reviewer mentioned that it would have been nice to have a family tree to keep everyone straight. And I was pleasantly surprised at the summary of what happened to the characters at the end of the novel. These short paragraphs really finished up the story nicely.Overall, this book is a winner. I will read it again!

Brilliant, marvelous the players come alive as if they were real. Written by a great author.

Cornwall, England, 1600s. Honor Harris is a child when she first meets Gartred Grenvile, the woman who becomes her sister-in-law. Curious by nature, she eavesdrops and witnesses the marital difficulties between her brother and Gartred after she flirts with one of her brothers-in-law and with other men. After Kit (brother) dies, Honor hopes to never see Gartred again. Fate, however, has other plans. Honor meets Richard Grenvile on her eighteenth birthday. He is an army officer, handsome and something of a rascal, whose unconventional ways get Honor into trouble. He is also Gartred's brother, which doesn't sit well with Honor. But feelings for him develop anyway. After a brief secret love affair, they decide to marry, but then a horrible tragedy tears them apart. Years later, England is in an uproar, war between the rebels and the royalists has been declared, and Honor flees to Menabilly, her brother-in-law's Cornish estate. During the war, she is a prisoner at Menabilly, where she discovers secret passages, hidden treasure, and other things as soldiers take over the estate and cause mayhem. She also reunites with Richard, who has become cynical and cruel and whose dealings with the army have made him unpopular. But his feelings for Honor have remained intact, but will it survive the war and Gartred's sudden return into their lives?"The play goes on then -- what you have just read is but the prologue."Those are Honor's words. It fits the novel, but it also fits the above summary. The King's General is such a fascinating historical tale of a woman's love and strength during times of tragedy and chaos. She does more than it could be expected under her sad circumstances. Believe me, if there is a perfect model for a strong female character, it is Honor Harris. The story is well developed and woven. The characters are complex -- no black and white ones found here. This is especially true with Richard. You hate the way he sees the world and his ill treatment of his son, who he sees as a weakling, but his love for Honor when he sees her again is quite beautiful. The scene where they reunite is wonderful, and I admit that I got goose pumps when I read it. The descriptions of the British Civil War are so well written that I couldn't wait to see what happened next. The most fascinating factor in The King's General is that the story is based on a real English estate. Menabilly had been Daphne du Maurier's home since the moment she married Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Browning. (It is rumored that Richard is a fictional version of her husband.) Menabilly is also Manderley in Rebecca. Daphne du Maurier was a versatile author. Although she was known for her romantic suspense novels, she also wrote historical fiction, romantic adventures, horror and dark stories -- none of which lacked substance. She is definitely one of the most underrated authors of all time. I so look forward to reading Daphne by Justine Picardie (who wrote an introduction in the Virago Modern Classics edition), a fictional account of du Maurier's life.

This story is built around a general in the English civil war.Daphne Du Maurier deserves 5 stars for the story, with its twists and turns .But the editor or proof reader has littered this book with so many errors ( especially nearer the end of the book ) that at times I had to turn back a page to find the beginning of a later paragraph, that I could only give it 4 stars.

My favorite book for 15 years and I'm hard to please. This book grabbed me as a flighty teen and has kept me ever since. I have about 6 copies including an original but I read it a couple times a year and I've loaned it out so I've been fanatical about keeping a spare copy. I treated myself to a new release on my b-day.This is a story filled with drama, romance, comedy, history and fun all the way through. So descriptive you're there, a slightly dry first chapter only prepares the way for a great read. The language of the book bridges the generation gap seamlessly (published 1946) Most scenes could be modern day. No spoilers here but you can smile, frown, laugh and cry on this one.You may have mixed feelings about some of the characters but you will love Honor and Richard, hate Gartred, and pity Dick. Don't skip this book.

Daphne DuMaurier has captivated me again! Her description of characters and scenes make the reader feel as if he is in this time and place. I loved the time period(Civil War) and location (the moors of England). Also, I am fond of historical novels. At the end of the novel, she gives biographical infomation about the main characters in the novel.If you enjoyed Rebecca, you will also like this book as well. I also enjoyed her novels My Cousin Rachel and Jamacia Inn.

The proof reading of the Kindle version had not been done. As the book progressed, words were unfinished. Symbols and quotation marks, colons, semi colons and many more making it very hard to read. Right to the final page of the book. This needs to be addressed, as this author has written so many classical books, of which I have read many.

So lovely to read this delightful book again, but oh, the typing! Error after error, as many as 20 to a page. My advice is that if you want to read this lovely book, spend a little extra to get a good edition..this one is a nightmare to read.

Liked the novel very much, the fiction and the historical facts. However, the presentation of this particular version was dreadful. There were numerous typing errors throughout, so much so that it was difficult to decipher sentences. If I had bought this book in a shop I would gave returned it to get my money back.

I know I am not supposed to say it, and du Maurier is considered classic, etc, but she writes like a woman, and as a man that can get very boring. That perhaps sounds a little stereotypical, but it is a general rule that works in most circumstances - with some exceptions (Joanne Harris for one), of which this is not one. Underneath it I can see there is a good book. It just needs translating into man.

The story and characters were believable and wonderfully real. Sadly this book was marred by a multitude of spelling errors, and weird paragraphs in the middle of a sentence, which made reading difficult. I suggest it be read and altered,and reissued so I can get a decent copy