So, after finishing… Not as top-tier as Rebecca, but delightfully sinister and everyone got what they deserved. Something about the way Daphne du Maurier writes… like… it's very educational for my autist learning How To Person studies. It teaches me how to see people and read people and also, like, "OH! That's how women are able to manipulate these stupid men!" Not that I ever would… but I am taking notes for the sake of general knowledge…

BUT. We need to address the doofus that is Philip Ashley in the room because I genuinely… Like, I'm not giving him a pass for the physical abuse EXCEPT he was literally poisoned and not right in the head… so, like half a pass. But he is just Big Stupid Boy. Sheltered, emotionally inexperienced boy. You can't be mad at him for being a "bad" guy, because he thought he was doing the right thing, and you can't really yell at him "how can you be so oblivious?!" either, because… he was a young man lacking people skills and intuition and self-preservation (because why would he need it?) and he got DUPED and DEVOURED. Like, poor thing. Poor little idiot. You made some unwise decisions and had to learn the hard way. That's the way it goes, sometimes. I pity him. Not, "aww my poor lil bb" pity, just… Fuck around and find out, buddy. Sorry, it sucks. But you were just so clueless. (Uncle Ambrose didn't help by isolating him. I mean, you do really need early socialization with women to understand women when you start to have feelings… And I get it, your best little pal is a girl but it's like… she's not a girl?! She's Louise?! Like—?? "What are you talking about?" lol Absolute clown.)

HOWEVER semi-serious consideration of power dynamics aside… How am I supposed to take a man seriously who thinks things like, "He was so close I could have thrown a biscuit at him." ??? A BISCUIT?! PHILIP! You HATE this guy and the best thing you can think to throw is a BISCUIT. Oh, Philip. The real gothic knife-twist tragedy in this novel is that Daphne made you such a schmuck and then threw Rachel at you.

In Chapter 11 of Daphne du Maurier's My Cousin Rachel, and oh, oh Mr. Philip Ashley…

You really ARE a giant dum-dum of a little boy, aren't you?
Like, I love du Maurier and I've actually managed to not spoil the plot of this one for myself before I read it, so I know we're pre GOTHIC PLOT TWIST - and I can't wait to see how Daphne tortures her characters - but oh. Oh Philip. Such an empty noodle on top of your neck. You could be malevolent or tragic. But right now you're just so oblivious.

#Rec #FicRec #MyCousinRachel

The Collar Tightens, by Anonymous

https://archiveofourown.org/works/52198474

- post-canon fic from Louise's perspective!

- Philip is haunted by the ghost of Rachel!

- Louise struggles to keep up the mindset that of COURSE she must be happy to be married to Philip!

-1k words in length

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