The Pathology of Desire in Daphne du Maurier’s Short Stories

The book addresses critical omissions in du Maurier studies by carefully examining her less well-known shorter fiction. The analysis covers nine stories chosen to illustrate how du Maurier employs the diseased, disabled, and maimed human form as a recurrent symbol for social, political, and domestic misalignment.

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Following a resurgence of interest in Daphne du Maurier’s writing, The Pathology of Desire in Daphne du Maurier’s Short Stories offers an overview of all her collections and a detailed reading of nine stories. These contain recurrent references to the incomplete or impaired human form and are best read through a corporeal lens. The criticism illustrates her importance as a cultural commentator fascinated by the results of frustrated human desire, and includes a synopsis of the published collections, and the stories within them, to give the reader a sense of the variety of the overarching themes and the persistent force of corporeality in the stories. Du Maurier is well-known as a novelist, but her short fiction is pivotal to understanding her position and influence as a writer. She rewrites fairytales and foregrounds female violence long before it became a cultural trend.