Daphne du Maurier's Don't Look Now

by Nell Leyshon (Adapted By), Daphne du Maurier (Source Material)

Following the death of their young daughter, John and Laura visit Venice to try and escape their grief. But when the couple meet two aged sisters, one of them claims to have psychic visions of the dead girl. Tension mounts as John and Laura are led through a maze of canals and alleyways towards a dark and terrifying climax.

Genres: Horror, Classics, Short Stories, Gothic, Audiobook

95 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2008

About the author

Nell Leyshon is a British playwright and novelist born in Glastonbury, Somerset. At the age of eleven, she moved to a small farming village on the edge of the Somerset Levels. Her first attempts at novels were with a baby on her lap. She burned a lot of the early writing, and finally started on Black Dirt, which was her first published novel.

While struggling to write prose, she got a commission from BBC Radio 4 to write a radio drama, "Milk", which won the Richard Imison Award for best first radio play. Her second play, The Farm, was runner up for the Meyer Whitworth Award.

Her novel, Black Dirt was published in 2005 and was long-listed for the Orange Prize and runner up for the Commonwealth Prize.

Her third novel, The Colour of Milk, was published in May 2012 and has won the Prix de l’Union Interalliee and was nominated for the Prix Femina in France and was was voted the book of the year in Spain. Her most recent novel, "Memoirs of a Dipper" was published in 2015.

Reviews

[Helga چـو ایـران نباشد تن من مـباد · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisty, sinister, chilling

A married couple travel to Venice to recuperate from the recent death of their daughter. But after a chance encounter with two clairvoyant sisters who claim to have seen their daughter in Venice, things take a turn for the worse.

Thanks Chris for mentioning this story to me. It’s one of the best short stories I’ve ever read.

[Chris Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A couple travel to Venice after their daughter passes away. They encounter two sisters who say they have seen their daughter alive. As the couple delve into the mystery, they uncover a shocking discovery.

A short, but gripping tale!

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Amina (ⴰⵎⵉⵏⴰ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must've missed something, ot was good and kept me focused all through my reading, but I didn't quite understand the psychic thing and what did it have to do with the whole thing. It felt like something was missing, I don't know.

[Hitesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grief, Mystery, and Chilling Encounters Await: A Thrilling Venice Adventure

A married couple travels to Venice to recover from the recent loss of their daughter. However, after a chance encounter with two clairvoyant sisters who claim to have seen their daughter in Venice, things quickly take a darker turn. This short story promises to thrill with every page.

This version is a play script, and I loved how it was written. Every scene was so vivid and descriptive that I felt as if I were there.

I've been wanting to read Rebecca by this author and plan to dive into it next year.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

At least now, upon finishing, I wholly understand why this tale was included in an anthology of 'the weird'! Not to its detriment, mind. It was a curious little narrative, perhaps more may be gleaned from a return to the text another day. Or, tonight.

[Gemimah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chilly and satisfying.

[Ruth Brooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.5) I was honestly so confused about what was going on with the twins and Laura. And then the end was so ???

[Carlos Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely has amazing elements for a short story including but not limited to the atmosphere. Du Maurier has already established herself as a great gothic writer so there’s not much more I can say on the topic. Although, I think the ending is alright I take off a star because it wish it had a little more oomf (of course it is a novella so there isn’t much you can do in such a short amount of pages so I forgive her).

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having only read Rebecca before, to be ‘well read’ for an author, this was my next book, a selection of short stories, and, how pleasantly surprised I was by these stories. Some, in parts scary, plenty of suspense, and overall very enjoyable. I felt the weakest story in the group was “ The Way of the Cross”

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first read from this author and I can definitely tell why she is such a huge name in writing. I've always known about the movie (though I haven't watched it yet) but I had no idea it was a short story first. It's filled with so much tension. I had a fun time but it didn't blow me away. The ending was so crazy. I am even more interested in seeing the movie now and how they handle that.

[Bettie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muy buen libro, aunque el final se sintió algo apresurado, la tensión se mantuvo casi hasta el final.

[LeAnna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting use of bait-and-switch that was quite effective despite this being a short novella. You think you know where this is going and then it heads somewhere very different.

[Megan Mayes18 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the style of the writing but found the ending underwhelming.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Ranjana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful play