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Gerald
Sir Gerald du Maurier was the most celebrated actor-manager of his day, knighted for his services to the theatre in 1922. Published within six months of her father's death, this frank biography was considered shocking by many of his admirers - but it was a huge success, winning Daphne du Maurier critical acclaim and launching her career.
In Gerald: A Portrait, Daphne du Maurier captures the spirit and charm of the charismatic actor who played the original Captain Hook, amusingly recalling his eccentricities and his sense of humour, and sensitively portraying the darker side of his nature and his bouts of depression.
In Gerald: A Portrait, Daphne du Maurier captures the spirit and charm of the charismatic actor who played the original Captain Hook, amusingly recalling his eccentricities and his sense of humour, and sensitively portraying the darker side of his nature and his bouts of depression.
311 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1934
11 people are currently reading
319 people want to read
About the author
Daphne du Maurier
430 books10.1k followersDaphne du Maurier was born on 13 May 1907 at 24 Cumberland Terrace, Regent's Park, London, the middle of three daughters of prominent actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and actress Muriel, née Beaumont. In many ways her life resembles a fairy tale. Born into a family with a rich artistic and historical background, her paternal grandfather was author and Punch cartoonist George du Maurier, who created the character of Svengali in the 1894 novel Trilby, and her mother was a maternal niece of journalist, author, and lecturer Comyns Beaumont. She and her sisters were indulged as a children and grew up enjoying enormous freedom from financial and parental restraint. Her elder sister, Angela du Maurier, also became a writer, and her younger sister Jeanne was a painter.
She spent her youth sailing boats, travelling on the Continent with friends, and writing stories. Her family connections helped her establish her literary career, and she published some of her early work in Beaumont's Bystander magazine. A prestigious publishing house accepted her first novel when she was in her early twenties, and its publication brought her not only fame but the attentions of a handsome soldier, Major (later Lieutenant-General Sir) Frederick Browning, whom she married.
She continued writing under her maiden name, and her subsequent novels became bestsellers, earning her enormous wealth and fame. Many have been successfully adapted into films, including the novels Rebecca, Frenchman's Creek, My Cousin Rachel, and Jamaica Inn, and the short stories The Birds and Don't Look Now/Not After Midnight. While Alfred Hitchcock's films based upon her novels proceeded to make her one of the best-known authors in the world, she enjoyed the life of a fairy princess in a mansion in Cornwall called Menabilly, which served as the model for Manderley in Rebecca.
Daphne du Maurier was obsessed with the past. She intensively researched the lives of Francis and Anthony Bacon, the history of Cornwall, the Regency period, and nineteenth-century France and England. Above all, however, she was obsessed with her own family history, which she chronicled in Gerald: A Portrait, a biography of her father; The du Mauriers, a study of her family which focused on her grandfather, George du Maurier, the novelist and illustrator for Punch; The Glassblowers, a novel based upon the lives of her du Maurier ancestors; and Growing Pains, an autobiography that ignores nearly 50 years of her life in favour of the joyful and more romantic period of her youth. Daphne du Maurier can best be understood in terms of her remarkable and paradoxical family, the ghosts which haunted her life and fiction.
While contemporary writers were dealing critically with such subjects as the war, alienation, religion, poverty, Marxism, psychology and art, and experimenting with new techniques such as the stream of consciousness, du Maurier produced 'old-fashioned' novels with straightforward narratives that appealed to a popular audience's love of fantasy, adventure, sexuality and mystery. At an early age, she recognised that her readership was comprised principally of women, and she cultivated their loyal following through several decades by embodying their desires and dreams in her novels and short stories.
In some of her novels, however, she went beyond the technique of the formulaic romance to achieve a powerful psychological realism reflecting her intense feelings about her father, and to a lesser degree, her mother. This vision, which underlies Julius, Rebecca and The Parasites, is that of an author overwhelmed by the memory of her father's commanding presence. In Julius and The Parasites, for example, she introduces the image of a domineering but deadly father and the daring subject of incest.
In Rebecca, on the other hand, du Maurier fuses psychological realism with a sophisticated version of the Cinderella story.
She spent her youth sailing boats, travelling on the Continent with friends, and writing stories. Her family connections helped her establish her literary career, and she published some of her early work in Beaumont's Bystander magazine. A prestigious publishing house accepted her first novel when she was in her early twenties, and its publication brought her not only fame but the attentions of a handsome soldier, Major (later Lieutenant-General Sir) Frederick Browning, whom she married.
She continued writing under her maiden name, and her subsequent novels became bestsellers, earning her enormous wealth and fame. Many have been successfully adapted into films, including the novels Rebecca, Frenchman's Creek, My Cousin Rachel, and Jamaica Inn, and the short stories The Birds and Don't Look Now/Not After Midnight. While Alfred Hitchcock's films based upon her novels proceeded to make her one of the best-known authors in the world, she enjoyed the life of a fairy princess in a mansion in Cornwall called Menabilly, which served as the model for Manderley in Rebecca.
Daphne du Maurier was obsessed with the past. She intensively researched the lives of Francis and Anthony Bacon, the history of Cornwall, the Regency period, and nineteenth-century France and England. Above all, however, she was obsessed with her own family history, which she chronicled in Gerald: A Portrait, a biography of her father; The du Mauriers, a study of her family which focused on her grandfather, George du Maurier, the novelist and illustrator for Punch; The Glassblowers, a novel based upon the lives of her du Maurier ancestors; and Growing Pains, an autobiography that ignores nearly 50 years of her life in favour of the joyful and more romantic period of her youth. Daphne du Maurier can best be understood in terms of her remarkable and paradoxical family, the ghosts which haunted her life and fiction.
While contemporary writers were dealing critically with such subjects as the war, alienation, religion, poverty, Marxism, psychology and art, and experimenting with new techniques such as the stream of consciousness, du Maurier produced 'old-fashioned' novels with straightforward narratives that appealed to a popular audience's love of fantasy, adventure, sexuality and mystery. At an early age, she recognised that her readership was comprised principally of women, and she cultivated their loyal following through several decades by embodying their desires and dreams in her novels and short stories.
In some of her novels, however, she went beyond the technique of the formulaic romance to achieve a powerful psychological realism reflecting her intense feelings about her father, and to a lesser degree, her mother. This vision, which underlies Julius, Rebecca and The Parasites, is that of an author overwhelmed by the memory of her father's commanding presence. In Julius and The Parasites, for example, she introduces the image of a domineering but deadly father and the daring subject of incest.
In Rebecca, on the other hand, du Maurier fuses psychological realism with a sophisticated version of the Cinderella story.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 1, 2024
A lovely find of a book to read on holiday. It felt like a comment on the passing of an age in England as much as a portrait of de Maurier's father. Beautifully written and insightful.
September 24, 2024
There is something quite wonderful in how Daphne du Maurier portrays her family history with also a fictionalized account. In her stories of her great, great grandparents, "Maryanne" and "The Glassblowers", not being able to witness but use information known and to tell a story so enthralling which makes the reader understand these characters so much more, she does it again in her story about her father, Gerald du Maurier in "Gerald: A Portrait" but this time she could witness what she saw of her father. The earlier accounts of his life were told like she had done earlier.
I started out reading her book "The du Mauriers" but before long I read about this book, the introduction mentioned that she wrote of her father some 3 years earlier and soon after his death, so I decided to read about her father prior to continuing with her story. When I finished reading the final pages, I felt she had portrayed his life in a wonderfully honest and heart warming way. Gerald knew he was not perfect as his daughter knew but with the faults he had, the goodness and greatness of this man shines through. I walk away with a more calm feeling in life. Why? Because life is not perfect but the road we chose is the one we have and coming to peace that it was that way for a reason.
I had read George du Maurier's Trilby but not knowing more about the writer than that and being Daphne's grandfather. I loved hearing about Gerald's siblings and parents. I had not known that George was an artist and associated with Punch magazine and he did not write his first book until he was over 50 years old. It was interesting to hear about his artist friends and Whistler had shared a studio with him.
George's trouble and worry about his eyes was touching, especially the limited medical and surgical attention back in his days. Gerald being the youngest of the family, it was interesting how early on his imitations of people was a clear sign for his acting career.
As I read I enjoyed looking up old plays and novels which gave this extra pleasure in reading and looking many things up. I also found it extremely sad when all Gerald's family had finally left this actor alone and his deep affection and love for them, made it extremely difficult. He has to change with the times and knows his limits. I would love to read Guy du Maurier's play about invasion of his homeland which predated both wars and Guy, the soldier dies in action of World War 1.
If you are a fan of Daphne, you would love her account of her father which is a tribute not to just her father but to his parents and his siblings. I will restart "The du Mauriers" and read Daphne's book on herself and look forward to reading unread books by this family.
💖
I started out reading her book "The du Mauriers" but before long I read about this book, the introduction mentioned that she wrote of her father some 3 years earlier and soon after his death, so I decided to read about her father prior to continuing with her story. When I finished reading the final pages, I felt she had portrayed his life in a wonderfully honest and heart warming way. Gerald knew he was not perfect as his daughter knew but with the faults he had, the goodness and greatness of this man shines through. I walk away with a more calm feeling in life. Why? Because life is not perfect but the road we chose is the one we have and coming to peace that it was that way for a reason.
I had read George du Maurier's Trilby but not knowing more about the writer than that and being Daphne's grandfather. I loved hearing about Gerald's siblings and parents. I had not known that George was an artist and associated with Punch magazine and he did not write his first book until he was over 50 years old. It was interesting to hear about his artist friends and Whistler had shared a studio with him.
George's trouble and worry about his eyes was touching, especially the limited medical and surgical attention back in his days. Gerald being the youngest of the family, it was interesting how early on his imitations of people was a clear sign for his acting career.
As I read I enjoyed looking up old plays and novels which gave this extra pleasure in reading and looking many things up. I also found it extremely sad when all Gerald's family had finally left this actor alone and his deep affection and love for them, made it extremely difficult. He has to change with the times and knows his limits. I would love to read Guy du Maurier's play about invasion of his homeland which predated both wars and Guy, the soldier dies in action of World War 1.
If you are a fan of Daphne, you would love her account of her father which is a tribute not to just her father but to his parents and his siblings. I will restart "The du Mauriers" and read Daphne's book on herself and look forward to reading unread books by this family.
💖
August 6, 2023
While it's interesting to see how Daphne du Maurier handled a biography of her father at such a young age and in such a short time after her father's death, I found it disconcerting that she wrote her father's biography in third person. It doesn't help to give her distance from the subject.
April 20, 2020
It has been such a long time, since high school, that I read “ Rebecca” by Daphne Du Maurier, ( who could ever forget that opening first paragraph)? This book, “Gerald”, is brilliantly written. A book about her father, born in 1873, the last of Kicky and Pem’s children, Kicky of “ Punch” fame. It is of interest that Daphne DuMaurier chose to write this book in the third person, I think to maintain an air of objectivity. She tells us about Gerald, follows him , describes him, as we all would, because we weren’t there for perhaps those first 20,? 30? years, through others, uncles, aunts, friends, associates, those people who saw Gerald in his burgeoning career in the theater, a career in which he had obvious talent. One can see that talent, on page after page. We see Daphne’s admiration, her respect, her acceptance of him. Her father was a huge success, actor supreme, man of the theater, bon vivant, raconteur, prankster, man about town. His candle burned for a very long time. So many plays, “ Dear Brutus”, “ Interference “, “ The Ware Case” , to name but a few. Relationships with fellow performers, Tallulah Bankhead, writers, people of renown,, J.M Barrie, he of “ Peter Pan” fame. It was him that popularized the name Wendy, a name inspired by a young girl named Margaret Henley who called Barrie, “ Friendy” , but could not pronounce the “R”s very well. This was Gerald’s circle, and for years. Gerald had the adoration of the London world.
So you can say, wow, that’s an incredible life! Written by his own daughter, a feat only magnified by the fact that very few of us have ever written an obituary, given a eulogy. Can you imagine writing this book? Would you write it in the third person? What would you or could you say?
What I didn’t remember about Daphne DuMaurier was her style. Gentle, kind, loving. It is there, somehow, on every page. You can feel it. You just want to walk with her, be with her.
At age 61, on the eve of a major operation, Daphne tells us of Gerald, in his home in Hempstead, looking at the lights of London.. “ He stood at the window now and looked down upon them, remembering the many times that they had beckoned to him and he had followed, called to him and he had not gone. They stood for success and disillusion, for pleasure and for pain, for a life that had been uneven in promise, rich in experience, courageous sometimes and cowardly too; lights which for all the shadows and the dark moments shown with a little glamour of its own....He wished he had been less difficult this last year, had shown greater forbearance, and possessed more patience, had been kinder to people. The spoken word and the lost opportunity- those were two of the things that Barrie said never came back in a lifetime “.
So you can say, wow, that’s an incredible life! Written by his own daughter, a feat only magnified by the fact that very few of us have ever written an obituary, given a eulogy. Can you imagine writing this book? Would you write it in the third person? What would you or could you say?
What I didn’t remember about Daphne DuMaurier was her style. Gentle, kind, loving. It is there, somehow, on every page. You can feel it. You just want to walk with her, be with her.
At age 61, on the eve of a major operation, Daphne tells us of Gerald, in his home in Hempstead, looking at the lights of London.. “ He stood at the window now and looked down upon them, remembering the many times that they had beckoned to him and he had followed, called to him and he had not gone. They stood for success and disillusion, for pleasure and for pain, for a life that had been uneven in promise, rich in experience, courageous sometimes and cowardly too; lights which for all the shadows and the dark moments shown with a little glamour of its own....He wished he had been less difficult this last year, had shown greater forbearance, and possessed more patience, had been kinder to people. The spoken word and the lost opportunity- those were two of the things that Barrie said never came back in a lifetime “.
November 24, 2014
An indulgent biography of a star by a writer who loves him deeply. Although the portrayal of Sir Gerald Du Maurier isn’t always generous to him, revealing him to be a rather unimpressive man despite his successes, it is doting and extravagant at all points. The very many controversies his stage career was laced with have almost been justified. While the early parts of his life have been detailed extensively, the writing gets rushed in the last hundred pages or so, which felt like either the writer got tired or started hiding stuff. It is a fascinating, light read, though. It did make me curious enough to dig the Du Maurier history (which it is rather shocking).
May 12, 2009
"Gerald" is a biography of Daphne du Maurier's father. This is an amazingly well written book that hides very little and shows the reality of a complex person who has thrust his family into the limelight of the British stage. As du Maurier strove to honestly portray her father, she also managed to divulge much about herself. I enjoyed reading this book even though I had never heard of Gerald. The author went on to write quite a few books about her notorious relatives.
April 18, 2018
This is the most engaging biography I have ever read. I haven't read a great many, because they often bore me already at the start, but this one was quick from the beginning and seemed to capture the essence of the person being written on through the style of writing itself.
January 5, 2022
This is a tame tale but anyone interested in a brief history of the theater would find an easy, quick read. The name du Maurier "rings a bell" though at first present day readers might not be able to find why. The daughter Daphne being better known, was a writer of astonishing talent. Only an earlier generation would be possessed of real knowledge of Daphne's father Gerald. He died in 1934 after some years gracing British theater and then a handful of years appearing in movies in England. Daphne's grandfather, George du Maurier, began the family's literary bent with his contribution to theater in the form of a popular play which later became a movie, Trilby. Daphne's uncle Guy du Maurier was likewise a playwright, his most popular contribution was "An Englishman's Home".
July 28, 2021
Disappointed. Thought this was going to be a lot more comic than it was. Thought that such a successful person would be a lot happier. Thought that I wouldn't have fallen asleep while reading this as much as I did.
It was another book from the box I bought to sell on. Another attempt to find interest in something that I'm not normally into. Another failure.
I don't know the actor whose biography this is. I don't know the books of author who wrote this book about her father. I don't know why I'm bothering to spend so much time writing this. Perhaps I shouldn't. Okay, I won't.
Read if you're not like me. Avoid if you are.
It was another book from the box I bought to sell on. Another attempt to find interest in something that I'm not normally into. Another failure.
I don't know the actor whose biography this is. I don't know the books of author who wrote this book about her father. I don't know why I'm bothering to spend so much time writing this. Perhaps I shouldn't. Okay, I won't.
Read if you're not like me. Avoid if you are.
February 10, 2025
This is an early book by Daphne du Maurier. This book focusses on her father from childhood to old age and how he became an actor. The book looks at his struggles, troubles and emotions for daily living life.
It is a wonderful insight into Du Maurier's Family background. Reading this book you can see the early writing style of Du Maurier to what it finally became in Rebecca.
It is a wonderful insight into Du Maurier's Family background. Reading this book you can see the early writing style of Du Maurier to what it finally became in Rebecca.
April 22, 2023
This was very informative and Abit sad.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews