Rose Tremain's 'The Housekeeper': A Novel Born from a Short Story

Rose Tremain's latest novel, "The Housekeeper," revisits a narrative first explored in her 2014 short story.

This new novel expands upon the story of Lilianne Danowski, a Polish Jewish housekeeper at Manderville Hall. Danowski becomes entangled in a passionate year-long affair with the novelist Daphne du Maurier, echoing the complex sexuality that fueled Du Maurier's "Rebecca."

Tremain's original 2014 story captured the era's restraint and Danni's internal turmoil. However, the novel, while offering deeper insight into the affair, has been noted for a softer, less substantial tone than the original. Peripheral characters are rendered more broadly, and the exquisite tension between Daphne and Danni struggles to maintain the original's devastating reserve.

The expansion from short story to novel was prompted by the story's adaptation into a screenplay by Tremain herself. The film "The Housekeeper," starring Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter, is scheduled for release soon.

While Tremain's novel references "Rebecca" extensively, it lacks the original's subversive complexity. The narrative's increased scope leads to a less impactful portrayal of betrayal, making Daphne's final actions feel like petty spite rather than profound malignity.