'After Midnight': Daphne du Maurier's Gothic Stories to Haunt Your Nights

Disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book from the publisher. This post also contains Amazon affiliate links [*]. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989), where have you been all my life? That’s a question I've pondered after diving into her Gothic romance, Rebecca, in 2020, shortly following my viewing of the Netflix remake. Just a side note, though: I’m firmly in the camp that prefers Alfred Hitchcock’s brilliant 1940 adaptation. But I digress.

In a serendipitous twist, I found myself collecting various older editions of Rebecca and other du Maurier works, and I can confidently say she has skyrocketed to my top ten authors list, nestled comfortably alongside Shirley Jackson. Mark your calendars for September 30th, folks! That’s when Scribner is set to release a fresh edition of du Maurier's previously published short stories. I can already hear the naysayers grumbling about the estate milking its deceased author’s works. But honestly, I see it differently. Reviving these classic texts, with the family’s blessing, opens them up for a new generation of readers. If it weren't for the remake tie-in edition, I might never have discovered Rebecca in the first place. So please, keep those reprints coming, publishers!

Daphne du Maurier is best known for Rebecca, hailed as “one of the most influential novels of the 20th century” by Sarah Waters, and the basis for Hitchcock’s iconic film. More than thirty-five years after her passing, her Gothic brilliance and piercing psychological insights continue to resonate with contemporary authors, such as Ottessa Moshfegh, Maggie O’Farrell, Lucy Foley, Gillian Flynn, Jennifer Egan, and even the father-and-son horror aficionados like Stephen King and Joe Hill. Speaking of which, if you’re a King fan, you’re in for a real treat—with a glowing introduction to After Midnight, where he shares his appreciation for du Maurier’s work.

After Midnight collects some of du Maurier’s darkest, most haunting stories, encompassing everything from literary thrillers to twisted love tales. Nestled among classics like “The Birds” and “Don’t Look Now”—which inspired unforgettable films—are hidden gems like “Monte Verità,” a masterful exploration of obsession, mysticism, and tragic love, and “The Alibi,” a chilling narrative of an ordinary man's descent into a web of lies and sinister fantasies. Then there’s “The Blue Lenses,” in which a woman recovering from eye surgery perceives those around her as having animal heads, revealing their true natures like a gruesome tarot card reading. “Not After Midnight” tells the eerie tale of a schoolteacher on holiday in Crete who stumbles upon a premonitory message from the chalet’s previous occupant, who unfortunately drowned while swimming at night. And in “The Breakthrough,” we witness a scientist toeing the perilous line between genius and madness as he conducts experiments to harness the power of death itself.

Other noteworthy stories include “The Apple Tree,” “The Pool,” “The Doll,” “Ganymede,” “Leading Lady,” and “Split Second.”

Each story in this collection exemplifies du Maurier’s exquisite command of language and profound insight into human fragility, jealousy, and the macabre. She creates worlds where people—and even houses—are cloaked in mystery; rooms that seem haunted where disembodied spirits waltz as if they own the place, all described beautifully by Olivia Laing, author of Crudo.

As I read After Midnight, I was struck by a sense of déjà vu—particularly during “The Blue Lenses,” which felt like a dead ringer for The Twilight Zone episode “Eye of the Beholder.” Honestly, the resemblance was uncanny. I mean, did Rod Serling really take a page out of du Maurier’s book? Sure, inspiration is one thing, but this felt more like a cheeky lift. And it doesn’t stop there. “The Pool” shares a loose kinship with the series finale of the original Twilight Zone, titled “The Bewitching Pool.” It seems that whether it’s Rod Serling or Earl Hamner Jr. at the helm, there are just too many eerie similarities to brush aside.

Reading “Don’t Look Now” brought back snippets of my childhood, specifically memories of watching the edited television version. The short story, I’m sure, is far superior—time to hunt down a copy and give it a rewatch. It’s a haunting tale with a twist that’ll leave you reeling.

I’m not about to dissect every single story, or else I’d be writing forever. So let’s wrap up with The Doll and The Birds. The Doll, once thought lost until its rediscovery and publication in 2011, was believed to have been written in 1937. It revolves around a man obsessed with a visionist named Rebecca—is that name ringing any bells? Without giving too much away, let’s say Rebecca has her own peculiar fixation: a sinister-looking doll she calls Julio. It’s a bizarre tale, but one I found myself oddly resonating with, which says more about me than I might care to admit. Meanwhile, The Birds tells the chilling story of a farmhand and his community under sinister, lethal attack from flocks of incredibly vindictive birds, adapted into a loosely famous film by Alfred Hitchcock in 1963.

After Midnight stands as a fantastic collection of Gothic tales, best savored with a flashlight in hand, tucked under the covers during those still, eerie nights. Each story offers an intimate glimpse into the mind of the brilliant Daphne du Maurier. Believe me, once you start reading, you won’t want to put it down after just one tale. Grab yourself a copy ^[*] and read for yourself! ╌★★★★★

〜B.J. Burgess