I'm perplexed. I love Du Maurier, her writing and the personal life she led, but for me 'The House on the Strand' is the weakest book or short story I have read of hers. And even so I found it really interesting in retrospect. Why? I shall try to explain, but can't guarantee to make any sense. I confess I found the first two thirds of the story hard-going. I didn't really connect with the characters, names were difficult to pronounce and remember (place names and people: I