Julius by Daphne du Maurier, reviewed by Eva Leung

An image of a hardback edition of The Progress of Julius dated 1958

The currently available edition of Julius, published by Virago in the UK

Genre: Biographical fiction, Contemporary fiction
Original Publication: 1933

Originally published as The Progress of Julius, Daphne du Maurier's third novel is a much-underrated novel which details the rags-to-riches story of a French-Jewish man, Julius Lévy.  Beginning with his birth, the novel traces Julius's childhood in a peasant family in Puteaux, where he lives with his parents and grandparents before fleeing to Paris during the Franco-Prussian war, and later to his father's birthplace, Algeria, where he is taken under the wings of the Rabbin. But Julius is egoistic, ambitious, possessive, and heartless.  Once he is ready, he leaves Algeria for England – telling lies and wrecking lives – he builds a home and an empire.

When I first read Julius, I was too young to understand the incestuous undertone in the novel, and when I re-read it later, I was repulsed by it while being in awe of du Maurier's boldness in exploring the controversial subject at the beginning of her career.  With his childhood and youth surrounded by familial and romantic love, it is a wonder that Julius Lévy does not have the capacity to love, and instead, he exploits love and affection to achieve what he wants.  The book has lost none of its lustre after I have re-read it several times, but the more I understand Julius, the more I find him a dark and sinister figure.  Julius Lévy is an anti-hero, and his life story is a tale of ambition that disturbs rather than inspires.


© Eva Leung August 2024.

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